According to a Bismarck Tribune article published today, North Dakota’s economy is still strong in spite of the economic downturns the rest of the nation is experiencing.  Consumer confidence was cited as the reason.  Sales tax receipts indicate that North Dakotans are continuing to spend. 

From the article:

The healthy economy has been sustained for a remarkable 20 consecutive quarters, five years of each quarter showing more sales than the previous year’s equivalent period.

In the first quarter of 2008, sales of $2.42 billion in the state indicated an increase of 12.9 percent from the same time the year before. Bismarck’s increase was right at 6 percent.