Rep. Greg Gianforte on Friday cited the latest jobs report as evidence that the Trump administration's policies and tax regulations have boosted the state and nation's economy.

The November report, released Friday, cited healthy job gains, countering lingering concerns over an economic slowdown tied in part to the ongoing trade war with China.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, roughly 266,000 new jobs were created in November, far exceeding projections.

“November’s jobs report is tremendous news for Montana workers and proof our economy continues to grow stronger,” Gianforte said. “Unemployment is at a 50-year low, and wages are growing.”

Gianforte's statement on Friday contradicted a statement he offered in October during a campaign stop in Billings, when he suggested Montana's economy was “sputtering along.”

Still, he praised policies enacted by Trump and congressional Republicans on Friday.

“The tax cuts and regulatory relief President Trump and Republicans have delivered are working,” he said. “I’ll continue working so that Montanans in every corner of our state have access to more opportunities and greater prosperity.”

Gianforte is a Republican candidate for governor.

According to the jobs report, wages for private sector workers increased 3.1%, including a 3.6% increase for nonsupervisory workers. The unemployment rate sits at 3.5%, matching a 50-year low.

While in Missoula in February for the Economic Outlook Seminar, Gianforte declined to discuss his views on the economy with the Missoula Current, despite have promoted the tax cuts and economic gains in his opening statements.

He was more recently criticized by fellow Republican candidates for skipping the first Republican debate in the race for governor.

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