Flathead jobless rate remains at 7.9 percent during summer season

Flathead County unemployment rates remain unchanged since July when they improved to 7.9 percent, the best number in four years.

According to statistics released by the state Department of Labor on Friday, that rate stayed the same in August. This equates to 3,611 unemployed workers out of Flathead County’s total work force of 45,470.

Jobless rates in Sanders and Lincoln counties continued to show improvement. Both counties shared the worst unemployment rates through most of the four-year long recession.

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate improved from 12.6 percent to 11.9 percent in August and Sanders County from 12.6 percent in July to 12 percent.

The unemployment rate remained steady in Montana through the summer months, 6.3 percent in June, 6.4 percent in July, and back to 6.3 percent in August. Statewide numbers are seasonally adjusted, but county unemployment numbers are not.

Montana’s jobless rate continues to be better than the national unemployment rate, which is now 8.3 percent.

Montana’s total employment figures were essentially flat for August, losing 308 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis for a negative 0.1 percent change, while the labor force declined by 407 workers, according to the state labor department. Montana unemployment numbers are roughly where they were at in May, yet still reflect the growth over the past year.

Payroll unemployment figures painted a more optimistic picture for the month, adding 1,900 workers in August. Private employment growth makes up nearly all of the payroll employment gains over the past year.