Montana Department of Labor and Industry

J.R. Myers’ frustration grew as he read the email: To attend a local economic development council meeting in Browning — the largest community on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana — he had to bring proof he was vaccinated against covid-19.

It’s a tight labor market, and restaurant workers are finding they have more bargaining power to get a raise or ask for better benefits. Businesses are offering more perks to employees who stay on the job.

August jobs data from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry shows the state is fifth in the nation in percentage of jobs recovered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data from the state labor department, in 2021 Montana added nearly 13,000 new jobs that pay above the state’s median wage. That exceeded the governor’s goal to add a net of 10,000 new jobs that pay more than $50,000.

The grant will go to Accelerate Montana, a collaboration of organizations led by the University of Montana, to support rapid training and instruction for up to 5,000 Montanans in industry-specific jobs.

The Gianforte administration’s initiative to get Montanans back to work amid the pandemic went mostly unanswered. Here are the findings from the state labor department’s return-to-work bonus program.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared Monday the beginning of Apprenticeship Week in Montana as the administration continues looking for ways to address the state’s labor shortage.

Montana’s program designed to encourage people to reenter the workforce during the pandemic is expected to spend about a third of the money set aside for it. State lawmakers Wednesday agreed on recommendations for how to spend the leftover $10 million.

The federal program to help small businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic ended last week. The Paycheck Protection Program stopped accepting…

A Christian ministry based in Whitefish which operates the Mudman Burgers chain has agreed to pay former employees roughly $118,000 in back pay and…