Blog Posts
Insight: Are Utah’s Wages Pacing with High Inflation?
By Natalie Roney and Phil Dean The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic repercussions continue to reverberate throughout the Utah and U.S. economies. In particular, labor shortages and high inflation remain top of mind for many Utahns as a return to “normal” economic conditions remains elusive. This post explores aspects of real (inflation-adjusted) wage indicators. […]
Insight: Oral Health in Utah
By: Julia Martin “Good oral health is critical for children, as it can affect their overall health, social adjustment, appearance, school performance, and ability to thrive”[1] Oral health is an often overlooked and ignored health status in Utah. The state's most recent oral health campaign focused on Utah adolescents,[2] while this is a step in the right direction, there needs to be a bigger emphasis on childhood oral health. Unfortunately, the most recent data for childhood oral health is from the 2015-2016 Oral Health Status of Utah’s Children. According to this report, there is a “concerning level of oral disease[...]
Insight: Panic at the Pump
By: Thomas Holst Current motor gasoline prices have shocked Utah motorists. Utah motor gasoline prices jumped $1 per gallon to $4.35. The increase came after the United States and European countries banned Russian energy imports in response to the Ukraine invasion. […]
Insight: Utah’s 2020 Fertility Update: How Low Can it Go?
By: Emily Harris The Gardner Institute is currently in the middle of its own little “baby boom.” With four babies born or expected from January through this coming April, it sure doesn’t feel like fertility is declining. However, the latest report on 2020 fertility trends indicates another year of declining fertility rates. […]
Insight: County-Level Insights from our Long-Term Planning Projections
By Mallory Bateman and Max Backlund The Gardner Institute recently released a new vintage of long-term planning projections. The data provides official insights into the state and counties’ total populations, households, and economies. With this data, communities can plan for the next 10, 20, and 40 years and consider how changing characteristics might impact services, policies, and more. […]
Tourism Insight: Record Utah Park Visitation Spanned Seasons and Destinations in 2021
As 2021 park visitation numbers roll in, Utah’s parks appear to have remained virtually unscathed by the 2020 pandemic, with visitation spread among both seasons and destinations. For purposes of understanding 2021 park visitation in the context of “normal” visitation, I have compared 2021 with 2019 (pre-pandemic) visitation.
Insight: Hydrogen – The Fuel of the Future
By: Thomas Holst Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. […]
Insight: Trends Affecting Employment in Utah’s Health Care and Social Assistance Industry
By: Laura Summers Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. […]
Insight: Teachers Persevere Through the Pandemic: K–12 Teacher Retention in Utah
By: Andrea Thomas Brandley Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. […]
Insight: The Great Resignation: How Has It Impacted Utah’s Health Care Industry to Date?
By: Laura Summers and John Downen Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. In February 2021, we produced a blog on The Impact of COVID-19 on Utah’s Health Care and Social Assistance Industry. Since then, we’ve learned more about the “Great Resignation” of 2021, or the trend of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs. Despite being known as a recession-resilient sector, there is concern that health[...]