HELENA — Montana’s unemployment rate has fallen for the third straight month, dropping to 6.4% in July.
The Treasure State's jobless rate is 3.8 percentage points below the national rate of 10.2% for July.
Total employment, which includes payroll workers and the self-employed, increased by 3,700 compared to June.
Since April, 42,000 jobs have been added, bringing total employment to 18,000 jobs below the pre-COVID-19 recession peak, according to a news release.
Payroll employment increased by 3,000 jobs in July led by the leisure and hospitality sector which gained 1,400 jobs.
Montana has added roughly 36,000 payroll jobs compared to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April.
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Garfield | 2.3 | 0.4 | 626 | -94 |
| 2 | Daniels | 2.9 | 1.4 | 827 | -66 |
| 3 | Liberty | 3.1 | 0.6 | 858 | -57 |
| 4 | Powder River | 3.2 | 1.2 | 850 | -77 |
| 5 | Carter | 3.5 | 0.9 | 553 | -38 |
| 6 | Petroleum | 3.6 | 1 | 242 | -25 |
| 7 | Sweet Grass | 3.7 | 1.2 | 1,685 | -80 |
| 8 | Beaverhead | 3.9 | 1.5 | 4,763 | -275 |
| 9 | Chouteau | 4 | 1.7 | 2,229 | -138 |
| 9 | Golden Valley | 4 | 1.2 | 338 | -14 |
| 11 | Fergus | 4.2 | 1.7 | 5,335 | -643 |
| 11 | Valley | 4.2 | 1.3 | 3,812 | -253 |
| 13 | McCone | 4.3 | 1.6 | 821 | -106 |
| 13 | Treasure | 4.3 | 2.2 | 289 | -30 |
| 15 | Meagher | 4.4 | 1.8 | 912 | -45 |
| 15 | Powell | 4.4 | 1.6 | 2,724 | -283 |
| 15 | Teton | 4.4 | 1.6 | 2,477 | -174 |
| 18 | Judith Basin | 4.5 | 2.1 | 849 | -41 |
| 19 | Madison | 4.6 | 2.2 | 4,256 | -411 |
| 20 | Gallatin | 4.9 | 3.1 | 69,298 | -1,951 |
| 21 | Deer Lodge | 5.1 | 2.1 | 4,795 | -298 |
| 21 | Fallon | 5.1 | 3.8 | 1,548 | -136 |
| 23 | Blaine | 5.2 | 2.1 | 2,063 | -252 |
| 24 | Lewis and Clark | 5.3 | 2.6 | 34,265 | -1,725 |
| 25 | Jefferson | 5.4 | 2.6 | 5,392 | -297 |
| 26 | Custer | 5.5 | 2.9 | 5,774 | -233 |
| 26 | Phillips | 5.5 | 2 | 1,637 | -136 |
| 28 | Stillwater | 5.6 | 2.8 | 4,965 | -98 |
| 29 | Ravalli | 5.7 | 2.2 | 19,130 | -597 |
| 29 | Sheridan | 5.7 | 3.9 | 1,590 | -55 |
| 31 | Pondera | 5.8 | 1.9 | 2,321 | -202 |
| 32 | Carbon | 5.9 | 3 | 5,202 | -117 |
| 32 | Hill | 5.9 | 1.9 | 6,903 | -483 |
| 32 | Yellowstone | 5.9 | 2.7 | 78,791 | -972 |
| 35 | Wibaux | 6 | 3.3 | 422 | -48 |
| 36 | Cascade | 6.1 | 2.9 | 36,673 | 198 |
| 37 | Rosebud | 6.2 | 0.8 | 3,305 | -385 |
| 38 | Granite | 6.3 | 2 | 1,499 | -101 |
| 38 | Missoula | 6.3 | 3.5 | 62,614 | 1,034 |
| 38 | Musselshell | 6.3 | 2.6 | 2,078 | -105 |
| 38 | Toole | 6.3 | 4 | 1,929 | -177 |
| 42 | Broadwater | 6.5 | 2.5 | 2,403 | -165 |
| 43 | Lake | 6.8 | 2.9 | 12,669 | -283 |
| 43 | Park | 6.8 | 4.3 | 8,951 | -275 |
| 45 | Flathead | 7 | 3.3 | 47,436 | -1,176 |
| 45 | Silver Bow | 7 | 3.6 | 16,187 | -967 |
| 47 | Roosevelt | 7.3 | 2.4 | 3,966 | -279 |
| 47 | Sanders | 7.3 | 2.4 | 4,567 | -105 |
| 49 | Big Horn | 7.5 | 0.4 | 4,226 | -204 |
| 50 | Wheatland | 7.6 | 3.8 | 654 | -86 |
| 51 | Dawson | 7.7 | 5.4 | 4,195 | -288 |
| 52 | Richland | 8.5 | 5.9 | 5,342 | -387 |
| 53 | Mineral | 8.8 | 4.6 | 1,653 | -124 |
| 54 | Prairie | 8.9 | 4.9 | 399 | -59 |
| 55 | Lincoln | 9.1 | 3.3 | 7,341 | -395 |
| 56 | Glacier | 10.3 | 3.2 | 5,295 | -329 |
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Flathead | 7.1 | 3.0 | 12,423 | -264 |
| 2 | Fort Peck | 9.0 | 3.0 | 3,581 | -249 |
| 3 | Crow | 11.3 | 0.7 | 2,167 | -98 |
| 4 | Fort Belknap | 11.9 | 4.6 | 678 | -82 |
| 5 | Blackfeet | 14.1 | 4.1 | 3,718 | -235 |
| 6 | Northern Cheyenne | 14.4 | 1.3 | 1,163 | -107 |
| 7 | Rocky Boy's | 16.4 | 5.4 | 992 | -67 |
