Manufacturing Outlook

Montana manufacturing employment has declined from nearly 24,000 workers at the start of the recession in 2007 to approximately 19,938 workers in 2011, with the majority of the decline (2,700 workers) occurring between 2007 and 2009 when wood, paper, and furniture lost nearly 2,000 jobs. Employment dropped by nearly 700 workers in 2010, followed by a little over 600 job losses during 2011. Manufacturing employment turned upward in mid-2010 but fell late in the year and dropped further as the US economy weakened and national unemployment hovered around 9% throughout 2011. The BBER survey of Montana manufacturers indicates a slight improvement in operating conditions for Montana manufacturers in 2011 compared to 2011. The manufacturing outlook for Montana in 2012 is for modest improvement with expectations of employment growth among several manufacturing sectors as Montana manufacturers benefit from a US economy that is gradually gaining strength.