Oil price downturn may not be as negative to Montana economy thanks to low cost oil producers

Economic forecasters have throttled back their ambitious predictions for growth in Montana as the commodities boom, which provided a huge spark to the state’s economy, slowed way down in the past year.

The Montana Chamber of Commerce Foundation presented its 10th annual Economic Update Series in Missoula on Thursday, and the issue of how the state will fare in the post-commodities boom economy was front and center.

"The question is, what do we do after the commodity boom is over?" asked Patrick Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana. "And it is over. It helped juice the Montana economy, but it’s over now."

DAVID ERICKSON [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/business/local/forecasters-scale-back-growth-predictions-for-montana-economy-as-commodities/article_3f916d41-1970-506d-9f08-8906bb2e5514.html