Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte says his administration has surpassed a major goal for economic growth during his first year in office. MTPR’s Shaylee Ragar reports the state met the goal but the administration faces the challenge of keeping up the pace this year.Gianforte campaigned ahead of the 2020 election on a promise to lead what he called Montana’s comeback. The state, like most across the country, experienced an economic recession during the COVID-19 pandemic.After his election, Gianforte brought a list of priorities, including cutting taxes for residents and businesses, that he said would fulfill that promise. Most of those policies passed with the help of a Republican-majority Legislature.To measure his success, he set a goal for Montana to add 10,000 jobs that pay $50,000 a year in 2021. He announced last week he exceeded that benchmark by nearly 3,000 jobs.“We got here by cutting taxes and red tape, attracting new businesses and investing in our workforce to ensure that Montanans have the skills they need.”Gianforte told MTPR he hasn’t yet analyzed data showing where in Montana these new jobs are located.Along with the policies that Gianforte attributes to the state’s job growth, other forces were also at work in the state’s economy.Montana last year got a windf …
Montana is adding jobs, but inflation is cutting into earnings – MTPR
