Montana Department of Labor and Industry

The state’s labor department has hired Don Wetzel Jr. to strengthen its relationship and support to Montana’s Indigenous population. Wetzel Jr., who is Blackfeet, previously held a similar position with the state Office of Public Instruction.

Office staff in Great Falls Public Schools are heading to mediation over a pay dispute with district leadership. Staff have been without a contract since the end of June.

Montana’s annual Labor Day report shows a record number of available jobs statewide and a persistent lack of people to fill them.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry is under new leadership. Gov. Greg Gianforte selected Sarah Swanson for the role of commissioner.

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.