MONTANA BUSINESS QUARTERLY

Volume 43, Number 4, Winter  2005

The Status of Women in Montana

by

Daphne Herling and Christine Gordon

Women make up 50.1 percent of Montana’s population, and it is important to track how they’re doing in terms of employment, earnings, poverty, family status, and health. “The Status of Women in Montana,” was undertaken in partnership with Montana-based women’s leaders and organizations with the intent to bring the attention of policy makers at the national, state, and local levels to women. This will help determine where women are doing well and where their status needs improvement.

Where do they come from?

by

James T. Sylvester

The buzz begins the moment a new family moves into the neighborhood. Who are these new neighbors? Where did they come from? The truth is that they are not from some exotic location, but probably from Helena, or at most, Spokane. The 2000 Census reported that almost 43 percent of Montanans moved from one house to another in the last five years, and about 22 percent moved from a different state. Combined with mortgage rates at their lowest levels in a generation, this increasing mobility provides most of the explanation for rising house prices and increased home construction.

Who Offers Benefits?

A survey of Montana private businesses

by

Bradly T. Eldredge and Tyler K. Turner

Competition among businesses for workers can be intense, especially among businesses that operate in related industries or offer comparable services. Because of this situation, managers often attempt to attract workers by offering wage and benefit packages that are superior to those offered by competitors. In order for this strategy to be successful, the business community must have access to accurate information pertaining to benefit coverage. To obtain this information, Montana participated in a pilot survey of private businesses investigating the characteristics of firms that offer benefits. The survey’s findings are summarized in this report.