Growth

Utah’s Gender Wage Gap

Written by: Christopher Collard

Last October there was some buzz created by 24/7 Wall St ranking Utah as the number one worst state for women. The gender wage gap, or the difference in pay between an equally skilled, equally experienced man and woman was one factor used in the ranking. Estimating the pay gap is somewhat difficult. Numerous factors determine wages such as, skills, education, experience, and others. Using U.S. Census data we attempt to deconstruct the gender wage … Continued

Does Student Debt Slow Utah Millennials Down?

Written by: Christopher Collard

Does Student Debt Slow Utah Millennials Down? The ballooning amount of student debt is startling. Across the country, it adds up to almost 1.3 trillion dollars in total. As a comparison, that is almost how much US currency is in circulation today. Moreover, the majority of that debt is carried by a demographic (22-26 year olds) that needs its borrowing power. A lot of research has shown that a high level of student debt slows … Continued

Did Utah Boomers Boom?

Written by: Christopher Collard

It is only this year that the national Millennial Generation overtook the Baby Boom Generation. Yet in Utah, the Millennial Generation was larger than the Baby Boom Generation more than 15 years ago. Why is Utah’s boomer population so small? Was Utah even part of the Baby Boom? Figure 1: Proportion of Utah and U.S. Generations, 2015 Generation Ages Utah National Post Millennial 0-14 23% 17% Millennial 15-34 31% 27% Gen-X 35-49 20% 19% Boomer … Continued

Hay! One Crop is Utah’s Biggest Water Consumer

Written by: Dan Bammes

A center-pivot sprinkler system irrigates alfalfa near Snowville, Utah   A pdf version of this post including end notes is available here.   Once again this summer, all of us in Utah will be urged to “Slow the Flow” and use less water for washing, brushing and flushing. Not a bad idea – but the water we use in and around our homes represents only a small share of the total water use in our … Continued

Utah’s Economy: Growing Fast, Leaving Some Behind

Written by: Dan Bammes

Utah Foundation President Steve Kroes appeared on a panel at the presentation of this year’s Economic Report to Governor with economist Carrie Mayne from the Utah Department of Workforce Services Each year, the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Utah publishes an Economic Report to the Governor. The 2015 report was presented on Friday, January 9th to a breakfast meeting of business, state and community leaders at the Marriott City Center … Continued

Does Utah have a debt problem?

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Utah has a debt problem. But Utah needs to build some vital projects. Both perspectives were presented at our Bacon, Biscuits and Bonds breakfast event at the Capitol today. We learned some very interesting facts and heard some great arguments for several proposals. Here are a few notes: Treasurer Richard Ellis urged lawmakers to slow down in requesting new bond-funded projects. Utah’s debt levels have risen dramatically since 2009, with debt now around $1,000 per … Continued

More About Migration

Written by: Mallory Bateman

Our recent report, A Snapshot of 2050, discusses the way that migration to and from Utah can make the total population fluctuate. We thought we’d take a minute to look into Utah’s past migration and discuss changes that the state has experienced in the past. From 1991 to 1997, the share of Utah’s population growth caused by net migration (in-migration minus out-migration) ranged from about 40 percent to just over 50 percent. A similar nearly … Continued