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.
November 2022 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment fell from 66.0 in October to 64.1 in November, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumers. A similar survey by the University of Michigan also found sentiment decreased from October (59.9) to November (56.8) among Americans as a whole.
Utah’s Invisible Workforce: The Economic Contributions and Health Impacts of Family Caregiving
As the need for family caregiving is expected to grow over the next decade, there are concerns about the mental and physical toll it places on Utah’s caregivers.
A Business Vision for Utah’s Energy Future (Data Compendium)
This Data Compendium provides supplementary data, definitions, and focus group summaries for the companion report, “A Business Vision for Utah’s Energy Future.” This companion report can be accessed on the Salt Lake Chamber or Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute website.
A Business Vision for Utah’s Energy Future
Utah's business community envisions an energy future that places Utah at the center of the nation's energy transition by harmonizing environmental and economic progress to ensure a balanced low carbon energy future that remains affordable, reliable, and sustainable.
Utah’s Engineering and Computer Science Workforce
Innovative engineering and computer science professionals— along with the higher education institutions that prepare many of them for the workforce—create vast economic and societal value for Utah
Utah’s Engineering and Computer Science Workforce: Higher Education and Economic Trends
Innovative engineering and computer science professionals— along with the higher education institutions that prepare many of them for the workforce—create vast economic and societal value for Utah.
October 2022 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment rose from 63.9 in September to 66.0 in October, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumers. A similar survey by the University of Michigan found sentiment rose slightly from September (58.6) to October (59.9) among Americans as a whole.
Ivory-Boyer Construction Report, Second Quarter 2022
During the first six months of 2022, total permitted construction value reached $7.23 billion, a 1.8% decrease over the same time period from 2021 (see Table 1). However, when controlling for inflation, the construction value decreased 6.0% (see Figure 1). This is the first decrease in inflation-adjusted construction value activity since 2012.
The Changing Dynamics of the Wasatch Front Apartment Market
The demand for rental housing increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in higher rental rates across the Wasatch Front.
September 2022 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment fell from 66.0 in August to 63.9 in September, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumers. A similar survey by the University of Michigan found sentiment essentially unchanged from August (58.2) to September (58.6) among Americans as a whole.