State rate increases; county no longer state highest

While Montana’s unemployment rate hit 7.7 percent in July, moving up by 0.2 percent for the second straight month, the news was better for the jobless in Lincoln County who saw the unemployment rate of 15 percent in June fall 0.4 percent to 14.6 percent.

The drop in the unemployment rate removed Lincoln County from the distinction of having the highest jobless rate in Montana. That distinction now falls upon Sanders County that has a 14.8 percent jobless rate.

In Lincoln County, there is a workforce of 8,199 of whom 6,999 are employed, leaving 1,200 searching for work.

Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percent to 9.1 percent for the month.

“Despite the weather disasters, rising oil prices, and stock market scares, the private sector is still adding jobs,” said Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly.

“But even with this job growth in the private sector; the economy is still struggling from the lingering financial crises and housing bubble crash as government continues to shed jobs.”

Both the payroll and total employment estimates indicated job losses of about 900 in July on a seasonally adjusted basis. Private sector payroll jobs increased by 2,600 jobs, while government employment decreased by about 3,500 jobs.

The seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in July, with about half of the increase attributed to increases in gasoline prices.

The CPI-U increased by 3.6 percent during the last year. The index for all items less food and energy (also called core inflation) increased by 0.2 percent for the second straight month.