Montana's unemployment rate up to 4.3 percent in March

Staff and wire report

Montana's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.3 percent in March.

Labor Director Pam Bucy said wage growth is enticing more workers into the labor market. Payroll employment added 400 jobs in March, while the labor force expanded by 654 workers.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis says personal income in Montana rose by 4.4 percent in 2015.

Nationally, the March unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a point to 5 percent.

Along the Hi-Line, the jobless rates were:

• Liberty County, 3.5 percent, up .08 percent since March 2015

• Hill County, 5.1 percent, up .05 from March 2015

• Blaine County, 5.5 percent, up 0.5 percent from March 2015

• Chouteau County, 4.1 percent, up 1.1 percent

• Fort Belknap, 13.8 percent, down 0.9 percent from March 2015

Rocky Boy, 15 percent, up 2 percent from March 2015