Economic Update series starts in Kalispell July 30

The Montana Chamber Foundation’s 10th Annual Economic Update series kicks off on July 30 in Kalispell at the Hilton Garden Inn.

This year’s theme is “Women at Work.”

Speakers will include Barbara Wagner, chief economist for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, along with Patrick Barkey and Paul Polzin from the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

The seminar will last an hour and a half, starting at noon, focusing on women in the workplace and their impact on the economy. The bureau experts also will introduce recent data on local, state and national economic projections.

“The midyear update is a chance to test the waters, see what kind of things have changed since we last talked about the economic forecast,” said Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research. “We’re going to title our talks, looking at the ‘post-commodity boom economy’ and what that means.”

Last year’s economic update focused on manufacturing, affected by a boom in the U.S. energy industry and rising wages in other countries.

The attendance fee is $25 for members of the Montana Chamber of Commerce or $30 for nonmembers.

Anyone interested can register online at http://events.montanachamber.com/?ee=109.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.