Meeting Billings’ work force challenge

With Montana’s unemployment rate sinking below 2 percent – the lowest in the nation – and Yellowstone County’s rate as low as 1.5 percent, a work-force shortage is challenging employers throughout the state, and especially in Billings.

The labor crunch has arrived after 15 years of steady economic growth in Montana’s largest city. Personal income, per capita income and jobs available have all increased in Yellowstone County.

Economist Larry Swanson of the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West drew this picture of the local economy in his talk to 300 Billings business people and community leaders at a breakfast forum last week at Montana State University-Billings. Sponsored by Celebrate Billings partners (MSUB, Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare, the Foundation for Community Vitality and The Billings Gazette), the forum was organized to spur discussion and action on solutions to work-force issues.

Full Story: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/11/18/opinion/gazette/22-gazetteopinion.txt