BISMARCK, N.D., Dec. 6 (UPI) -- North Dakota, unlike most states in the union, is experiencing a budget surplus this year, with lawmakers wondering how to spend an extra $1.2 billion.
The New York Times reported Saturday that the Peace Garden State has a rosy economic picture this year, with the number of new cars sold statewide up 27 percent, its home foreclosure rate tiny and homes gaining in value.
North Dakota's unemployment rate, at 3.4 percent, is among the lowest in the country.
A good crop year and a recent surge in oil production are credited for helping insulate the North Dakota economy.
"We feel like we have been living in a bubble," said Justin Theel, part owner of a dealership that sells Toyotas, Dodges and Scions in Bismarck, N.D. "We see the national news every day. We know things are tough. But
around here, our people have gone to their jobs every day knowing that they're going to get a paycheck and that they'll go back the next day."
Officials and private companies have even been forced to look in other states for workers.
"Our problem is that everybody thinks that it's a cold, miserable place to live," said state Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, a Republican. "They're wrong, of course. But North Dakota is a pretty well-kept secret."
