Utah Economy
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute provides analysis and data-driven, context-specific insights about the Utah economy. We prepare in-depth studies on key Utah issues in partnership with stakeholders in the private sector and in state and local government. Our research provides vital information that decision-makers and the public use to help Utah prosper.
Utah’s Rental Market
Utah’s renters, like much of the renters across the country faced dramatic increases in housing costs throughout the pandemic. For the renters across the four Wasatch Front counties, average asking rents increased more in the two-year period between 2020 and 2022 then they increased between 2010 and 2020. At an annualized rate, between 2010 and 2020, asking rents increased 2.6% in Salt Lake County, between 2020 and 2022 the rate of change was 11.0%
Insight: Are Wages in Utah Keeping Up with Inflation?
By: James Wood 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™. […]
April 2023 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment was essentially unchanged in April (70.5) compared to March (70.2), according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. A similar survey by the University of Michigan found sentiment rose slightly from March (62.0) to April (63.5) among Americans as a whole.
Policy Brief: Utah’s Energy Industry
Heading into 2022, energy experts debated the speed and timing of a return to “normal” energy demand following a tumultuous 2020–2021 as the world responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Utah’s Life Sciences Workforce and Industry Growth: 2012 to 2021
industry was a source of economic stability from 2012 to 2021. Job growth remained strong compared with other industries and states. Increasingly, life sciences companies provide a large share of Utah’s employee workforce relative to other states with significant life sciences sectors.
Hachman Index of Economic Diversity, 2021
The Hachman Index measures economic diversity. Using indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP) or employment, the index measures the mix of industries present in a particular region relative to a (well-diversified) reference region.
Utah’s Consumer Sentiment Drops in February
March 2, 2023 (Salt Lake City) – Utah’s consumer sentiment decreased from 75.6 in January to 70.4 in February, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. A similar survey by the University of Michigan found sentiment rose from January (64.9) to February (67.0) among Americans as a whole. […]
March 2023 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment was essentially unchanged in March (70.2) compared to February (70.4), according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumer Sentiment. A similar survey by The University of Michigan found sentiment fell from February (67.0) to March (62.0) among Americans as a whole.
Policy Brief: Housing Prices and Affordability
In 2022, higher home prices and a doubling of the mortgage rate combined to erode housing affordability. Thus, homeownership has become more difficult for many of Utah’s 333,000 renter households.
The State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry, 2021
Utah’s travel and tourism industry has experienced a healthy post-pandemic recovery, yet continues to face a service industry labor shortage, stunted international visitation, and inflationary headwinds.