Businesses in Utah have for years reported that they have difficulty finding enough skilled employees to meet their needs. In a 2018 survey, the Utah Foundation found that this difficulty was the top issue “holding businesses back.” But this problem is not unique to the private sector. Local and state governments face a similar challenge, particularly in filling law enforcement positions. It seems to have become even more acute in recent years. This report highlights … Continued

Filling in the Blanks: How Utah Communities Can Deploy Infill Development to Advance Quality of Life, addresses the development of vacant or underutilized land within existing communities. It examines trends, the potential benefits of additional infill, obstacles standing in the way, and policy options to support infill development.   KEY FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY Multiple factors are now converging in Utah to make infill more imperative, including rapid growth, rising housing costs and changing residential … Continued

The 2022 Utah Personal Quality of Life Index: Is the Well-Being of Utahns in Decline? is the second report in the 2022 Utah Quality of Life project. This report focuses on personal quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their well-being on a series of seven factors. In this report, the Utah Foundation: compares 2022 data with the 2018 iteration of the survey; analyzes responses by population group; compares Utahns’ personal … Continued

Utah has kept up to date on commercial building code standards, but it has maintained older residential building standards that fall short of more efficient building practices. To a Higher Standard: Building Codes, Improved Efficiency and Air Quality in Utah explores possible new standards with an eye toward air quality, examining costs and benefits. Would you like a quicker review of the report? Read the executive summary.   KEY FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT Driven by … Continued

America’s Nursing School: The Nursing Program at Western Governors University is a new analysis commissioned by Western Governors University (WGU). This brief finds that WGU is playing a leading role in filling this vital health care and economic need across the country. Among the findings of the study: The number of unfilled openings in the health care sector doubled from the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2022. As an online university, WGU has … Continued

UTAH SOCIAL CAPITAL SERIES Check out the other sections of the Utah Social Capital Series. Links will become live as reports are published Civic Engagement Social Trust Community Life Family Health Social Cohesion Focus on Future Generations Social Mobility Overall index The Network of Relationship: Utah’s Social Capital Index is the Utah Foundation’s final release in its Utah Social Capital Series. This installment takes together the findings of the previous seven reports released since September … Continued