Nick Van Brown, Legislative Fiscal Division fiscal analyst, introduced a demonstration of the LFD’s publicly facing interactive tools and told the House Business and Labor Committee, “We have been creating these tools for you all” and that they allow members to “see things like your own district, you can see your own county, you can see your own school.”

What LFD showed: Joseph (Joe) Bhan (LFD) displayed a tool that draws on Bureau of Economic Analysis data to chart wages and salaries by sector (1998–2023) and a separate tool using Bureau of Labor Statistics data that shows jobs by sector from 1990 through 2025. Bhan explained these data are presented in real (inflation‑adjusted) dollars and noted the BLS jobs tool reports “jobs,” not unique people, because an individual may hold multiple jobs.

Molly Delcurto (LFD) demonstrated a county‑level cost‑of‑living tool that allows users to choose household composition (one‑adult, two‑adult, number of children) and compare major expense categories — childcare, food, housing (using Montana Fair Market Rents), and transportation — against county median incomes. She said the childcare data come from the Department of Public Health and Human Services market survey (last done in 2020) and that updated childcare data were expected this year. On housing, Delcurto said the tool uses HUD fair‑market rent metrics and the office was discussing more accurate local data with the Department of Commerce.

Committee members asked technical questions and whether draft tools were publishable. Bhan said one tool was not yet published but he would forward a link when ready. Van Brown invited members to bring staff to the LFD office for walkthroughs and said, “we can walk you through any of those plus the tools that are still in development.”

Why it matters: members said they expect to use the tools for district‑level research, constituent questions and to prepare for budget debates. Representative Carter asked where members could get help; Van Brown and staff offered in‑person assistance at the fiscal division. The presentation closed with committee members thanking staff and asking for future contact about published links and methodology notes.