Blog Posts
Insight: New Demographic County Profiles, 2010-2018
By: Pamela S. Perlich and Mike Hollingshaus 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™. Today we are pleased to share Utah demographic state and county profiles that summarize our detailed population estimates. These profiles distill the most essential and recent population data for each county in one convenient place. We have included those charts, tables, and data points that users most often request. Intensive data[...]
Insight: What factors helped the first cohort of Utah’s State Turnaround Program succeed?
By: Marin Christensen 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™. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has had the pleasure to contract with the Utah State Board of Education to conduct qualitative research uncovering common factors of success from the first cohort of schools that exited the Utah School Turnaround Program. […]
Insight: Utah’s Air Quality: Zeroing in on Health Impacts
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™. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute is currently developing a roadmap of possible solutions for the Utah Legislature to consider in addressing Utah’s air quality and changing climate. This process includes evaluating existing research on how poor air quality impacts our environment, economy, and our health. As the senior health care analyst, I had an[...]
Insight: Despite Economic Uncertainty, Wages Continue to Rise Overall
By: Juliette Tennert and Kathryn Macdonald-Poelman The recent quarterly report on personal income growth from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) gives some surprising and not so surprising tells for the nation as a whole and for Utahns. The components of total personal income include property income (dividends, interest and rent), transfer receipts (social security, Medicare, disability or unemployment insurance compensation etc.), and earnings (the sum of wages and salaries, including income for the self-employed). As the largest share of personal income, a close look at earnings within personal income can provide the clearest picture of how the everyday American[...]
Insight: Utah County-level Race/Ethnicity Age and Sex Population Estimates, 2010-2018
By: Mike Hollingshaus Today we publish our county estimates of race and ethnic populations by age and sex. This is a new product that expands our current suite of demographic estimates. It provides additional detail for seven race/ethnic groups for the 2010 to 2018 age and sex estimates that were published earlier this year. The release includes a full dataset and summary findings. […]
Insight: Construction jobs are not keeping up with construction activity
By: Dejan Eskic The phrase “labor shortage” isn’t new but has reappeared more recently as unemployment rates hit record lows across the country. Job growth continues to thrive, with every sector surpassing its pre-recession peak in Utah. The construction sector has recovered well from its 2011 low, increasing employment by 58 percent. However, it stands out as having one of the lowest growth rates from the pre-recession peak in 2007 to 2018, recovering by less than 1 percent, as shown in Figure 1 and Table 1. […]
Insight: UN Civil Society Conference
By: Thomas Holst The United Nations (UN) selected Salt Lake City as the site last month for its 68th Civil Society Conference, which featured the theme of making “cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable by 2030.” Salt Lake City was a model for the conference theme with its 100 percent renewable energy target set out in the Climate Positive 2040 plan. […]
Insight: What’s going on with the 2020 Census?
By: Mallory Bateman The 2020 Census is just over seven months away for most of the US, with Census Day being April 1. Enumerations start even earlier in Alaska, with efforts starting in January to maximize accessibility to areas that can’t be reached in other times of the year. The Demographics Team at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has a vested interest in the Census, due to our ongoing partnerships with the Census Bureau, our 2020 Census Technical Advisory Committee, and our suite of products being reliant on a good baseline being established through the data. However, the Census[...]
Insight: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
By: Emily Harris Labor Day marks the end of the busy moving season, spanning from May to September. When times are good, it is easier for individuals and families to move, whether that’s to another city, county, or state. Times are certainly good right now in Utah. […]
Insight: Utah’s Domestic Visitors: Nonresident vs. Resident Travel
By: Jennifer Leaver Utahns know what makes our state special: majestic mountain ranges, red rock deserts, slot canyons, the Western Hemisphere’s largest saltwater lake, world-class winter sports, blue-ribbon trout streams—the list goes on. Did you know that Utah’s natural amenities are the number one draw of domestic nonresident visitors? And that each year, out-of-state visitors spend more money in Utah’s economy than do resident travelers? […]