The Montana Budget and Policy Center is hiring a State-Tribal Policy Analyst to conduct research and analysis on state budget and tax policies impacting Indian Country in Montana. For more information, click on the job description below.

Over seventy thousand Montana workers can’t find work or can’t get the hours of work they need to make ends meet. But stagnant, high unemployment is not just a problem for the jobless. A strong economy is dependent upon a strong middle class.  This means access to good jobs, wages, and benefits for a hard day’s work. When tens of thousands of Montana workers are unemployed or underemployed, economic growth and prosperity are limited for all Montanans.

This report will serve as a reminder to our policymakers that our first and primary focus must be on building an economy in Montana that will encourage job growth. 

In Montana’s 2011 legislative session, a majority of legislators proposed deep, unnecessary, and harmful cuts to vital public services like education, health care, and job training. The resulting damage to our families, communities, and economy was only prevented by last-minute negotiations with the governor. While the budget compromise restored funding to many vital public programs, some harmful cuts remain. The cuts were unnecessary. The Legislature balanced its budget using out-of-date and overly pessimistic revenue estimates, refusing to act on updated estimates from their non-partisan staff and even higher estimates from the governor’s office.