Flathead’s Jobless Rate Ticks Down

Montana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 5.6 percent in March.

Labor Commissioner Pam Bucy said that Montana lost 700 payroll jobs in March. She says the numbers reflect a softening of the national economy because of federal efforts to address the national debt. Bucy says she believes the Montana economy has enough momentum to continue improving.

Meanwhile, Flathead County’s non-seasonally adjusted rate fell to 9.4 percent in March from 9.8 percent in February. The current rate is 1.3 percentage points lower than March 2012.

In February, Montana was 2,000 jobs away from regaining its pre-recession payroll employment peak. Bucy says she expects Montana to reach that mark within the next few months.

Here are the jobless rates for ever Montana county.

Flathead unemployment rates by month:

March 2013: 9.4%
February 2013: 9.8%
January 2013: 10.6%
December 2012: 9.1%
November 2012: 9%
October 2012: 8.3%
September 2012: 7.4%
August 2012: 7.9%
July 2012: 7.9%
June 2012: 8.5%
May 2012: 9.2%
April 2012: 10%
March 2012: 10.7%