BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Montana’s unemployment rate dropped sharply in June as many businesses reopened, but the state’s economic rebound from the coronavirus pandemic remained on shaky ground as confirmed infections jumped again Friday and new problems emerged with testing for the virus.
Led by hiring in the leisure and hospitality sectors, the number of people employed increased by more than 20,000, driving a 2 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate to 7.1%, state officials said. That’s one of the lowest rates in the U.S. and well below the national rate of 11.1%.
But employment in Montana remains roughly 4% below pre-pandemic levels. That’s equal to about 21,000 fewer jobs.
Officials have said repeatedly that controlling the virus’s spread is key to getting the economy fully functioning. So far that’s not happening, and a national virus testing backlog threatened to make matters worse as Montana state and local officials said Friday they were scaling back testing of people who have not shown any symptoms.
That will mean about 1,000 fewer tests a day until the problem is resolved, said Marissa Perry, a spokesperson for Gov. Steve Bullock. By comparison, an average of about 2,500 virus tests daily were completed over the past 10 days.
For now, priority will be given to patients showing symptoms of illness and those who have had close contact with an infected or symptomatic person, officials said.
Health care workers and people in group homes or other institutions will have second priority, while testing will be provided to others as resources allow, she said.
Health officials on Friday reported 137 new confirmed coronavirus cases statewide - the second highest daily total since the pandemic began.
In Yellowstone County, health officials reported a 10th death stemming from an outbreak at a Billings nursing home, Canyon Creek Memory Care, where nearly every resident and most staff members have been infected.
The virus has killed at least 37 people in Montana, with about 40% of those deaths in Yellowstone County.
The number of infections in Montana is thought to be far higher than the 2,366 confirmed cases. Most people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
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