Montana’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.2 percent in August, remaining well below the national rate of 4.1 percent and keeping the state in the top fifteen lowest nationwide. Governor Greg Gianforte credited the stability to continued job creation across both public and private sectors, with payroll gains driven largely by construction, health care, and social assistance
Looking at the unadjusted local data across central and northern Montana, county unemployment rates remained relatively low. Fergus County leads the group at 2.5 percent, followed closely by Blaine and Phillips Counties at 2.6 percent. Chouteau County sits at 2.9 percent, while Hill County recorded a 3.4 percent unemployment rate.
On the state’s Native American reservations, where figures are historically higher but improving, the Rocky Boy’s Reservation recorded an unemployment rate of 9.5 percent, marking a slight drop from last year. Meanwhile, the Fort Belknap Reservation reported an 11.1 percent unemployment rate, which reflects a notable 1.2 percentage point decrease over the past twelve months.
