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Montana's rates stayed unchanged while Idaho's dropped and Washington's rose slightly.

WASHINGTON - Unemployment rates across the region were reported Friday, with Washington's seeing a slight increase in its unemployment rate, now at 4.4%.

Montana's rate remaining steady at 2.8%. This rate has been consistently below 3.4% for several years, while Idaho's unemployment rate was reported to have decreased to 3.7%.

Nationally, the unemployment rate for February was 4.1%, making the rates in all three states historically low compared to the national average. However, these figures do not account for unemployed individuals who are not actively searching for work.

Inflation has slightly increased more than expected in February, according to the Federal Reserve's Preserved Measure of Inflation. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Index (PCE) grew by 2.5% in February, consistent with its growth in January.

When focusing on the core PCE, which includes essential goods and services, there was an uptick of about 4% year over year, surpassing expectations.

Meanwhile, the University of Michigan reported that the Consumer Settlement Index has fallen to its lowest level since November 2022.