BBER PUBLICATIONS SEARCH RESULTS

The expansion of Medicaid to cover adults with incomes up to 138% of the poverty line took effect in Montana in the beginning of 2016. The impacts of the program have been profound. The number of Montanans covered by either Medicaid (traditional and expanded) or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHiP) statewide in February of 2023 was 179,591 higher than a decade earlier, with the percentage of the population not covered by health insurance cut in half as well. Health care spending by previously uninsured Montanans has increased, both from increased consumption of health care and from shifts from previously uncompensated care (whose costs were borne by providers and other paying consumers) to care paid for by the program. Based on national studies, there is solid evidence that better health care outcomes, less financial stress, and better labor market participation have occurred for low-income Montana households as well.

To say that the minerals, metals, fuels and compounds that come out of the ground are what make the economy run and modern life possible is not an overstatement. From the complexity of miniaturized microchips to the simplicity of a concrete foundation, mining products are ubiquitous across the spectrum of products we consume and produce. Yet the physical distances between the mines where these raw materials are produced and the urban areas where most people live obscure this connection for many. Thus the mining industry, in Montana and elsewhere, has always faced challenges in securing political support for its continued operations as well as planned expansions. This report does not wade in to the political debate over the Montana mining industry?s current and future activities, except to offer evidence on one aspect of the mining industry?s presence in our state ? the contribution of hard rock mining activity here to the size, scope, and prosperity of the Montana economy.

The Flathead Valley, located in the northwestern portion of Montana just south of the Canadian border and west of Glacier National Park, is one of the most picturesque parts of a geographically spectacular state. For the past twenty years, with the important exception of the great recession period of 2008-2011, Flathead County has experienced brisk growth in both its economy and its population. Between the two decennial Census years of 2010 and 2020, its population grew by 14.8 percent, the fifth fastest of Montana?s 56 counties. Most of this growth occurred in the second half of the decade, as the housing market distress associated with the financial panic of the great recession receded into the past. The pandemic?s immediate aftermath has pushed already healthy pre-pandemic growth to another level. In 2021, the most recent year for which complete data are available, Flathead County?s inflation-corrected growth accelerated to 8.3 percent, the fastest growth in more than 20 years, as measured by nonfarm earnings.

This is a study of the economic contributions of the three facilities owned and operated by the metal mining company Sibanye-Stillwater in Sweet Grass and Stillwater Counties in south central Montana. The company?s Montana facilities, which include two mines and a concentrator and recycling facility in Columbus, jointly constitute one of the largest private sector employers in the state, whose 1,978 jobs paid average compensation in excess of $151,000 per year in 2021. The growth in the company?s core business, and the potential for continued growth into the future, merit the update to the BBER assessment of its economic footprint contained in this report. Our basic finding is that the size and scope of the company?s Montana operations have grown significantly since the BBER last studied its economic impact based on 2019 operations.

Montana?s farmers markets are vibrant, visible, and important centers of commerce in communities across the state. Not only do they constitute a valuable source of locally produced foodstuffs in the areas in which they operate, but they also provide a variety of social benefits as they bring producers and consumers together into the centers of the towns in which they thrive. The primary objective of this study is to summarize the economic contributions of farmers markets in Montana. A secondary objective of this study is to provide a portrait of Montana?s farmers markets from a statewide perspective.

Benefis Health System, a nonprofit independent health care system based in Great Falls, has an extensive economic and health care footprint in the north central region of Montana and beyond. It has recently moved ahead with plans to extend its physical presence to Helena with investments in urgent care, medical imaging, and outpatient surgical facilities. Those new investments, collectively referred to as Benefis Helena in this report, are expected to increase the health care capacity of Lewis and Clark County and the adjacent regions, especially regarding access to specialized care. They also will contribute to job growth, income growth, and population growth as a result.

Statewide Economic Performance: Consumers Lead Strong Bounce Back By Patrick M. Barkey
The Performance of the BBER Forecast: Forecast Relatively Accurate Despite Economic Shocks By Derek Sheehan
Montana's Regions and Cities: Pre-COVID Growth Patterns Reemerge By Patrick M. Barkey
State Revenue Report: Montana Tax Revenue Very Strong By Terry Johnson
Major Economic Events of 2021: Montana Bounces Back By Patrick M. Barkey

This is a study of how the construction and successful operation of a four-year graduate medical school located in Great Falls, Montana would affect the economy of the state and its regions. The proposed Montana Osteopathic Medical School (MMS) is a new, privately funded, not-for-profit school that would be the first of its kind in Montana. Our basic finding is that the construction and operation of the Montana Medical School would be a major economic event. The nature and magnitude of the jobs, income, and sales that can be expected to occur in the coming years due to the presence of MMS in the economy evolves over time as the project moves through the phases of construction and operation, and as a fraction of the graduates of the school begin their careers within our state. But the impacts add substantially in all phases to output, employment, income and sales across Montana.

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

This is a study of the contributions made to the economy of the state of Montana by the production, employment, spending and tax revenues that can be attributed to 58 of the state''s hospitals. Hospitals'' high paying jobs, high value-added production, and significant tax payments add to the state economy in their own right. As the dollars paid to employees, vendors and governments are in turn respent in the economy, their ultimate significance grows. The Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Montana was retained by the Montana Hospital Association (MHA) to carry out an analysis how Montana hospitals enhance the state''s economy. This report summarizes and documents the results. Our basic finding is that Montana hospitals generate considerable economic prosperity, not only for the communities in which they are located, but for the state as a whole. In addition to providing the overall state economic impact, we also report the impacts of 58 individual hospitals across the state.

Food banks have been facing steep challenges in distributing food to a record number of people who fell into poverty and food insecurity due to the nationwide lockdown.

Cooperatives have been part of the fabric of Montana nearly as long as we have been a state. They employ thousands and make Montana''s economy significantly larger.

The purpose of the Montana World Trade Center International Trade and Investment Survey is to illuminate key characteristics of Montana businesses that engage in international trade. These characteristics demonstrate the importance of international trade to the Montana economy in terms of jobs produced, wages paid and revenue generated. The findings of this survey also provide information that business and government decision makers can use to grow our international trade portfolio.

Includes sections on: Statewide Economic Performance - Is Montana''s Economic Hole Shallower Than the Rest? The Performance of the BBER Forecast - Economic Shocks Challenge Forecast Montana?s Regions and Cities - Seeing Beyond the Pandemic''s Grip State Revenue Report - Montana''s Employment Losses Slow Growth Major Economic Events of 2019 - A Year We Won''t Forget

Farming and Ranching - A Year of Volatile Commodity Prices and Near-Record Stimulus Payments Forest Products - Montana Wood Products in the Time of COVID-19 Energy - The COVID-19 Recession Impacts Prices Manufacturing - Continued Growth Is Interrupted by the Pandemic Travel, Tourism and Recreation - Crowds Flock To Montana During COVID Summer Transportation and Logistics - 2020 Was a Year of Disruption Health Care - COVID-19 Alters Health Care Landscape Technology and Innovation - Remote Work, Zoom Towns and a Spotlight on Biotech Real Estate and Construction - The Seller''s Market Continues

From January through April of 2020 University of Montana?s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) conducted a survey to examine the economic impact inadequate child care has on Montana parents, employers and taxpayers. The survey was paid for by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The survey randomly sampled Montana households with children ages 0-5. BBERcollected data from 404 Montana households. The responses are weighted so the results reflect the statewide population of households with children ages 0-5. Most respondents replied prior to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Montana. Responses received after the pandemic were not substantially different than those received before the pandemic. The survey found: 1. 57% of households reported that finding affordable child care is a challenge 2. 46% of respondents left work early in the past month due to inadequate child care 3. 44% of respondents missed a full day of work in the past month due to inadequate child care

This article looks at nine of Montana''s key industries; Farming and Ranching: Price Declines and Exports Make for a Challenging Year, Forest Products: Positive Signs for Montana, Energy: What to Watch for in 2020, Manufacturing: Montana Outpaces Nation as a Whole, Travel, Tourism and Recreation: Nonresident Visitation Stable, Health Care: The Impact of Medicaid Expansion, Transportation and Logistics: A Shortage of Drivers Continues to Cause Concern, Technology and Innovation: Record Revenue, Jobs and Venture Capital Investment, Real Estate and Construction: Housing Markets Lack Inventory.

The year in review has sections covering Statewide Economic Performance: Montana''s Growth Engine is Humming, The Performance of the BBER Forecast: Improving Accuracy, Montana''s Cities and Regions: Gallatin County Now State''s Second Largest, State Revenue Report: Another Strong Year, Major Economic Events of 2019: Another Year of Growth.

Taxes are an important and often contentious public policy issue. What one pays and what those taxes pay for varies state to state. So, how does Montana?s tax system compare to other states?

Medicaid expansion has provided nearly $1.4 billion of health care to beneficiaries during its first two and half years.

Conclusions from a Headwaters Economics report on timber-dependent communities in Idaho are incorrect ? analyzing the wrong variables and using the wrong statistical test.

There is a growing divide between homeowners and renters in Missoula. The percentage of renters who are cost-burdened climbed to 49 percent.

As we work toward solutions in Montana, high housing costs are emerging as a significant public policy issue.

This is a study of the contributions made to the economy of the state of Montana by the production, employment, spending and tax revenues that come about due to the state''''s largest hard rock metal mining operation: the Sibanye-Stillwater mines and processing facilities in south central Montana. The company''''s high-paying jobs, high value-added production, and significant tax payments add to the state economy in their own right. As the dollars paid to employees, vendors, and governments are in turn respent in the economy, their ultimate significance grows. The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana (BBER) was retained by Sibanye-Stillwater to carry out an analysis how the operations of the mining complex makes the state?s economy larger, more prosperous, and more populous.

The primary purpose of this report is to quantify the ways in which research performed in the Montana University System impacts the state economy. This assessment is necessarily incomplete, as some dimensions of research activities are difficult to objectively and accurately quantify, as detailed below. But even restricting the analysis to those aspects of its economic footprint which are more amenable to quantification, we find that the impacts of MUS research activity are sizable.

Each Montana community has its own unique economy. Take a look at the largest communities in the state, as we summarize their recent economic trends.

The trend in Montana''s timber harvests, which has been dropping since the late 1980s, has been the major cause of declining employment and labor earnings in Montana''s forest industry.

Forest related industries have long played a major role in Montana?s economy ? especially in the western part of the state. The decades-long drum roll of layoffs, reduced employment and mill closings have been the subject of many discussions and headlines in the media. This paper takes a systematic view of Montana?s forest industry during the past few decades and identifies the major causes of industry trends. The conclusion is that timber harvest volumes in Montana are the major factor impacting industry conditions, including employment and labor earnings. Labor productivity has generally increased in Montana?s larger timber-processing facilities, but these gains are not driving reduced employment and labor earnings in Montana?s forest industry.

Montana has more entrepreneurs per capita than any other state and a business survival rate that ranks in the top 10.

What would the economy of the state of Montana look like if the eight largest hardrock mines ? producing copper, palladium, gold, talc, cement and other products and materials ? did not exist? The communities in which those facilities are located ? the businesses, the households and governments whose economic fortunes are closely tied with the success of Montana?s mines ? already understand the importance of the hardrock mining industry to their own prosperity. It is perhaps less apparent ? but no less important ? to the population of the state as a whole.

This study examines the implications of closing Units 3 and 4 of the Colstrip Electric Generating Station early. Specifically, we examine the consequences for jobs, income, population, economic output and other measures of economic activity.

Medicaid expansion in Montana generates several thousand additional jobs and several hundred million dollars in additional income. It also pays for itself and grows the economy.

Twenty-five years ago, the Family and Medical Leave Act was passed to help working families, but today the law is no longer adequate.

Medicaid expansion has a substantial effect on Montana''s economy. Assuming that enrollment plateaus near current levels, Medicaid expansion will introduce approximately $350 million to $400 million of new spending to Montana''s economy each year. This spending ripples through Montana''s economy, generating approximately 5,000 jobs and $270 million in personal income in each year between 2018 and 2020. In addition to generating economic activity, Medicaid expansion appears to improve outcomes for Montanans?reducing crime, improving health, and lowering debt. While the state pays a nominal amount for these benefits, the costs to the state budget are more than offset by the savings created by Medicaid expansion and by the revenues associated with increased economic activity.

Buying a house in Montana can be hard. A recent Gallup study found 45 percent of Montanans were dissatisfied with the availability of good affordable housing. Can we make housing affordable in Montana?

The arts are a big business in Missoula, providing tangible benefits beyond their entertainment value. Missoula's nonprofit arts sector is a $54 million industry - nearly three times that of other communities the same size.

General fund revenues are weak and grew by just $20 million in 2017. Why aren't revenues coming in as they should be? With 32 taxes, fees and other sources of revenue, what's causing the state's tax collection shortfall?

Fifty-eight percent of all women participate in the workforce, but are paid less than men, earning 77 percent of what men earn. Every state in the nation has an earnings gap, but Montana ranks near the bottom at 46th in the nation.

Missoula is a great place - the natural beauty and wealth of available activities are two aspects that have brought consistent population growth to the area. But a large proportion of Missoula households, both renters and owners, are financially burdened by the costs of housing.

Median earnings for Montana workers over age 24 are $31,800 and places Montana 45th among all states. How can Montana increase wages and develop a robust knowledge economy of skilled workers?

This report explores the contribution of health care to Flathead County?s economy. Specifically, we investigate how health care contributes by addressing eight questions: 1) What is health care?; 2) What is health care in Flathead County?; 3) How does one evaluate the contribution of an industry to a regional economy?; 4) How valuable is health care?; 5) Is Flathead County?s health care sector efficient?; 6) If Flathead County?s health care sector disappeared, what would happen to Flathead County?s economy?; 7) How large is the traded component of Flathead County?s health care sector?; 8) What does the future hold for health care in Flathead County?

The American energy boom began with improvements in technology and led to the shale-energy revolution. This article attempts to put events into perspective by looking at the Bakken area on the Montana-North Dakota border over the entire boom and bust cycle.

Look at any of the ?best places to live? lists and you will see many college towns. These small to mid-sized cities offer an appealing mix of amenities, but they also tend to offer something else ? a high cost of living and low wages, particularly for people with a college degree.

During the past few years, Montana families and children have experienced a range of positive developments, but these improvements have not changed existing disparity gaps. Montana ranks 24th out of 50 states in child well-being.

Intercollegiate athletics play a major role in colleges and universities, individual communities and American culture. Lean how University of Montana athletics impact the Missoula economy in visitor spending, jobs and personal income.

In the United States, women earn median wages that are 71 percent of the median earnings for men. In Montana, this figure is 68 percent. The gap between the median wages for men and women is referred to as the gender wage gap. The gap between the median wages for men and women is referred to as the gender wage gap. The gap between men''s and women''s wages exists in nearly every occupation in all industries, in every state, across countries, at all education levels, and in the private, government and nonprofit sectors. While the gender pay gap is improving, the narrowing is happening at such a slow pace that it would take until 2058 to reach gender pay equity (Hayes, 2013).

Prime topics of conversation in Sidney and throughout the Bakken area are the latest rumors and speculations about the price of oil. Some people are wondering what the impact of the drop of the price of oil by 50 percent since mid-2014 will do to the economies of Eastern Montana. But it is not just the people living within 50 miles of the Montana-North Dakota line who should be concerned because the economic impacts will be felt far from the drilling and extraction sites.

Situated in the geographic center of Montana in the midst of rolling hills, farms, and ranches is something a little unexpected: one of the most vibrant manufacturing communities in the state. With a population of about 6,500, Lewistown has a cluster of companies that design, engineer, and manufacture products for airports, oil companies, federal agencies, food distribution centers, sports arenas, hospitals, banks, schools, the military, and the aerospace industry, to name a few. Together, the group supports nearly 500 manufacturing jobs in the Lewistown area.

Montana''s high-tech industry will grow 8-10 times the projected statewide growth rate, with average wages at about $50,000 - twice the median earnings per Montana worker, according to a recent study by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Butte-Anaconda serves as a regional center for Southwestern Montana. Almost a quarter of its economic base is derived from trade center activities. They include people coming to town for retail shopping and obtaining health care services. There are also several professional service and management firms serving clients in surrounding rural areas.

If Rip Van Winkle were an economist, he would marvel at the changes in the Custer County economy since he went to sleep for 20 years. What was once a regional center for state and federal agencies and businesses serving area farms and ranches has now evolved into a trade and finance center and, most recently, home to firms serving the Bakken oil fields.

The most recent federal data report accelerating growth in the Flathead economy. After a crippling decline during the Great Recession, the Flathead County economy posted an increase of 2.4 percent in 2011, about 3 percent in 2012, and a stunning 4.2 percent in 2013. The most recent figures suggest this rapid growth may have moderated in 2014.

Until about 10 years ago, Richland County has enjoyed a relatively stable and prosperous economy based on agriculture, food processing, and a utility company. Then technological advances enabled the extraction of crude oil, which was previously uneconomic. It has been dubbed the ?unconventional energy revolution.?

Cascade County is a classic example of why historic data, however accurate, may not be a reliable indicator of what is happening now. Specifically, the latest annual data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis do not reflect the new indirect energy-related manufacturing activity that only started to show up late in 2013.

The Gallatin County economy has been on an economic roller coaster since the onset of the Great Recession in 2008. The Bozeman-area economy experienced a significant contraction early in the recession. But the economy began to turn around in 2010 and has continued upward ever since. In fact, Gallatin County is one of only two major urban areas in the state (the other being Yellowstone County) to significantly exceed the statewide growth rates during the recovery phase of this business cycle.

The Helena economy has traditionally been non-cyclic because of its dependence of state and federal government. The data corresponding to the Great Recession certainly confirm this notion. Lewis and Clark County was one of the very few urban areas in Montana which did not have at least one year of decline during the last decade.

Economic growth in Missoula?s economy has been frustratingly slow. After three straight years of decline during the Great Recession, the Missoula economy turned upward in 2011. But the growth rates have been have been anemic. The Missoula economy expanded about 1.5 percent per year in 2012 and 2013, as compared to 3 percent to 4 percent annual growth before the recession.

Recent economic statistics demonstrate Ravalli County?s economy is slowly emerging from the downturn experienced in the Great Recession.

The Yellowstone County economy continues to benefit from the indirect impacts of the Bakken oil field developments on the Montana- North Dakota line. Even though Billings is more than 300 miles and five hours driving time from the epicenter of the drilling activity in Williston, North Dakota, it is an attractive location for the indirect and service activities associated with the oil boom. A number of North Dakota cities are closer to Williston, but at best they have roughly half of the population of Yellowstone County. This means that industries such as finance, wholesale trade, and professional services are probably much larger and have more depth and resources in Billings than in the North Dakota cities.

This station Bulletin of the Idaho Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station Moscow, Idaho examines current conditions of the Idaho Forest Products Industry and its outlook for 2015. Topics examined include: sales by sector, economic impact, lumber production trends, employment and worker income, and value-added by forest products manufacturing.

This is a study of the economic contribution of Montana craft brewing to Montana?s economy. The first study of this nature on the brewing industry was conducted in 2012, based on operating conditions in 2010 and 2011. The current study builds on that work by investigating the trends during 2012 and 2013 and estimating the current economic contribution of the industry. There were 40 breweries operating in the state by the end of 2013, with another 11 breweries in planning. This ranks Montana third in the nation in breweries per 100,000 adults over age 21, according to the Brewers Association.

This is a study of the economic contribution of the operations of the Montana Beer and Wine Distributors Association (MBWDA) to Montana?s economy. The beverage distributing industry is a major contributor to the economy, with impacts throughout the state and across industry sectors. To illustrate these contributions, MBWDA sought to determine precisely how distributor operations impact jobs, income, and sales of all Montana businesses and households. Using a state-of-the-art policy analysis model and data collected by MBWDA staff, the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Montana produced a detailed assessment of beer and wine distributors? impact on employment, income, output, and population in the Montana economy.

A BBER study found that Montana''s beer and wine distributors are major contributors to the economy, with impacts throughout the state and across industry sectors.

It''s not just people in energy industries who are benefiting from the oil boom. Workers in industries such as construction, professional services, and accommodations now have great employment opportunities and higher wages.

Montanans are enthusiastic owners and users of off-highway vehicles, with about 77,200 registered in 2013. They buy and register about 5,000 machines each year for fun and for work. The economic and recreational impacts of Montanans'' OHV activities are significant.

Q&A with Montana''s leading economists and industry experts on economic issues facing Montana.

Forecasts for the U.S. economy have called for sluggish growth this year, with better growth next year. But each year in this sluggish recovery, the goalposts are moved back and we must again wait for better growth "next year." Has "next year" finally arrived in 2014?

Reversing a decades-long trend, it was the rural, eastern counties that led the state in growth and the more populous western counties that suffered the steepest declines.

Using the REMI economic model the economic impact of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts was analyzed for Montana. The operations of the Foundation, which produces and sells ceramics, its educational workshops, and the summer festival it hosts were all considered in the analyses. It ultimately supports 26 year-round jobs and about $1.4 million of income to Montana households (37 year-round equivalent jobs and $2.1 million in festival years).

While women now participate equally in the wage economy and earn a majority of all bachelor''s degrees, this has not led to financial equality. Women do not share equally in the economic well-being of the state.

The federal government plays an important role in the national and state economies, having spent more than $3 trillion throughout the U.S., and almost $11 billion in Montana in fiscal year 2010. Federal spending varies significantly by state and may be thought of as influenced by politics, but in fact it is more influenced by economics and demographics.

Need help signing up for insurance in the Montana health insurance marketplace? Picking a health insurance plan can be a complicated process, and navigators can help individuals and small businesses compare health insurance options.

Even as growth continues to spread and solidify across the state, important pieces of the economy remain far from healthy. The national economy will turn in a more sluggish growth performance this year. This and other global economic developments make us a bit more measured as we re-examine Montana''s growth prospects.

Migration had dramatic impacts on Montana during the past two decades, affecting the total population, its distribution between rural and urban areas, and composition by age, including school-age populations.

North Dakota is experiencing an oil boom that has increased total U.S. oil production as well as sheltered the state from the economic impacts of the Great Recession. Montana doesn''t have as much oil development activity as North Dakota, but is experiencing impacts of the development in Western North Dakota.

Announces the report "The Impact of Otter Creek Coal Development on the Montana Economy" by Patrick Barkey and Paul Polzin. Includes highlights of the study results.

One of the more visible changes soon to be brought to the forefront by passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the health insurance exchange, or marketplace. More than 350,000 Montanans may have some change in health insurance as a result of the ACA, although not all will enter the marketplace.

Q & A with Bureau economists and industry experts throughout the state about the latest economic trends and forecasts, as well as the outlook for Montana's important sectors.

Despite its image as a wild and woolly cowtown, Miles City has a diverse economic base dependent on federal and state government, agriculture, and agricultural-related activities and transportation.

Is the Gallatin County economy regaining its pre-recession form? Judging from the most recent data you might be tempted to say it has.

Ravalli County's economy appears to be coming out of the Great Recession, albeit slowly. The real estate market has stabilized with the number of residential real estate sales in 2012 increasing over 2011 levels. Prices are about the same, but days on market increased slightly over 2011 levels.

The past decade has been an economic roller coaster for Richland County. Annual growth rates ranged from a -7 percent to almost 19 percent. Most of the volatility can be traced to the Bakken oil boom and trends in the mining industry.

According to the report, "The Economic Impact of Increased Production at the Spring Creek Mine," commissioned by the Montana Chamber of Commerce, a proposed increase of coal production by 20 million tons at the mine owned by Cloud Peak Energy would more than double output at the facility and require expansion in capital and equipment, labor force and new purchases of resources such as electricity and work uniforms.

This is a report on a study conducted by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research which examined the economic contribution of the craft brewing industry. The research was designed to answer the question, What does the craft brewing industry contribute to the Montana economy?

Craft brewing is a healthy and growing sector of Montana's economy. From 2010 to 2011, production increased by 18 percent, employment was up by 39 percent, and sales rose by 20 percent.

Spending for working-age populations with disabilities is increasing faster than gross domestic product. The return on investment for tax dollars spent on the Montana Vocational Rehabilitation Program for those successfully rehabilitated is positive.

How rich or poor are Americans? Where do they work, and what training do they have for their jobs? What languages do they speak? The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey that provides answers to questions like these and gives communities the current information they need to plan investments and services.

The dynamics behind the expansion of the Medicaid program and its impact on state budgets is a topic of considerable controversy and differences of opinion. There are many moving parts to Medicaid, and no study to date has incorporated all aspects of the Medicaid expansion.

The 2011 national high school graduation rate was 75 percent. The remaining 25 percent, about 1.2 million high school seniors across the country, did not attain a high school diploma.

This is a study of the effects on the Montana economy of the development of Otter Creek coal in southeastern Montana. An assessment of the impact on employment, income, output, and population.

There are more than 36 million people with a disability in the United States, accounting for almost 12 percent of the total civilian non-institutionalized population. In Montana, the proportion with a disability is greater. Thirteen percent (125,302) of the civilian non-institutionalized population in Montana has a disability. Working age adults with a disability, those 18-64 years of age, comprise over half of the disabled population in Montana and nearly 11 percent of all working adults in this age group. With continued increases in the cost of health care and an increase in the number of working-age Montanans with disabilities as a result of the aging baby boom generation, the federal and state share of spending to support this population represents a large and faster growing share of all federal and state expenditures. The aging of the baby boom generation is expected to contribute to growth in Social Security Disability Insurance awards for at least another decade. In Montana, federal government payments for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income alone totaled more than $469 million in 2010, up 5 percent from 2009, and almost 10 percent from 2008.

In Montana, 34 percent of working families are low income, or have household incomes below the federal poverty threshold of $18,530 for a three-person household.

This is the sixth annual report to the community on housing in the city and county of Missoula. This report provides a gauge of the overall health of Missoula real estate and indicates real estate''s impacts on the overall local economy.

This report documents the research findings of how the operations and the output of The University of Montana-Missoula contributes to Montana's economy.

It certainly has been a trying time for the Montana economy. The state remains in the grip of its worst recession since the 1980s, and news of closures and layoffs is depressingly easy to find. Yet it is also apparent that a long-awaited recovery in the economy has begun to take hold.

This report details the findings of a comprehensive evaluation of labor force availability in the 11 counties of north central Montana. During the summer and fall of 2008, researchers at The University of Montana''s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) surveyed a random sample of adults in Blaine, Cascade, Chouteau, Glacier, Hill, Judith Basin, Liberty, Phillips, Pondera, Teton, and Toole counties to assess the labor force status, availability, training preferences and other characteristics. The purpose of the project was to construct and present a more comprehensive assessment of labor force status and availability than can be obtained from the employment and unemployment statistics gathered regularly by state and federal statistical agencies. The emphasis was on those in the adult labor force who are receptive to new job opportunities. This includes both the under- and the unemployed.

This is an assessment of housing affordability and factors affecting the cost of housing for the major real estate markets within Montana.

Our basic finding is that the number of workers currently residing in Flathead County who are potentially available for new employment opportunities is substantially larger than official unemployment statistics would suggest. We estimate that as of summer/fall 2008, there were approximately 19,500 individuals, aged 18 or older, who identified themselves as candidates for new job openings. By contrast, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry reports that for September 2008, the most current month available at press time, the number of unemployed individuals in Flathead County was slightly less than 2,200. The wide discrepancy between these two estimates stems from the fact that the available labor pool contains substantial numbers of individuals who are currently employed, but willing to change jobs in response to new opportunities.