Employment up slightly in state, Hill County sees bigger gains

Montana's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped slightly by 0.1 percent to 7.3 percent in October due to a slight decline in the labor force. The U. S. rate remained unchanged at 9.6 percent.

At the same time, the jobless rate on the Hi-Line took a substantial tumble.

"This slight decrease in the unemployment rate is an indicator that job growth remains tepid in Montana, " said state Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly. "Both the employment and labor force estimates declined slightly over the month. "

Montana posted job gains through the first half of 2010, but wavered slightly in the th...