Patrick Barkey

According to UM economists, the recession projected in the winter never materialized and outlooks are rosier for many areas of the state, with the exception of eastern Montana.

America’s employers added just 266,000 jobs last month. That’s sharply lower than in March and a sign that some businesses are struggling to find enough...

Montana’s economic performance in 2020 will go down as the worst in its post war history, but economists say a flood of federal relief dollars have largely buoyed incomes and the state’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana held its annual economic outlook seminar this week and told the story of Montana’s industries.

While the COVID-19 pandemic cratered Montana’s economy last spring, researchers say the state’s recovery has been a little stronger than the U.S. average.

The 545 mile border between Montana and Canada has been closed to nonessential traffic since March to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The closure has also limited tourism, retail sales and family gatherings.

Montana unemployment claims are steadily decreasing and that trend could continue, despite the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the state.

Montana’s governor says the state’s employment rate is in a healthier place compared to many other states after the coronavirus pandemic led to government mandated business closures earlier this year.

Many Montana companies are struggling to find suitable workers to fill job openings. Researchers and industry experts at a seminar in Bozeman Wednesday…

Montana’s most populated county may be reaching an economic equilibrium following a drop in oil prices in 2014 thanks to a strong base of manufacturing…

Researchers say government activity in Lewis and Clark County continues to insulate the area from major economic swings. But an outlook released Tuesday...