Montana
Work & Labor Force
Summary of Results.
Montana's progress in this area has been mixed. Child mortality is improving over time. Both the percentage of children born at low birthweights and youth depression are worsening. The percentage of children living with a single parent is remaining relatively stable.
-
Employment-to-Population Ratio (EPOP)Specific Measure
Percentage of the population age 25‒54 (“prime age adults”) who are employed
(Source: Economic Policy Institute).State RankState vs. US trend12Montana State Trend Stable
-
Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR)Specific Measure
Percentage of the population age 25‒54 (“prime age adults”), employed or unemployed and actively looking for work
(Source: Economic Policy Institute).State RankState vs. US trend14Montana State Trend Stable
-
Long-Term Unemployment RateSpecific Measure
Percentage of the labor force age 25‒54 (“prime age adults”) unemployed for six months or more
(Source: Economic Policy Institute).State RankState vs. US trend1Montana State Trend Mixed
-
Hourly Earnings GrowthSpecific Measure
Year-over-year growth rate of real average hourly earnings among those working, based on 2023 US dollars, private sector only
(Source: Authors' analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data).State RankState vs. US trend5Montana State Trend Mixed
How to Read This Report:
We report each measure three different ways: State Rank, State Trend, State vs. US Trend. Each result is color coded as either red (negative/worsening), yellow (neutral/stable), or green (positive/improving), as indicated below. If the simple trends were erratic, had too few data points, or had no data points, we do not color code and label the trend as “mixed,” "unclear," or "NA," respectively.
State Rank
(Where are we now?)
State Trend
(Where are we going?)
State vs. US Trend
(How do we compare?)
Top third
Improving
Improving relative to the national trend and improving 2+ rank spots
Middle third
No significant change
No difference compared with national trend or change in rank by <2 spots
Bottom third
Worsening
Worsening relative to national trend and declining 2+ rank spots
Not applicable
Distinct periods of improving and worsening
(Only for measures with >1 series.) One series is improving and another is worsening
Not applicable
Not enough data to establish a trend
No data
For more information on our definitions and methods, please see the Data Notes section.