The Labor Department says Montana’s unemployment rate remained steady at 6.4 percent in November.
Meanwhile, Flathead County’s unemployment rate rose for the third straight month, to 10.1 percent from 9.3 percent a month earlier. Flathead’s unemployment rate is the fifth highest in the state, with Lincoln County suffering the highest rate in Montana at 12.8 percent.
Montana’s steady rate comes on the heels of October, where the unemployment rate dropped slightly from the prior month.
Montana Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly says the state also posted small gains in both overall employment and the labor force.
The total number of Montanans who are working increased by 868 jobs according to the seasonally adjusted calculation.
The national unemployment rate dropped from 10.2 percent to 10 percent in November. The unemployment rates also dropped in 36 states and the District of Columbia, decreases mostly fueled by more people leaving the work force.
Michigan continued to lead the states with the highest unemployment rate, at 14.7 percent. North Dakota again claimed the lowest unemployment rate, at 4.1 percent.