Recent Research
Click on the links below to view the most recent research published by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
2019 Rural Health Convening (Intermountain Healthcare Convening Proceedings Report)
On June 24–25, 2019, Intermountain Healthcare hosted the 2019 Rural Health Convening in Midway, Utah. The convening brought together leaders from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and rural healthcare providers from the Mountain West.
Utah’s Tech Economy Volume One: Economic Impacts, Industry Trends, Occupations, and Workers
Utah’s tech industry made significant contributions to the state economy in 2018, supporting one in seven Utah jobs and one-sixth of worker earnings in the state. The economic activity generated over $2.5 billion in tax revenue to help fund schools and other government services. […]
July 2019 Economic Summary
The consensus forecast predicts moderating–but still healthy–job and wage growth, and low unemployment. Internal risks to the Utah economy include the supply of workers, increasing interest rates, housing affordability, and air quality. The nation is entering a late business cycle which may also present challenges. Demographic advantages, an appealing business climate, and increasing labor force participation will continue to be an advantage for the economy. All going well, Utah will once again be one of the top performing economies in the nation in 2019.
Video: Utah Coal Country Strike Team
As a society, we face an economic, environmental, and moral imperative to combat global climate change. The benefits are widespread, but the costs are concentrated. Nowhere is this more evident than in America’s coal country. Changes must be made, but let’s not leave behind the people who have made the greatest sacrifice. Coal helped build this country, and America’s coal transition belongs to all of us.
Race/Ethnicity in the Wasatch Front Labor Force: An Equal Employment Opportunity Analysis
Utah’s racial and ethnic diversity continues to increase, along with the rest of the nation. Currently, 1 in 5 Utahns identify as racial minorities, increasing 3.5 percentage points from 2016. However, state level analysis can mask county and region-level variation. For example, in the Wasatch Front region, minority identification is closer to 1 in 4 at 23 percent, and Salt Lake County is 29 percent minority. This information is useful, but how do these trends influence the region’s labor force? Does the Wasatch Front labor force look the same as their total population? How are occupations distributed among different races [...]
June 2019 Economic Summary
The Utah economy exceeded expectations in 2018, adding a total of 48,500 new jobs over the year. An annual employment growth rate of 3.3% is on par with the state’s long-term average and is among the strongest in the nation. A tightening labor market (3.1 percent unemployment) applied upward pressure on personal income. Annual income per capita increased to $45,174, a 3.9 percent increase from last year.
Salt Lake City Change Atlas 2019
This Salt Lake City Change Atlas, 2019 presents changes in the city’s population, housing units and related characteristics. Salt Lake City Corporation sponsored the research.
Fact Sheet: U.S. Census Bureau Estimates for Age, Vintage 2018
Each year, the Census Bureau produces population estimates at varying levels of geography. The release of the age, sex, race and Hispanic origin at the nation, state, and county level completes the 2018 vintage estimate package. Prior pieces of this release include national, state, county, metropolitan/ micropolitan, and incorporated place (cities and towns) estimates for the 2018 vintage. All releases include annual estimates from Census 2010 to July 1, 2018.
Fact Sheet: U.S. Census Bureau Estimates for Race and Hispanic Origin, Vintage 2018
Each year, the Census Bureau produces population estimates at varying levels of geography. The age, sex, race and Hispanic origin estimates at the nation, state, and county level completes the 2018 vintage estimate package. Prior pieces of this release include national, state, county, metropolitan/micropolitan, and incorporated place (cities and towns) estimates for the 2018 vintage. All releases include annual estimates from Census 2010 to July 1, 2018. This final estimates release is expansive, so there are two fact sheets detailing the results: one for Race and Hispanic origin, and one for age and sex.
