HELENA — Montana’s unemployment rate declined to 4.9% in October, down from 5.4% in September.
Total employment, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers saw a gain of 3,700 jobs.
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry reports that approximately 51,500 jobs have been regained since April.
Statistics also show that payroll employment gained 1,200 jobs over the month while the leisure and hospitality sector added 2,200 jobs.
The lowest unemployment rate for October was 1.8% in Garfield County while Glacier County at 7.0% had the highest jobless rate.
The national jobless rate sat at 6.9% last month.
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Garfield | 1.8 | -0.3 | 749 | -3 |
| 2 | Carter | 2.3 | -0.2 | 678 | 6 |
| 2 | Daniels | 2.3 | 0.4 | 877 | -16 |
| 2 | Liberty | 2.3 | -0.3 | 991 | 17 |
| 5 | McCone | 2.6 | 0.4 | 941 | -35 |
| 6 | Sweet Grass | 2.7 | 0.1 | 1,773 | -41 |
| 7 | Powder River | 2.8 | 0.6 | 966 | -19 |
| 8 | Beaverhead | 2.9 | 0.3 | 4,951 | -23 |
| 8 | Fergus | 2.9 | 0.5 | 5,503 | -460 |
| 10 | Chouteau | 3.1 | 0.4 | 2,455 | -17 |
| 10 | Petroleum | 3.1 | 0.0 | 277 | -6 |
| 10 | Powell | 3.1 | -0.2 | 2,779 | -161 |
| 10 | Teton | 3.1 | 0.1 | 2,692 | -26 |
| 14 | Fallon | 3.3 | 1.3 | 1,622 | -73 |
| 14 | Phillips | 3.3 | 0.3 | 1,851 | -39 |
| 16 | Valley | 3.4 | 0.2 | 3,816 | -201 |
| 17 | Custer | 3.5 | 1.0 | 5,836 | -125 |
| 17 | Deer Lodge | 3.5 | 0.8 | 4,777 | -53 |
| 17 | Gallatin | 3.5 | 1.1 | 67,538 | -48 |
| 17 | Golden Valley | 3.5 | 0.0 | 359 | -3 |
| 17 | Lewis and Clark | 3.5 | 0.8 | 33,693 | -869 |
| 22 | Madison | 3.6 | 0.2 | 4,508 | 444 |
| 23 | Judith Basin | 3.7 | 1.0 | 1,038 | 28 |
| 23 | Treasure | 3.7 | 1.7 | 341 | 2 |
| 25 | Blaine | 3.8 | 0.7 | 2,223 | -258 |
| 25 | Meagher | 3.8 | 0.9 | 910 | -13 |
| 27 | Stillwater | 3.9 | 1.3 | 5,067 | -146 |
| 28 | Jefferson | 4.0 | 0.9 | 5,373 | -131 |
| 28 | Yellowstone | 4.0 | 1.1 | 78,264 | -1,029 |
| 30 | Hill | 4.1 | 0.5 | 7,201 | -246 |
| 31 | Missoula | 4.2 | 1.3 | 62,192 | -411 |
| 31 | Ravalli | 4.2 | 0.9 | 19,145 | -629 |
| 33 | Pondera | 4.3 | 1.3 | 2,495 | -130 |
| 33 | Sheridan | 4.3 | 2.1 | 1,702 | -27 |
| 35 | Cascade | 4.4 | 1.2 | 35,715 | -1,050 |
| 35 | Granite | 4.4 | -0.2 | 1,539 | -5 |
| 35 | Park | 4.4 | 1.6 | 8,891 | 123 |
| 35 | Toole | 4.4 | 1.6 | 1,970 | -112 |
| 35 | Wibaux | 4.4 | 1.3 | 434 | -29 |
| 40 | Carbon | 4.5 | 1.5 | 5,297 | -51 |
| 40 | Lake | 4.5 | 0.6 | 12,818 | 60 |
| 42 | Silver Bow | 4.8 | 1.3 | 15,851 | -671 |
| 43 | Broadwater | 4.9 | 1.5 | 2,423 | -71 |
| 43 | Flathead | 4.9 | 0.8 | 46,121 | 626 |
| 43 | Musselshell | 4.9 | 1.5 | 2,126 | -79 |
| 43 | Roosevelt | 4.9 | 1.3 | 4,130 | -215 |
| 43 | Rosebud | 4.9 | 0.3 | 3,437 | -288 |
| 48 | Wheatland | 5.0 | 2.0 | 767 | -28 |
| 49 | Dawson | 5.1 | 2.7 | 4,278 | -190 |
| 49 | Sanders | 5.1 | 0.6 | 4,798 | 128 |
| 51 | Big Horn | 5.5 | -0.9 | 4,543 | 2 |
| 52 | Richland | 5.6 | 2.9 | 5,342 | -512 |
| 53 | Mineral | 5.9 | 1.3 | 1,672 | 6 |
| 54 | Prairie | 6.0 | 2.1 | 435 | -36 |
| 55 | Lincoln | 6.4 | 0.2 | 7,446 | -221 |
| 56 | Glacier | 7.0 | 0.1 | 5,907 | 709 |
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Flathead | 4.7 | 0.6 | 12,594 | 74 |
| 2 | Fort Peck | 6.2 | 1.5 | 3,716 | -191 |
| 3 | Blackfeet | 8.4 | -1.1 | 2,313 | -2 |
| 4 | Crow | 8.4 | 1.3 | 732 | -82 |
| 5 | Fort Belknap | 9.8 | 0.3 | 4,139 | 460 |
| 6 | Northern Cheyenne | 11.4 | 0.2 | 1,224 | -65 |
| 7 | Rocky Boy's | 12.1 | 1.3 | 1,052 | -27 |
