HELENA — Montana's unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.9% in November, down 0.1% from October.
Total employment growth has slowed to 797 in November but remains much higher than the pace of recovery after the 2008 recession, which averaged about 480 job gains per month.
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry reports the labor force added 706 workers in November, bringing the level equal to the labor force in February prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Payroll employment also posted a gain of 1,200 jobs over the month, with the most jobs added in the professional and business services industry.
The Treasure State’s rate remains lower than the national rate of 6.7% for November.
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Daniels | 2.2 | 0.0 | 889 | -3 |
| 2 | Liberty | 2.3 | -0.5 | 988 | 30 |
| 3 | Garfield | 2.4 | 0.0 | 741 | 9 |
| 3 | McCone | 2.4 | 0.5 | 933 | -20 |
| 3 | Powder River | 2.4 | 0.0 | 979 | 3 |
| 6 | Carter | 2.5 | 0.4 | 701 | 34 |
| 7 | Sweet Grass | 2.7 | 0.1 | 1,798 | 8 |
| 8 | Golden Valley | 3.0 | -1.3 | 356 | 0 |
| 9 | Beaverhead | 3.1 | 0.0 | 4,935 | 10 |
| 9 | Powell | 3.1 | -0.4 | 2,804 | -126 |
| 11 | Chouteau | 3.2 | 0.8 | 2,505 | 40 |
| 11 | Judith Basin | 3.2 | 0.6 | 1,041 | 45 |
| 13 | Petroleum | 3.4 | -0.4 | 285 | 8 |
| 14 | Fallon | 3.5 | 1.3 | 1,641 | -40 |
| 14 | Treasure | 3.5 | 1.5 | 335 | -6 |
| 16 | Custer | 3.6 | 1.0 | 5,930 | -57 |
| 16 | Fergus | 3.6 | 0.7 | 5,589 | -342 |
| 16 | Gallatin | 3.6 | 0.9 | 67,256 | -96 |
| 16 | Teton | 3.6 | 0.4 | 2,667 | -22 |
| 16 | Valley | 3.6 | 0.2 | 3,877 | -100 |
| 21 | Jefferson | 3.7 | 0.4 | 5,440 | -76 |
| 21 | Lewis and Clark | 3.7 | 0.9 | 34,182 | -546 |
| 21 | Stillwater | 3.7 | 0.9 | 5,172 | -29 |
| 24 | Deer Lodge | 3.8 | 0.8 | 4,695 | -109 |
| 25 | Yellowstone | 3.9 | 0.9 | 78,208 | -1,023 |
| 26 | Hill | 4.0 | 0.5 | 7,207 | -238 |
| 26 | Phillips | 4.0 | 0.7 | 1,851 | -4 |
| 28 | Missoula | 4.1 | 1.0 | 62,352 | 324 |
| 28 | Toole | 4.1 | 1.2 | 1,999 | -55 |
| 30 | Blaine | 4.2 | 0.7 | 2,229 | -221 |
| 30 | Meagher | 4.2 | 1.0 | 963 | 16 |
| 32 | Carbon | 4.4 | 0.9 | 5,274 | -55 |
| 32 | Madison | 4.4 | 0.2 | 4,177 | -64 |
| 32 | Ravalli | 4.4 | 0.8 | 19,529 | -148 |
| 35 | Cascade | 4.5 | 1.3 | 35,896 | -971 |
| 35 | Musselshell | 4.5 | 0.6 | 2,249 | 38 |
| 35 | Pondera | 4.5 | 1.5 | 2,563 | -27 |
| 38 | Lake | 4.6 | 0.6 | 12,689 | -28 |
| 38 | Sheridan | 4.6 | 2.3 | 1,726 | 8 |
| 40 | Dawson | 4.7 | 2.2 | 4,437 | -46 |
| 40 | Rosebud | 4.7 | 0.2 | 3,494 | -182 |
| 40 | Silver Bow | 4.7 | 1.0 | 16,095 | -475 |
| 43 | Roosevelt | 4.8 | 1.2 | 4,239 | -104 |
| 43 | Wibaux | 4.8 | 1.8 | 440 | -7 |
| 45 | Broadwater | 4.9 | 0.9 | 2,418 | -76 |
| 46 | Park | 5.2 | 1.5 | 8,413 | -71 |
| 47 | Granite | 5.3 | -0.8 | 1,462 | -39 |
| 47 | Richland | 5.3 | 2.9 | 5,565 | -262 |
| 49 | Flathead | 5.4 | 0.7 | 44,825 | -285 |
| 50 | Big Horn | 5.5 | -1.1 | 4,519 | 7 |
| 51 | Sanders | 5.6 | 0.8 | 4,699 | 83 |
| 51 | Wheatland | 5.6 | 2.2 | 774 | -17 |
| 53 | Mineral | 6.4 | 1.1 | 1,557 | -67 |
| 54 | Prairie | 6.7 | 3.3 | 448 | -30 |
| 55 | Lincoln | 6.9 | -0.2 | 7,420 | -124 |
| 56 | Glacier | 8.0 | 0.6 | 5,185 | 61 |
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Flathead | 4.9 | 0.7 | 12,462 | -8 |
| 2 | Fort Peck | 6.1 | 1.4 | 3,810 | -92 |
| 3 | Crow Reservation | 8.4 | -1.6 | 2,302 | 0 |
| 4 | Fort Belknap Reservation | 9.5 | 1.5 | 734 | -69 |
| 5 | Northern Cheyenne | 11 | -0.1 | 1,234 | -41 |
| 6 | Blackfeet Indian | 11.2 | 1.1 | 3,666 | 39 |
| 7 | Rocky Boy's | 11.9 | 1.7 | 1,059 | -18 |
