Montana Business Quarterly

Montana Business Quarterly Since 1962, the award-winning Montana Business Quarterly has provided research on economic and social economic trends in the state.

Without a doubt, the face of Montana is changing. Will the 17,000+ new residents that have arrived in Montana from other...
12/27/2022

Without a doubt, the face of Montana is changing. Will the 17,000+ new residents that have arrived in Montana from other states in the last year have an impact on our economy? Will they help soften the economic downturn that may be on its way?

This will be the topic of our next MBQ and our 2023 Economic Outlook Seminar. Learn more about our seminar here:

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research presents an annual economic outlook for the U.S. and Montana economy.

Our 2023 Economic Outlook Seminar is coming up soon....
12/23/2022

Our 2023 Economic Outlook Seminar is coming up soon....

Montana's population grew nearly 18,000 people from July 2021 to July 2022. This net migration rate is 3X the 2001-2019 average. What implications will these new residents have for our state?

Find out at the 2023 Economic Outlook Seminar.

https://www.economicoutlookseminar.com/

We're pretty excited about this issue of the MBQ. It's not often we have Kevin Costner on the cover of our magazine.Patr...
07/11/2022

We're pretty excited about this issue of the MBQ. It's not often we have Kevin Costner on the cover of our magazine.

Patrick Barkey, the author of the lead MBQ article on "Yellowstone" (and director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research), found that filming the TV series in Montana brought $72 million in spending to the state and added 527 permanent jobs. And also noteworthy, Montana households received an additional $25.3 million in annual income and annual revenues of state government were higher by $10.6 million.

The MBQ article on the TV series, Yellowstone, discusses the findings that the production brought $70 million+ in spending to Montana, making the state’s economy more prosperous than it would have otherwise been.

Our 2022 Summer Midyear Economic Update is coming soon to 7 Montana cities! This 90-minute program features a midyear a...
07/09/2022

Our 2022 Summer Midyear Economic Update is coming soon to 7 Montana cities! This 90-minute program features a midyear assessment of the U.S. and Montana economy. Registration is $35 and includes breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon snack depending your location. Don't miss it!

It has been an eventful year for the economy already. The torrid pace of economic growth of last year has given us surging inflation, very tight labor markets, and empty store shelves in 2022. And now the prospect of the Federal Reserve finally taking action against inflation to cool down growth has...

In 2017, economist Brandon Bridge was one of the first to highlight Missoula's housing crisis."If an increase in populat...
03/21/2022

In 2017, economist Brandon Bridge was one of the first to highlight Missoula's housing crisis.

"If an increase in population is not combined with an increase in available housing units, then the result is more people trying to outbid each other for the same places to live," said Bridge. "And if local housing prices increase faster than local household incomes, then housing affordability decreases. This is what’s currently happening with Missoula’s housing market."

Missoula is a great place to live for many reasons – the natural beauty and wealth of available activities are two aspects that have...

"Between the 2010 census and the 2020 census, Montana’s overall population grew by 10%. New housing units however, incre...
01/24/2022

"Between the 2010 census and the 2020 census, Montana’s overall population grew by 10%. New housing units however, increased by only 7%," said Abigail St. Lawrence, an attorney practicing in water rights, natural resource, environmental and administrative law. "At its simplest level, Montana’s housing market conditions starkly display the forces of supply and demand."

Housing may seem like a sudden crisis, but a combination of factors have been converging for over a decade to produce Montana’s current market conditions.

Home price growth that was averaging about 7% per year surged to a stunning 23.6% annual rate in the summer of 2021. In ...
01/18/2022

Home price growth that was averaging about 7% per year surged to a stunning 23.6% annual rate in the summer of 2021. In some markets, price growth was even higher. Gallatin County median sale prices were just under $700,000 in 2021, up 30%.

After rising faster than incomes for years, home prices took a sudden and surprising jump upward across Montana in the wake of the pandemic outbreak.

“Child care shortages exist throughout the state, which has contributed to Montana’s workforce shortage and hampered the...
01/11/2022

“Child care shortages exist throughout the state, which has contributed to Montana’s workforce shortage and hampered the state’s recovery from the pandemic recession,” said Amy Watson, a senior economist with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

40% of all Montana businesses have difficulty recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce due to a lack of child care.

Montana has a serious issue with a lack of affordable child care. It is an issue that is affecting every business, every sector and every community regardless of size.

"There was no escape from the ravages of the COVID-19 recession, but the severe downturn has been closely followed by a ...
01/04/2022

"There was no escape from the ravages of the COVID-19 recession, but the severe downturn has been closely followed by a vigorous economic recovery," said Patrick Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

"The state’s fastest growing county [Gallatin] continued to pile up eye-watering growth statistics in 2021."

There was no escape from the ravages of the COVID-19 recession, but the severe downturn has been closely followed by a vigorous economic recovery.

Montana's economic outlook seminar is back for 2022! Registration is now open. Make plans to attend this year’s seminar ...
01/04/2022

Montana's economic outlook seminar is back for 2022! Registration is now open. Make plans to attend this year’s seminar in your city!

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research presents the 47th Annual Economic Outlook Seminar, January-March, 2022.

Do Montana counties with access to ski resorts, open space or national parks have greater economic growth and prosperity...
11/08/2021

Do Montana counties with access to ski resorts, open space or national parks have greater economic growth and prosperity in the long run?

Do counties with access to ski resorts, open space or national parks have greater economic growth and prosperity in the long run?

"The immediate resumption of demand for workers after more than 50,000 jobs were destroyed in the span of two months in ...
11/02/2021

"The immediate resumption of demand for workers after more than 50,000 jobs were destroyed in the span of two months in 2020 was a surprise to workers and employers alike," said Patrick Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

"Employers let skilled workers go, to their profound regret, and workers used their employment hiatus as a time to consider other kinds of jobs or even retirement."

Demand in the economy has roared back with unexpected speed, but employers are having trouble hiring back laid-off workers.

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