Montana’s Unemployment Rate Stays Impressively Low
Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On August 19, 2025, Governor Greg Gianforte announced Montana’s unemployment rate remained at 2.8% in July, marking the tenth straight month under 3% and over four consecutive years of unemployment at or below 3.4%, a new record.
“For another consecutive month, Montana ranks in the top five states in the nation with the lowest unemployment rates – a testament to our historic job growth over the last four years,” said Gianforte. “We’ll continue to welcome historic business investment to the Treasure State and innovate through workforce development initiatives like 406 JOBS for Montanans to seek meaningful employment.”
Gianforte said Montana’s unemployment rate was 1.4% lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.2% in July.
“Montana ranked in the top five states in the nation with the lowest unemployment rates,” Gianforte said. “Total employment (which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers) increased slightly in July. The construction and retail trade industries added the most jobs over the month, each adding 500 or more jobs. Payroll jobs increased by 500 jobs over the month, with losses in government employment.”
According to Gianforte, July marked the fifth consecutive month where the number of unemployed Montanans remained below 16,000, near the record low of just under 14,000 which was reached in 2023.
The Governor’s Officer reported that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis in July. The index for shelter rose 0.2% in June, the primary factor for the monthly all-items increase. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index rose 2.7% with core inflation rising 3.1%. The index for all items minus food and energy, or core inflation, rose 0.3% in July.
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