Montana Ranks Among Worst States For Work

Times seem tough these days. The way inflation keeps creeping up makes a bag of groceries feel like a luxury purchase. Then there’s the ongoing government shutdown adding even more stress to everyone’s daily grind. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news again, but Montana just made the top 10 for a not-so-great list. We’ve landed among the worst states for jobs in 2025, according to a new report from WalletHub.

The study compared all 50 states using 34 different factors like employment growth, median income, and commute times. Unfortunately, Montana didn’t shine in many of those categories. With an unemployment rate sitting at 4.3% and labor participation hitting its lowest point in years, it’s clear the job market isn’t exactly thriving under the Big Sky right now.

Worst States for Jobs
1.) West Virginia
2.) Louisiana
3.) Kentucky
4.) Alaska
5.) Oregon
6.) North Carolina
7.) Pennsylvania
8.) Montana
9.) Indiana
10.) Oklahoma

Experts from the study did share some optimism though. Jobs that require a human touch, like customer service, education, social work, and hospitality, are expected to grow as technology and automation take over more repetitive tasks ( AI ). That means Montanans working in tourism, restaurants, and outdoor recreation could actually see opportunities expand in the future.

Other fields that are expected to do well nationwide are healthcare, especially mental health and elderly care, along with technology jobs like cybersecurity and AI engineering. The catch? Even those roles are shifting as artificial intelligence becomes more capable.

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So yes, the numbers may not look great for Montana at the moment, but if there’s one thing folks here know how to do, it’s work hard, adapt, and keep pushing forward. After all, we’ve weathered far worse than a rough job report.