A handful of years ago when the pandemic prompted the “Great Resignation,” which triggered early retirements, normalized remote work and sent dissatisfied city slickers to rural regions of the country, the nationwide job market constricted to even tighter levels than it was in 2019.

Montana has seen a historically low unemployment rate in recent years, and Gov. Greg Gianforte in July said the statewide unemployment rate has remained below 3.4% since 2021, a sign he points to as a “testament to our historic job growth.”

Four years ago when job openings grew dramatically as some companies expanded or relocated to Montana while tourism to the region exploded, the workforce shrank. Early retirements triggered by the pandemic took a significant volume of workers out of the labor pool while other factors, such as a shortage of childcare, lack of international employees and career changes, also contributed.

“It was pretty apparent in several industries. In a nutshell, it’s pretty simple – the labor force is 4 million lower (nationally) than it was before the pandemic,” said Pat Barkey, the former director of the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) in 2021. “There’s been considerable withdrawal from the labor force … it means you’re not looking for a job anymore and you’ve found other ways to support yourself.”

Fast forward four years later and Montana employers are still seeing workforce shortages, even as other areas of the country are reporting a weak job market – primarily among white-collar jobs.

Based on my reporting for a package of job-related stories that will publish next week, I’m learning Montana continues to steadily add jobs as the state’s population grows, despite a grimmer picture on the national scale.

According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), the state’s unemployment rate in July was 2.8% while Flathead County’s was even lower at 2.4%. Nationwide, the unemployment rate was 4.2%.

While job hunters in some regions struggle to find employment, there are still plenty of openings in Montana in all job sectors, with the highest volume of vacancies in professional services, leisure and healthcare. As of today, Logan Health had 305 job openings while Immanuel Lutheran Communities had 19.

To help employers fill those positions, the Northwest Montana Job and Opportunity Fair returns to the Flathead County Fairgrounds Trade Center on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. where organizations will connect with potential employers.

“This job fair isn’t just an event – it’s a launchpad for transforming lives and strengthening our local economy,” DLI Commissioner Sarah Swanson said. “We’re thrilled to bring together passionate job seekers and innovative employers to forge connections that will shape the future of the community.”

I’m Maggie Dresser, here to launch today’s Daily Roundup.

In her latest column, Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger Julie Laing shares her recipe for goat cheese and smoked beet sandwiches. Check it out here.