Montana Economic Development Report

The state of
MONTANA’S
economy is
strong.
-Governor Steve Bullock

Honorable Governor Steve Bullock,

One year ago on this date, you delivered the 2015 State of the
State Address to the Montana Legislature. Today, I am pleased
to present you with the following report summarizing the state
of economic development in Montana.

It is my pleasure to report
that the overall state of economic development in Montana
continues to be strong. My staff in the Governor’s Office of
Economic Development (GOED), working with departments
throughout state government and our counterparts in the
private sector have worked diligently to present an accurate
picture of Montana’s economy. The thoroughness and accuracy
are, in large part, thanks to the help of others, and I am truly
thankful for their assistance.

This is an exciting time for the state of Montana. We are
experiencing strong business and employment growth,
increasing wages, and expanding industries. Unemployment
levels are nearly a full percentage point below the national
average at 4 percent, and more Montanans are at work all across
the state than ever before. Over the past few years, Montana
has been consistently ranked among the top 10 in the nation for
entrepreneurship, business climate, tax fairness, government
responsibility, and income growth. Indeed, our state ranks
within the top ten in nearly every economic category. While our
economy and wages are growing in the private sector, in the
public sector we are cutting waste, challenging every expense,
aligning with the needs of the private sector, and eliminating
unnecessary regulations and red tape.

With this news, it would be easy to kick up our feet and
congratulate ourselves on a job well done. But we know that’s not
good enough in Montana. With this report, we see opportunities
to build upon this as a foundation to grow Montana’s economy
even further.

Respectfully,

John Rogers

Chief Business Development Officer

Governor’s Office of Economic Development http://business.mt.gov/

Full Report: http://business.mt.gov/Portals/49/GOED_2015EcoDevReport_FNLScreen.pdf