January 14, 2025 (Salt Lake City) – Low water levels at Great Salt Lake continue to threaten Utah’s economic, ecological, and human health. Today, the Great Salt Lake Strike Team – a collaboration of technical experts from Utah’s research universities and state agencies – released their 2025 data and insights summary. Their authoritative analysis makes eminently clear four critical points: […]

January 10, 2025 (Salt Lake City) – The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute today presented the 37th Economic Report to the Governor to the governor’s office at the 2025 Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber. The report highlights the resilience of the U.S. economy in 2024 and forecasts slowing, but not stalling, economic activity for 2025. […]

January 7, 2025 (Salt Lake City) – Utah’s military and defense industry substantially contributes to the state’s diverse economy. A new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows that the defense industry directly and indirectly supports over 173,000 jobs and contributed an estimated $22.2 billion in GDP in 2023. […]

December 16, 2024 (Salt Lake City) – Utah’s broad innovation ecosystem ranks high among U.S. states across various measures. A new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, co-led by the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah), shows the characteristics contributing to Utah’s success include the state’s higher education institutions, a well-trained workforce, social infrastructure, collaboration among innovation ecosystem actors, and a culture of innovation. […]

December 5, 2024 (Salt Lake City) – Utah’s consumer sentiment significantly increased in November (by 9.1%, from 80.7 in October to 88.1 in November), according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. November sentiment in Utah shows the second-largest growth since November 2020. A similar survey by the University of Michigan found a much smaller change (1.8% increase) in sentiment among Americans during the same time (from 70.5 to 71.8). […]

December 3, 2024 (Salt Lake City) – In Utah, businesses pay various state and local taxes that support critical public services. These taxes include the corporate income tax, individual income tax, property tax, sales and use tax, unemployment insurance tax, and other taxes. In FY 2024, Utah businesses paid $8.1 billion in state and local taxes. Today, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released Part Five of its visual guide series on tax modernization in Utah, aiming to help policymakers and the public better understand Utah’s business taxes. […]

October 30, 2024 (Salt Lake City) – Salt Lake County’s life sciences industry is experiencing robust growth, contributing significantly to the region’s economy. A new research brief from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah shows the industry generated an estimated $5.8 billion in GDP in 2023, representing 5.1% of the county’s total GDP and $9.3 billion in total output. […]

October 23, 2024 (Salt Lake City) – Short-term rental (STR) growth accelerated dramatically across the United States as the COVID-19 pandemic shifted consumer behaviors, thus increasing their market demand. A new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute summarizes the recent trends in the growth of STRs across Utah. The purpose of the report is to provide state and local leaders with an account of the size of the STR market and how it relates to the total housing supply. […]

October 8, 2024 (Salt Lake City) –Short-term planning projections released today indicate Utah will grow from 3.5 million to 4 million residents between 2024-2033, an average annual growth rate of 1.5%. Additionally, employment is expected to grow from 2.5 million jobs in 2024 to 2.8 million in 2033 (1.4% annually), and households are projected to grow more rapidly at 2.4% annually (1.2 to 1.4 million). These short-term demographic and economic planning projections inform decision-making at the state and county levels for a ten-year planning horizon. […]