SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s ski industry generated more than $2 billion for the state’s economy during the 2024–25 ski season. A detailed breakdown of what the ski industry meant for Utah’s economy was released by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

SALT LAKE CITY — New numbers once again show how important the ski industry is to Utah's economy, with skiers and snowboarders funneling $2.51 billion into the state last season.

SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. economy faces a bit of uncertainty in the last quarter of 2025. The federal government is shut down with no end in sight, small businesses are reeling with the roller coaster ride around tariffs and AI continues to disrupt industries across the economy. “I'd say that the national economy is struggling,” Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi told an Oct. 16 economic roundtable hosted by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. “It's not in recession. It's growing, but the rate of growth is slow. It's below the economy's potential.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Suicide is a leading cause of death in both the United States and Utah, and data show that Veterans have an increased risk for suicide-related deaths. A new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute sheds light on how Utah’s Veterans access suicide prevention resources. The study, commissioned by the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA), identifies key barriers and offers recommendations to improve outreach and engagement.

SALT LAKE CITY — To mark “10 years of impact,” the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has issued a report highlighting key research on a wide range of Utah issues over the last decade. The report commemorates the 10-year anniversary since the institute’s doors first opened in September 2015. The man that the institute was named after — prominent business man and community leader Kem Gardner — said these words 10 years ago at an event celebrating its launch: “I believe firmly that this policy institute can make life better for our state and for our children,” the Deseret News reported at the time.

Hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics allowed Utah to smash down the accelerator on growth in both its population and its economy. With the 2034 Games just over eight years away, the state again has the opportunity to harness the international event as a vehicle to propel it toward a more prosperous future.

SALT LAKE CITY — Families in rural Utah have limited access to labor and delivery care, and the problem could get worse. New research from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows seven Utah counties, concentrated in the north and southeast, do not have a birthing hospital. For five of those, the nearest location is over an hour’s drive away.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah homebuyers are grappling with prices that refuse to fall. According to the latest data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, the median sales price for all housing types in Utah — which includes single-family homes, townhomes and condos — is $520,000.

SALT LAKE CITY — It's not bust, but Utah's boom is cooling--and high housing prices may be one reason why. “If people don't feel they can buy a home, they may look to another state that might seem more affordable to them,” said Emily Harris, senior demographer at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s health care landscape has its own song this summer, and the beat relies heavily on the scrape of shovels, the pounding of jackhammers and the general clatter of construction. The Beehive State’s population is growing, creating need for expanded facilities and health care services.