Montana's jobless rate is stable at 4.1 percent

Montana’s unemployment rate was unchanged in January, remaining at 4.1 percent,

The state's jobless rate continues to hover around 4.0 percent, as it did for most of 2015.

The U.S. unemployment rate fell 0.1 percent over the month to 4.9 percent in January.

Today’s economic news is another sign that Montana’s economy is among the strongest in the nation,” said Gov. Steve Bullock. “As our economy grows at a fast rate, we continue to work to ensure Montana’s wage growth remains high and that we are finding new ways to prepare our workforce for our state’s growing industries.”

“Our economy continues to add jobs, with payroll employment growing in January,” said Labor and Industry Commissioner Pam Bucy. “We continue to work hard to ensure that our training programs prepare workers for the workplace and that businesses have the labor force pipeline they need to prosper.”

Payroll employment showed positive gains in January, adding around 1,300 jobs. Payroll job gains were most notable in retail trade, construction and manufacturing, the monthly labor department report said..

Total employment estimates, which include agricultural and self-employed workers along with payroll workers, indicated a statistically insignificant gain of 68 jobs.

Employment growth over the past year remains near the long-term average of about 1 percent, with 5,166 jobs added for a growth rate of 1.1 percent.

Along the Hi-Line

• Liberty County: the jobless rate was 3.3 percent, down .1 percent from last January.

• Chouteau County: The jobless rate was 3.8 percent, down .4 percent from last January.

• Hill County: 4.8 percent of the job market was unemployed, down 0.6 percent from last January.

• Blaine County: The unemployment rate was 5.5 percent, down 1.7 percent from last January.

• Fort Belknap Indian Reservation: 13.3 percent were unemployed.

• Rocky Boy’s indian Reservation: 14.1 percent, 0.7 percent below last year's rate.