The September labor and consumer statistics for Montana have been released, and the data shows that while more Montanans are looking for work, less than a third of those searching began jobs last month.

The numbers, released last week by the state Department of Labor and Industry show that total employment is slightly higher than last month, but a higher unemployment percentage and climbing inflation paint a mixed economic picture.

Although the number of employed Montanans grew again, as it has steadily since early in the Covid-19 pandemic, September gains were not enough to keep pace with the amount of individuals job-searching, leading the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate to grow slightly from 2.8% to 2.9%, over half a percent higher than six months ago.

Although Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s spokesperson blames the state’s economic challenges on “federal policies,” the national unemployment rate fell by 0.2% in September and is down over the past six months as well. The governor’s office attributed the state unemployment bump, meanwhile, to growth of the labor pool.

The total workforce, the measure of people participating in the job market, grew by 736 to roughly 568,000 in September, but the number of employed Montanans increased by fewer than 200.*

Flathead County lags behind the state as a whole when it comes to labor numbers. Although the county only had a September unemployment rate of 2.5%, this is higher than Montana’s non-adjusted 2.3%, the figure that is typically used to compare with county-level statistics.

When compared with other counties state-wide, Flathead ranks 38 out of Montana’s 56 counties and last among those with at least 50,000 eligible workforce members.

The rise in unemployment also is coming as the prices of goods and services climb. Inflation is continuing to rise nationwide, with prices on goods measured in the Consumer Price Index increasing more than 8% over this month last year.

In publicizing the numbers Gianforte celebrated the increase in the workforce. In a statement released by his office, Gianforte took credit for the 29 straight months of job growth in the state, a period extending back into his predecessor, Democrat Steve Bullock’s administration.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at [email protected].

*This paragraph has been updated.