How many jobs were added in Montana last month?
Refreshed monthly
Montana gained 700 jobs in July 2026, ranking it 21st among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 505 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+700
month to month change in number of jobs (July 2026)
21st
rank among states in monthly job growth (July 2026)
Montana’s job gain of 700 in July 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 500 loss in June 2026.
During the latest five year period (August 2021 to July 2026), Montana gained jobs in 36 out of 60 months. July 2026 had the 21st-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2022 (+5,500) while job growth was weakest in May 2026 (-3,200).
There were 700 more jobs in July 2026 in Montana than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, August 2021–July 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Montana sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in July 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in July 2026 were health care and social assistance, transportation, warehousing, and utilities, and arts, entertainment, and recreation. Health care and social assistance added 300 jobs. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities gained 300 jobs, while arts, entertainment, and recreation added 300. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were accommodation and food services, construction, and non-durable goods. Accommodation and food services lost 800 jobs in July 2026, while construction lost 200 jobs and non-durable goods lost 200 jobs.
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The health care and social assistance sector gained 300 jobs during July 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Montana (July 2026)
How has Montana's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Montana lost an average of 8 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 242, and the fourth-lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 1,000 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 2,200 on average every month in 2022.
In 2025, Montana lost an average of 8 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among five metro areas primarily in Montana during July 2026 ranged from a loss of 500 jobs in the Bozeman, MT area to a gain of 100 jobs in the Missoula, MT area metro area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Montana
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +100 | |
| 2. | +0 | |
| 3. | -100 | |
| 4. | -200 | |
| 5. | -500 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
