Counties with the highest unemployment in Montana
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Montana using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Montana.
#56. Fallon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,594 people (29 unemployed)
#55. Gallatin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 80,776 people (2,018 unemployed)
#54. Carter County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 684 people (18 unemployed)
#52. Liberty County (tie)
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,017 people (26 unemployed)
#52. Powder River County (tie)
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,001 people (26 unemployed)
#51. Daniels County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 867 people (23 unemployed)
#50. McCone County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 968 people (26 unemployed)
#49. Hill County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,559 people (213 unemployed)
#48. Toole County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,017 people (58 unemployed)
#47. Stillwater County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,321 people (153 unemployed)
#46. Treasure County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 334 people (10 unemployed)
#45. Sweet Grass County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,897 people (57 unemployed)
#44. Dawson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,274 people (127 unemployed)
#43. Prairie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 677 people (21 unemployed)
#42. Beaverhead County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,024 people (156 unemployed)
#41. Richland County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,553 people (174 unemployed)
#40. Meagher County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,059 people (35 unemployed)
#39. Lewis and Clark County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 38,764 people (1,323 unemployed)
#38. Yellowstone County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 88,552 people (3,010 unemployed)
#37. Sheridan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,730 people (60 unemployed)
#36. Carbon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,904 people (205 unemployed)
#35. Judith Basin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 957 people (34 unemployed)
#34. Chouteau County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,445 people (88 unemployed)
#33. Valley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,867 people (139 unemployed)
#32. Madison County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,146 people (184 unemployed)
#31. Deer Lodge County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,433 people (196 unemployed)
#30. Park County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,346 people (376 unemployed)
#29. Petroleum County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 272 people (10 unemployed)
#28. Pondera County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,672 people (105 unemployed)
#27. Rosebud County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,489 people (137 unemployed)
#26. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,138 people (241 unemployed)
#25. Cascade County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,793 people (1,541 unemployed)
#24. Teton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,745 people (110 unemployed)
#23. Missoula County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,104 people (2,777 unemployed)
#22. Wibaux County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 416 people (17 unemployed)
#21. Musselshell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,415 people (99 unemployed)
#20. Powell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,824 people (115 unemployed)
#19. Custer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,371 people (262 unemployed)
#18. Silver Bow County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,014 people (769 unemployed)
#17. Ravalli County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,447 people (955 unemployed)
#16. Broadwater County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,869 people (130 unemployed)
#15. Roosevelt County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,197 people (187 unemployed)
#14. Fergus County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,727 people (266 unemployed)
#13. Golden Valley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 385 people (18 unemployed)
#12. Flathead County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,219 people (2,661 unemployed)
#11. Blaine County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,188 people (112 unemployed)
#10. Lake County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,400 people (733 unemployed)
#9. Garfield County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 746 people (40 unemployed)
#8. Big Horn County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,519 people (249 unemployed)
#7. Wheatland County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 750 people (42 unemployed)
#6. Granite County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,740 people (100 unemployed)
#5. Phillips County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,728 people (106 unemployed)
#4. Glacier County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,610 people (355 unemployed)
#3. Sanders County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,555 people (406 unemployed)
#2. Mineral County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,849 people (143 unemployed)
#1. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,714 people (670 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
