Montana Unemployment Rate Drops Again, National Rate at 6.2%

More positive news coming out of the Governor's office in Helena, with the announcement of another drop in the Treasure State's unemployment rate.

According to the press release, Montana's unemployment rate "continues its downward trend," after the 4.0 percent unemployment rate in January has dropped again to 3.9 percent in February.

Overall, the United States unemployment rate was at 6.2 percent for the month of February 2021, according to the press release from the Governor's office.

Even with the state's rate of unemployment continuing to drop, Governor Gianforte said many Montana businesses are still "struggling to find workers." To address what Gianforte called a "skilled labor shortage" in our state, he worked with legislature to create the Montana Trades Education Credit.

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Through this program, more than "1-million dollars a year in 50 percent credits" will be available to businesses for their employees to learn a trade, according to Governor Gianforte.

Getting Montanans back to work in good-paying jobs and improving access to trades education and apprenticeships are top priorities as we get Montana open for business. Expanding trades education in Montana and empowering our workforce are critical. I look forward to this bill getting across the finish line and to my desk. -Governor Gianforte

The Montana unemployment rate was broken down by county, and according to the press release, Yellowstone County's unemployment rate is currently at 4.4 percent. That's up 0.6 percent from last year, with 2,426 fewer residents employed compared to this time in 2020.

Glacier County has the highest unemployment rate of the 56 Montana counties, at 10.2 percent in February, which is up 1.7 percent from the same time last year.

To see the entire press release from Governor Gianforte, with the individual Montana county unemployment rates, CLICK HERE.