GREAT FALLS — Montana’s unemployment rate hit a new record low in December 2021, dropping 0.3 percentage points to end the year at 2.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
A news release from the office of Governor Greg Gianforte says the number of unemployed Montanans is at its lowest level since the BLS began the data series in 1976.
The number of unemployed Montanans also dropped to a record low of 13,689, falling by 1,719 from November.
Montana’s total employment hit a record high in December at 531,040.
Total employment, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers, grew by 3,137 in December, the largest single-month gain in 2021. Payroll employment also increased by 3,200 with strong job growth in retail.
The State of Montana has not only recovered all jobs lost since the start of the pandemic, but also grown beyond that level, with 531,040 Montanans employed in December 2021 compared to 521,657 in March 2020.
The unemployment rate for the U.S. dropped to 3.9%.
