Economist: Low wages, costly housing limit Missoula’s economy

The state of Montana has lost an estimated 17,000 college-educated workers due to low wages and a lack of opportunity, making it hard for businesses to grow within the state, an economist said Friday.

The issue is particularly acute in Missoula, where a worker with a college degree earns just 63 percent of the nation’s median earnings and can’t afford the cost of housing.

"If you’re a college-educated Montanan, your median earnings are only 77 percent of the U.S. median," said Bryce Ward, associate director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana. "In Missoula, it’s even worse. Our median here is only 63 percent of the U.S median."

By Martin Kidston/Missoula Current

Full Story: http://www.missoulacurrent.com/business/2017/01/missoula-economy-wages/