Jobless rate jumps above 12 percent

Flathead County’s unemployment rate increased again in December, reaching 12.1 percent, compared to 11.8 percent in November 2010.

The 12.1 percent rate is the highest recorded in the county since April 2010 when it was 12.2 percent, according to data from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. In December 2009, the county’s rate was 10.9 percent.

The percentage translates to 5,197 unemployed workers in the county.

The number of unemployed people changed by only five compared to December 2009, according to Bill Nelson, manager of the Flathead County Job Service office.

The percentage changed by a larger amount because of a decrease in the total work force, which has been shrinking for most of the last year. The work force did, however, grow from November to December, reaching 42,806 in December, up from 42,572 in November.

As unemployed workers either move out of the county or abandon their job search effort, the total labor pool shrinks, Nelson said.

The local unemployment rate has dropped into single digits just once since November 2009. In September 2010 it was 9.8 percent.

Nelson said he wouldn’t be surprised if employment increases in the next few months, but he expects a decrease in the jobless rate in the spring, due to normal seasonal job opportunities opening up.

Flathead remains among Montana counties with the highest rates of unemployment. Topping the list is Lincoln County with an unemployment rate of 18 percent. Sanders County’s rate is 17.8 percent, Mineral County stands at 13.9 percent, Glacier County is at 12.2 percent and Big Horn County has a 12 percent rate. 

At the other end of the scale, unemployment remains low in several Montana counties. The lowest rate was recorded in Fallon County, 2.5 percent. Five other counties had rates below 4 percent: Richland at 3.1 percent, McCone at 3.3 percent, Wibaux at 3.5 percent, Golden Valley at 3.7 percent and Sweet Grass at 3.9 percent.

County unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

The statewide unadjusted rate was 7.4 percent, up from 7.1 percent in November. But the statewide seasonally adjusted rate for December was 7.2 percent, unchanged from November.

Seasonally adjusted rates remove the effects of events that follow a more or less regular month-to-month pattern each year, state Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly said. The adjustments are designed to make nonseasonal patterns easier to identify.

The national unemployment rate dropped to 9.4 percent, from 9.8 percent.

“Montana’s economy continues to add private-sector jobs, while government jobs are declining,” Kelly said. “The private sector has added about 5,700 jobs since the low in May, but job losses in the government sector have caused unemployment to remain fairly level, despite strong private sector growth.”

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.