Jobless number declines

Alan Lewis Gerstenecker

Editor

While Montana’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 points to 6.1 percent in September, Lincoln County workers realized a 1.2 percent drop in joblessness to 10.7 percent.

The drop comes as good news for the additional 136 people who found work.

Workers in Lincoln County have long strived to find work, many even leaving the county to find work in the bustling economies of North Dakota.

As county and state jobless numbers improved, the national rate decreased by 0.3 percent to 7.8 percent.

“Montana’s unemployment rate continued its downward trend this month with strong job gains of 1,100 jobs,” said Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly.  

“Over the last year, the number of unemployed people has dropped by 11 percent with many more Montanans back at work.”

Lincoln County’s unemployed totaled 946 in August, the number fell to 810 in September, from 11.9 to 10.7 percent. The July unemployment rate in the county was 12.6 percent.

 However, not all the news for Lincoln County residents is good, as the county still has the highest jobless rate in the state.

Both Montana and the U.S. unemployment rates made significant movements downward in September, echoing the declines at this time last year.  

Montana’s employment growth rate during the last year remains at 1.7 percent, above its long-term average of 1.2 percent since the series started in 1976.  

At the U.S. level, employment has grown by 2 percent in the last year, compared to a 1.3 percent average annual growth rate using the same time period.

Montana’s total employment increased by 1,130 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis.  Total employment includes both payroll workers, plus agricultural and self-employed workers.  

Payroll employment estimates indicated an increase of 600 jobs, with a gain of 1,200 jobs in the private sector and a decline of 600 government jobs.  

Job gains were greatest in the professional and business services industry and in construction.  Preliminary estimates indicate that construction has been adding jobs since the fourth quarter of 2011.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 0.6 percent in September, marking the second straight month where spiking gasoline prices have caused notable price increases in the CPI-U.  

Gasoline prices rose 7 percent in September following a 9 percent rise last month.  The food index increased marginally by 0.1 percent.  

The increase in the all items less food and energy index, referred to as core inflation, remained relatively steady at 0.1 percent for the third straight month.