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Job Gains Boost Flathead Valley Employment Rates

By Beacon Staff

Montana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 5.1 percent in March as both the number of available jobs and the workforce increased.

Montana has seen the addition of 7,450 jobs in the first three months of the year.

Flathead County’s unemployment rate slightly dipped from 8.3 percent to 8.2 percent after more than 360 jobs were gained last month. Lincoln County’s rate also dropped 0.1 percent but remains the highest in the state at 16.1 percent. Sanders County saw a slight uptick to 14.8 percent, the second highest rate. Lake County dropped by 0.2 percent to 8.4 percent. Glacier County’s rate was 11.6 percent, also 0.2 percent lower than a month prior.

Labor Commissioner Pam Bucy says stronger job growth has drawn more people into the labor force.

Montana added 2,431 jobs in March — including payroll jobs, agricultural jobs and the self-employed — while the labor force increased by 2,450 workers.

The national unemployment rate in March was 6.7 percent.

March 2014 County Labor Force Statistics
Non-Seasonally Adjusted

Beaverhead 4.6
Big Horn 13.6
Blaine 6.9
Broadwater 8.1
Carbon 5.1
Carter 5.6
Cascade 5.2
Chouteau 4.6
Custer 4.5
Daniels 4.8
Dawson .6
Deer Lodge 7.6
Fallon 2.6
Fergus 5.9
Flathead 8.2
Gallatin 4.5
Garfield 4.1
Glacier 1.6
Golden Valley 4.8
Granite 10.1
Hill 6.8
Jefferson 6.0
Judith Basin 5.1
Lake 8.4
Lewis & Clark 4.8
Liberty 5.9
Lincoln 16.1
Madison 5.3
McCone 3.6
Meagher 5.7
Mineral 10.5
Missoula 5.7
Musselshell 5.0
Park 6.6
Petroleum 7.5
Phillips 6.8
Pondera 6.6
Powder River 4.3
Powell 8.8
Prairie 5.7
Ravalli 8.1
Richland 3.1
Roosevelt 7.1
Rosebud 7.3
Sanders 14.8
Sheridan 3.6
Silver Bow 5.9
Stillwater 5.0
Sweet Grass 3.3
Teton 5.1
Toole 4.4
Treasure 3.9
Valley 4.6
Wheatland 5.5
Wibaux 4.1
Yellowstone 4.4