MT!JOBS=LAUS(30)

Montana: jobs and unemployment

Unemployment, employment and the labor force in Montana from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

BLS LAUSLatest month: September 2026

Unemployment, September 20263.1%#8 of 51 · #1 = lowest

Annual average, 20253.3%US 4.3%, weighted by labor force

Labor force, 2025577.8K+0.1% on a year earlier

Employed, 2025558.6K19,230 unemployed

Fig. 1Unemployment rate, monthlySeasonally adjusted, percent of the labor force, since 2000

Fig. 2Labor force and employment, 2000–2025Annual averages, people; the gap between the lines is the number unemployed

Labor forceEmployed

Year	Unemployment rate	Labor force	Employed	Unemployed
2025	3.3%	577,847	558,617	19,230
2024	3.0%	577,376	560,046	17,330
2023	2.7%	572,256	556,633	15,623
2022	2.7%	561,884	546,902	14,982
2021	3.4%	546,755	528,254	18,501
2020	5.8%	543,626	511,964	31,662
2019	3.5%	542,875	523,844	19,031
2018	3.7%	534,517	514,655	19,862
2017	4.1%	529,184	507,640	21,544
2016	4.3%	524,916	502,443	22,473
2015	4.3%	520,502	498,354	22,148
2014	4.6%	514,795	490,919	23,876
2013	5.3%	512,997	485,676	27,321
2012	5.8%	508,195	478,785	29,410
2011	6.6%	502,271	468,962	33,309
2010	7.2%	501,695	465,750	35,945
2009	7.1%	503,970	468,135	35,835
2008	4.7%	514,562	490,487	24,075
2007	3.4%	507,912	490,695	17,217
2006	3.4%	497,506	480,795	16,711
2005	4.1%	486,794	466,803	19,991
2004	4.5%	479,189	457,509	21,680
2003	4.7%	470,818	448,529	22,289
2002	4.6%	466,726	445,360	21,366
2001	4.6%	465,620	444,076	21,544
2000	4.8%	470,384	447,697	22,687
1999	5.3%	467,160	442,416	24,744
1998	5.6%	462,467	436,456	26,011
1997	5.5%	452,487	427,715	24,772
1996	5.5%	448,736	423,859	24,877
1995	5.7%	443,612	418,312	25,300
1994	5.5%	436,805	412,795	24,010
1993	6.1%	424,671	398,769	25,902
1992	6.7%	418,696	390,580	28,116
1991	6.9%	402,449	374,528	27,921
1990	6.1%	402,673	378,306	24,367
1989	6.0%	407,571	383,283	24,288
1988	6.6%	403,681	376,941	26,740
1987	7.5%	400,514	370,509	30,005
1986	7.9%	403,421	371,422	31,999
1985	7.7%	403,615	372,600	31,015
1984	7.5%	403,173	372,987	30,186
1983	8.7%	395,263	360,693	34,570
1982	8.6%	387,456	354,171	33,285
1981	6.8%	382,654	356,754	25,900
1980	6.3%	372,105	348,593	23,512
1979	5.2%	369,431	350,133	19,298
1978	5.6%	364,452	344,035	20,417
1977	6.2%	348,780	327,199	21,581
1976	5.9%	334,039	314,166	19,873

BLS LAUS: monthly rates are seasonally adjusted; annual averages are not seasonally adjusted.