Northwest Montana’s unemployment rolls rose precipitously in January to the highest levels since the beginning of the recession. Flathead County’s non-seasonally adjusted 13.2 percent rate eclipsed the previous high set in March 2009 of 12.7 percent, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. What’s more, neighboring Sanders and Lincoln counties saw their employment rates creep above 17 percent in the first month of the year, further evidence that the worst recession in a generation hasn’t loosened its grip on the region. Statewide, the unemployment rate also continued an upward climb with a slight increase in…
