Business leaders say many factors are contributing to low job opportunities in Montana, particularly in the Flathead Valley.

Montana Senator Jon Tester held a jobs creation roundtable on Monday to talk about what could help bring or keep jobs in and around Kalispell.

Flathead County and Northwestern Montana have taken the brunt of the economic recession. With an economy heavily based on wood products, construction and real estate, many people are being left without jobs or homes.

"The wood products hit Northwest Montana extremely hard because the second home, the primary construction, all of the manufacturing that we've done with wood products is very important to our area, and I'm excited that other areas in the country are ahead of us in the recovery, but in terms, from a banking point of view, we haven't seen the worst of it here yet," explains Caldwell Banker, Paul Wachholz.

The Caldwell Banker representative says about 20% of people in the Flathead Valley have an upside down mortgage.

"Part of what we heard right out of the gun is what's going on with regulators at our community banks and credit unions, we need to make sure that there's reasonable regulation there, and they're not coming in pinching them hard, and I think they are pinching them pretty darn hard right now and we'll be talking to the regulators as we have been over the last year now," adds Wachholz.

A construction agency that remodeled the Flathead food bank says they need more work.

"The food bank, within two weeks of their formal informal opening, they doubled the amount of food that went out there, doubled, I need to build, I don't know how to get those opportunities right now and I tell you we're being highly creative," said Robert Ross Construction's, Bob Helder.  

Sen. Tester says there are opportunities for removing some caps on grants and low interest loans to help people get access to capital.

CSKT Economic Development Director Jerry Lamb says energy and opportunities in the restoration economy will help the tribes.

"The unemployment in Indian country, in Salish Kootenai its you know above, certainly about 25 percent, at Fort Belknap it's above 90, so a lot of this is perspective and stuff so I think there's great opportunity in this bad environment" he explained.

Tester says a program that gives tribes preference in bidding for government contracts and an education bill will help their unemployment.

"In other words educate Native American members, Indian members where they live on how to be nurses, CNAs, administrative personnel, there's plenty of opportunity in health care right now if we can get tribal colleges to be a part of that educational effort which is what this bill will do, I think that will make a difference," said Senator Jon Tester. 

Flathead County and Northwestern Montana have taken the brunt of the economic recession. With an economy heavily based on wood products, construction and real estate, many people are being left without jobs or homes.