whitehallledger.com · The Whitehall Ledger · September 9, 2026
MT Department of Labor & Industry - Commissioner Sarah Swanson Montana's Workforce is Ready for What's Next - The Whitehall Ledger
# MT Department of Labor & Industry - Commissioner Sarah Swanson Montana's Workforce is Ready for What's Next
SARAH SWANSON, MT Department of Labor and Industry | Sep 09, 2026 0
Labor Day is a time to recognize the work of Montanans who build our communities, care for families, serve their neighbors, operate small businesses, grow our food, and keep our state thriving.
Montana is on the move. We are tearing down barriers to work, modernizing workforce systems, and asking workers and industry to help lead reforms that deliver results – all while navigating federal changes, rapid advances in technology, and new opportunities to invest in workers, employers, and communities.
Governor Greg Gianforte’s 406 JOBS initiative is guiding Montana’s response to these changes. It is focused on helping more Montanans prepare for careers, enter the workforce, and advance in good jobs, while helping employers build the skilled workforce they need to grow and compete.
406 JOBS is centered on a simple idea: every Montanan should have a pathway to a career and a plan to achieve it. The initiative focuses on four pathways to work: direct-to-careers, college, military service, and entrepreneurship. It also recognizes that a workforce strategy must address the real barriers that can keep people from working, including child care, transportation, and housing.
Montana has made meaningful progress. Since 2020, the state has added 46,650 jobs.
More than 558,600 Montanans were working in 2025, near the highest level in state history. Montana’s unemployment rate averaged 3.3 percent in 2025. That is good news for workers looking for opportunities, but it also reflects the challenge employers face in finding the workers they need.
The work before us is not simply about filling vacancies. It is about creating clearer paths into in-demand careers, helping workers gain skills, and making sure Montana businesses have the talent they need to grow. It also means making sure our workforce system responds to employers and workers as one connected system, rather than as a collection of individual programs.
Montanans are also seeing wage gains. The statewide average annual wage reached a record $62,290 in 2025, rising 2.1 percent after inflation. This marked the third consecutive year that wage growth exceeded inflation.
Montana’s economy grew 2.2 percent in 2025, while worker productivity increased 3 percent. Workers and employers are finding new ways to use technology, build skills, and deliver value in an economy that will continue to evolve.
One of the most promising efforts ahead is developing Montana’s digital Talent Marketplace. The goal is to give Montanans, regardless of where they live, easier access to career exploration, education and training programs, and job openings. For employers, it will make it easier to identify and connect with qualified workers.
The Talent Marketplace will help people see the full range of opportunities available to them. A high school student in a rural community should be able to explore careers beyond their backyards. A parent returning to work should be able to find training, support services, and employers looking for their skills. A worker interested in advancing should be able to identify the credential, apprenticeship, or training program needed to take the next step.
Montana is also expanding Registered Apprenticeship, strengthening industry-recognized credentials, and building partnerships that put employers and workers at the center of solutions. These efforts connect education and training directly to the jobs Montana employers need filled, while giving workers opportunities to earn, learn, and build skills that lead to lasting careers.
We are also taking a hard look at barriers that can keep qualified Montanans from getting to work. That means modernizing occupational licensing, expanding work-based learning, building pathways into high-demand careers, and making sure government requirements continue to serve a clear public purpose. If a requirement protects health, safety, or welfare, we should defend it. If it creates cost, delay, or barriers to work without a corresponding public benefit, we should be willing to change it.
There is much to be optimistic about. Montana has a growing labor force, rising wages, employers investing in their workers, and a workforce strategy focused on the opportunities ahead.
Through 406 JOBS and strong partnerships with workers, employers, educators, and communities, Montana can build a workforce system that works better for everyone. Our goal is clear: more Montanans with the skills, support, and opportunity to build a career, support a family, and help their communities thrive.