ment, which includes payroll, agricultural, ….

ment, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers, grew by 2,395 in October, continuing the strong job growth posted since March.

Meanwhile, the number of unemployed Montanans fell to 16,908, the lowest number of job seekers without work since 2007.

The number of available workers in Montana’s labor force, a critical metric of concern during the current nationwide labor shortage, increased by 1,199. Private payroll job levels increased by 1,100 over the month, with a small decline in public sector employment.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased by 0.9 percent in October with broad-based increases in most goods. Gasoline prices increased 6.1 percent. The index for all items less food and energy, referred to as core inflation and an important metric for future inflation expectations, increased 0.6 percent in September.