UM Business Research Bureau To Hold State Wide Mid Year Updates
The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research will provide mid-year economic updates starting next week.
Director Patrick Barkey said the purpose of the statewide meetings is to clarify the relationship between falling tax revenues and business development throughout the state.
"The question is, what's going on with the economy?" Barkey said. "We're doing pretty well as it relates to jobs and our unemployment rate is low, and yet some of these indicators of economic performance are a little underwhelming, and we need to figure it out."
Barkey said the national economy is in a similar state.
"We're not really growing that rapidly, and our attention has shifted to talking about Russia, so we're not really paying that much attention to it," he said. "One of the points of focus is what is the state of the economy, as much as we can figure out. We also have a theme this year, which is looking at infrastructure investment, so we'll be spending some time putting that into perspective."
Here is the schedule of mid-year updates throughout the state.
7 a.m., Tuesday, July 25, Northern Hotel, Billings.
Noon, Tuesday, July 25, Holiday Inn, Bozeman.
4 p.m., Tuesday, July 25, NorthWestern Energy, Butte.
8 a.m., Wednesday, July 26, Radisson Colonial Hotel, Helena.
Noon, Wednesday, July 26, Hilton Garden Inn, Great Falls.
7 a.m., Thursday, July 27, Hilton Garden Inn, Missoula.
Noon, Thursday, July 27, Hilton Garden Inn, Kalispell.
The cost of attending is $30 for members of the Montana Chamber of Commerce and $35 for nonmembers.