Inflation has shot up 9.1 percent in the last year, gas prices are up nearly 60 percent, and grocery prices are up 12.2 percent, according to data from the Governor’s Office. The update noted difficulties in the economy as well but blamed those on the federal government. economy at 3.6 percent in June, the Governor’s Office said. Unemployment bumped up 0.2 percent to 2.6 percent, but it was still lower than the rate for the U.S. The Governor’s Office also noted the labor force added 1,789 workers in June for a new record of 564,537. The labor update from the Governor’s Office noted 550,112 Montanans were working in June and said the state has recovered 146 percent of the jobs lost at the start of the pandemic. “The benefit of the payroll data to us is that it enables us to get into a little bit more detail of what kind of jobs are being created.” “Both are good measures of ‘job creation,’” Nelson wrote in an email. Payroll jobs count only “W-2 wage earning employees.” Jessica Nelson, with the Department of Labor and Industry, said total employment includes people who are self-employed, and in Montana, that’s a large number of farm employees. The news release said payroll employment grew by 4,400 jobs in June, and the same month, 1,095 jobs were created. The largest gains in payroll employment in the private sector were in healthcare, accommodation and food service, according to the Governor’s Office. Since then, the Governor’s Office said the number of employed Montanans grew in June for the 26th consecutive month to hit the new record. In March 2020, the pandemic hit Montana, and a stay-at-home order from the previous governor temporarily shuttered the state, and unemployment claims spiked. “There are so many nuanced issues around sustainability for households, and having a job or having three jobs doesn’t always mean that people are OK,” said Stephanie Staley, chief programs officer for the Montana Food Bank Network. However, the labor data comes as food pantries across the state see double digit increases in visits by households, and women, especially with children, still struggle to return to work. The news release noted a “slight uptick” in unemployment to 2.6 percent but noted the rate was still the third lowest ever recorded in Montana. In a news release, the Governor’s Office touted growth in payroll employment and a recovery of jobs lost at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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