These Are The 10 Worst Places In Montana To Get A Job

Top 10 Challenging Cities for Job Seekers in Montana in 2026

At Zippia, our mission is clear: to explore the landscape of job opportunities across the United States. Today, we shine a light on the cities in Montana where job seekers face the toughest challenges.

Despite the gradual recovery and growth in many sectors post-pandemic, certain areas continue to struggle with limited job prospects. After analyzing data from Montana’s largest cities, we identified the ten locations where finding a job is particularly difficult.

Continue reading to discover our methodology and insights.

For more information on Montana’s job market, check out:

Methodology: Analyzing Job Market Challenges in Montana

To identify the cities facing the most significant job market challenges, we focused our analysis on areas with populations exceeding 5,000. This narrowed our examination to 100 cities across Montana.

We ranked each city based on several job market criteria, scoring them from 1 (the most challenging) to 100 (the least challenging). The final scores were averaged to determine which locations pose the greatest difficulties for job seekers.

1. Eureka

Population: 1,123 Recent Job Growth: -2.53%
Future Job Growth: 21.50%

2. Libby

Population: 2,667 Recent Job Growth: -2.53%
Future Job Growth: 21.50%

3. Thompson Falls

Population: 1,174 Recent Job Growth: -1.80%
Future Job Growth: 25.50%

4. Fort Belknap Agency

Population: 1,409 Recent Job Growth: -2.14%
Future Job Growth: 30.40%

5. North Browning

Population: 2,454 Recent Job Growth: 0.16%
Future Job Growth: 30.50%

6. Hardin

Population: 3,510 Recent Job Growth: 0.54%
Future Job Growth: 30.00%

7. Browning

Population: 1,172 Recent Job Growth: 0.16%
Future Job Growth: 30.50%

8. South Browning

Population: 1,930 Recent Job Growth: 0.16%
Future Job Growth: 30.50%

9. Chinook

Population: 1,286 Recent Job Growth: -2.14%
Future Job Growth: 30.40%

10. Deer Lodge

Population: 3,124 Recent Job Growth: -1.46%
Future Job Growth: 30.40%

Conclusion: Navigating the Job Market in Montana

Our analysis highlights Eureka as the most challenging city for job seekers in Montana. While the state is experiencing overall economic recovery and job growth in various sectors, these cities continue to face significant hurdles.

As the job market evolves, we hope these areas can implement strategies to enhance their employment opportunities and support their residents in achieving career success.

Detailed List of Challenging Cities for Job Seekers in Montana

City	Rank	Population	Recent Job Growth	Future Job Growth
Eureka	1	1,123	-2.53%	21.50%
Libby	2	2,667	-2.53%	21.50%
Thompson Falls	3	1,174	-1.80%	25.50%
Fort Belknap Agency	4	1,409	-2.14%	30.40%
North Browning	5	2,454	0.16%	30.50%
Hardin	6	3,510	0.54%	30.00%
Browning	7	1,172	0.16%	30.50%
South Browning	8	1,930	0.16%	30.50%
Chinook	9	1,286	-2.14%	30.40%
Deer Lodge	10	3,124	-1.46%	30.40%

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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