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Montana sees job growth
Scott Durden is one of the lucky ones. Laid off at a Eureka lumber mill four years ago, he found another job that kept his family fed until he was called back to work at Owens & Hurst Lumber a year ago.
But Durden has no illusions of a secure future.
Associated Press
"I don’t feel like the timber industry is very stable," he said. "It just seems like it’s day to day."
The wood products business, where employment dropped almost 5 percent last year, is part of the reason for a steep decline in manufacturing jobs since 2000. That slide is in sharp contrast to the thriving construction industry, where a hearty demand for trained workers to fill high-paying jobs persists, new figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show.
"If an individual can demonstrate skills operating machinery, heavy equipment, there’s work and it’s good-paying work," said Tim Crennan, general manager of a construction company that operates throughout the state.
Montana escaped the job loss that ravaged much of the nation since the recession began in early 2001. The state is one of just 17 that saw total nonfarm job growth during the past three years. Montana’s 2.9 percent increase was seventh-best in the country, which saw a 1.5 percent decline equaling the loss of nearly 2 million jobs.
Montana gained jobs in five industries: construction (about 2,300 jobs), leisure and hospitality (3,700 jobs), natural resources and mining (400 jobs), professional and business services (1,500 jobs), and miscellaneous services. Jobs were lost in manufacturing (3,400 jobs), information (400 jobs), government (unchanged) and trade, transportation and utilities (900 jobs).
Manufacturing is one of the most volatile sectors, said Chuck Keegan, an economist for the Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. That’s because a change in just one employer’s operation could significantly affect the industry, he said.
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On the net
http://www.montana.jobopenings.net
http://www.discoveringmontana.com/statejobs
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Nearly 37 percent of Montana’s manufacturing jobs are found in wood products companies, but that portion was 47 percent a decade ago.
Durden, 38, said he recognizes that trend and is making plans to begin a career in appliance repair. His mill job is, for now, the best he can find without moving.
"To stay here, I worked there," he said. "I’m still going to try to get out of it. There’s no retirement, and there’s the wear and tear on the body."
While wood products work languishes, those in highway construction, commercial and home builders and specialty trades such as plumbers and electricians, have plenty of work.
"We’ve managed to be busy in most all of our divisions and certainly look for that trend to continue," said Crennan, whose Billings-based JTL Group specializes in highway construction and commercial building site preparation.
But being busy has made finding skilled workers difficult, he said. With an aging work force and seemingly dwindling interest in the construction training among younger workers, companies are having to train their own new hires.
"There’s not a huge pool to draw from," Crennan said. "But people are going to go where the jobs are and where the wages are the best. So we find a way."
In Hamilton, Pigman Builders’ owner Chip Pigman sees a thriving home-building market. "I don’t see any downturn in demand, short of having a recession again," he said.
But he also has trouble finding the experience and skill he needs in filling openings.
"Younger people just aren’t coming into the crafts and trades, whether equipment operators or carpenters," he said.
The leisure and hospitality industry in Montana largely translates into the tourism business, and that is one of the state’s most powerful economic engines. In 2002, 9.7 million people came to Montana and left behind $1.8 billion.
"Montana is perceived as that safe destination, very family-oriented," said Betsy Baumgart, head of the state tourism office. "You can come, you can camp, you can get back to nature."
The bulk of jobs – almost two-thirds – are in restaurants and bars. Mike Scholz, owner of Buck’s T-4 motel and restaurant at Big Sky, said the lodging business is strong but faces its own labor shortage. He typically increases his 10-member staff to 60 for the peak summer season, but has trouble finding dependable employees.
"The hospitality industry is a growing industry," Scholz said. "The emphasis put on recreation and leisure is growing. The economy is on the upswing. International tourism is strong."
Copyright © 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
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