Montana Economic News

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  Meeting looks to bring tourism money to the Bitterroot

  

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  Posted 12:48 PM 2/4/2012 by Irina Cates (KPAX News)

  HAMILTON- The Bitterroot Valley is a part of Montana that is sometimes left out when it comes to raking in dollars from tourists, but leaders there and state tourism officials started brain-storming to try to change that. More than 10 million people visit Montana every year and the (More) • Video (1)

  
  

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  January jobs report: Hiring ramps up, unemployment falls

  

  Posted 8:03 AM 2/3/2012 by Annalyn Censky (CNNMoney.com)

  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- American employers substantially stepped up their hiring in January, bringing the unemployment rate down for the fifth month in a row.

  Employers added 243,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department reported Friday, marking a pick-up in hiring from December, when the (More)

  
  

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  American's bankruptcy fuels merger talk

  

  Posted 6:04 AM 2/3/2012 by Chris Isidore (CNNMoney.com)

  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- American Airlines' bankruptcy has many in the industry questioning if a merger is in its future.

  US Airways, whose management has a history of making bids for larger airlines that are in bankruptcy, confirmed that it has hired investment advisors to weigh the (More)

  
  

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  Rehberg pushes Keystone XL pipeline

  

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  Posted 9:40 PM 2/2/2012 by Mark Holyoak (KPAX News)

  WASHINGTON DC - Still smarting from a decision by President Obama to reject construction the Keystone XL oil pipeline, Congressman Denny Rehberg wants to move ahead without the president's approval. Rehberg sent a letter to a committee urging members to add a rider to a final bill extending the (More) • Video (1)

  
  

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  Group looking at bringing new businesses to Missoula

  

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  Posted 2:40 PM 2/2/2012 by Mike Powers (KPAX News)

  MISSOULA- The economic recovery has been slow to embrace western Montana, in part because attracting new businesses has been a struggle.

  Members of the Missoula Economic Partnership are looking to find out what they're doing right...and wrong.

  It's hard to believe this beautiful (More) • Video (1)

  
  

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  Frenchtown mill site redevelopment team taking shape

  

  Posted 10:48 AM 2/2/2012 by KPAX News Staff

  MISSOULA- A former Smurfit Stone worker has been tapped as the new project manager for the old Frenchtown mill site.

  Green Investment Group, Inc., now known as M2Green Redevelopment has hired Patrick Clevenger, who has 35 years of experience as a materials and services manager, to head up (More)

  
  

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  • Rail service deal signed for former Smurfit-Stone site

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  Claims for first-time unemployment benefits fall

  

  Posted 7:45 AM 2/2/2012 by Annalyn Censky (CNNMoney.com)

  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- First-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign of more gradual improvement in the job market.

  The Labor Department reported Thursday that 367,000 people filed for initial unemployment benefits in the week ended Jan. 28, down 12,000 from a revised (More)

  
  

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  Housing market in Montana will be slow to recover

  

  Posted 6:31 AM 2/1/2012 by Marnee Banks (KXLH Helena)

  HELENA- Economic forecasters say the housing market will be the last sector of the economy to improve in Montana.

  The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research reports there are still too many foreclosures.

  Forecaster Patrick Barkey says the high inventory of (More)

  
  

  Related Articles

  • Forecasters predict 2% growth in MT's economy in 2012
  • UM study: MT economic growth slow, energy boom helps

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  S&P, Dow wrap up best January in 21st century

  

  Posted 9:43 PM 1/31/2012 by Maureen Farrell (CNNMoney.com)

  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- January offered up an apology to discouraged investors.

  Unlike 2011, when markets spiked and sunk several hundred points each day but ultimately closed out the year relatively flat, all three indexes mostly climbed higher throughout the month with occasional (More)

  
  

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  Exxon reports $9.4 billion profit

  

  Posted 11:15 AM 1/31/2012 by Ben Rooney (CNNMoney.com)

  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Exxon reported a 2% rise in fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday as higher oil prices offset declining production volumes.

  The largest U.S. oil company also defended its focus on natural gas, which is part of its plan to develop unconventional energy sources in the United (More)

  
  

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  Vann's closing Helena store

  

  Posted 10:25 AM 1/31/2012 by Marnee Banks (KXLH Helena)

  HELENA- Vann's announced on Tuesday that its Helena store will close on March 4th.

  "This was a very difficult decision for our company to make, but we are facing multiple challenges in the Helena market. The retail climate right now is definitely an issue. Combined with that, our store (More)

  
  

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  Montana refinery workers could strike within 48 hours

  

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  Posted 6:15 AM 1/31/2012 by News Staff (KTVQ Billings)

  BILLINGS- ExxonMobil has been put on notice by the United Steelworkers Union that its members will go on strike at 12:01 eastern standard time Wednesday, if a new contract is not agreed to by then.

  The nationwide strike by the USW Union has the potential to shut down not only ExxonMobil (More) • Video (1)