Montana unemployment rate remains at 3.1%

Governor Greg Gianforte recently announced that Montana's unemployment rate remained at 3.1% in June. The national unemployment rate rose to 4.1%.

"With more Montanans working now than ever before, we saw another month of steady employment increases across industries," Gov. Gianforte said. "Thanks to our pro-business, pro-jobs policies, we're creating an environment where businesses can thrive, create more good-paying jobs, and increase opportunities for all Montanans."

Total employment and the number of people in the labor force rose together in June, leading to no change in the unemployment rate. Payroll employment showed steady gains, adding 1,600 jobs in June, with the Professional and Business Services leading private sector gains. Healthcare and transportation were also significant contributors to employment growth in June, offsetting declines in leisure and hospitality, mining, and construction employment.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers declined 0.1% in June, on a seasonally adjusted basis, for a 12-month change of 3.0%. The index for gasoline fell 3.8% in June, after declining 3.6% in May, more than offsetting an increase in shelter. The index for all items minus food and energy, or core inflation, rose 0.1% in June.

Unemployment figures are seasonally-adjusted. Seasonally-adjusted numbers remove the effects of events that follow a more or less regular month-to-month pattern each year. These adjustments make non-seasonal patterns easier to identify. The margin of error for the unemployment rate is plus or minus 0.5 percentage points at the 90 percent confidence level. All questions relating to the calculation of unemployment rates should be directed to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry's Data and Operations Bureau at 406-444-4100.