Flathead jobless rate drops to 10.5% in April

Bigfork Eagle

For the first time in months, there's some good news for job seekers in Flathead County. The Montana Department of Labor and Industry reported that the county's unemployment rate dropped 2.2 percent to 10.5 percent in April. That number is the lowest in four months.

But Flathead County does still maintain one unfortunate statistic. With 5,087 people looking for work last month, the county has more unemployed workers than any other in the state.

Across Montana, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased slightly to 6 percent in April, down from 6.1 percent in March. Montana continues to be well below April's national average of 8.9 percent, which increased from 8.5 percent during that same period.

"Montana's unemployment rate has decreased for the first time since the start of the recession in December 2007," Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly said. "With three straight months of 6 percent unemployment, it is good news to see it stabilize and more Montanans going to work."

Seasonally-adjusted, non-agricultural, payroll employment increased by 1,500 jobs in April. The total number of Montanans who are working, including agricultural, payroll, and self-employed workers, increased by 2,257 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis. April marks the first time both monthly employment estimates have increased over the prior month since August 2008.