February 18, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - Previous efforts to improve Utah’s notorious winter air quality have focused on reducing pollution from vehicles (mobile sources) and industry (point sources). But a new Utah Foundation study Bringing Air Quality Home: Reducing Residential Emissions shows a focus on widely distributed area sources, including home appliances such as water heaters, could result in significant improvements as well. Bringing building codes up to current standards, including a requirement for ultra-low NOx water heaters in new construction, … Continued
February 11, 2016(UtahPolicy.com) - The Utah Legislature is currently struggling to find a way to reform the process for selecting candidates for Utah’s State School Board. A federal court decision in 2014 (England v. Hatch) found that the system in use since the 1990s is unconstitutional. The system allowed a selection board appointed by the governor to vet potential candidates and recommend them to the governor for inclusion on the ballot. Opponents argued this allowed the board to choose … Continued
February 03, 2016(Utah Business) - While winter in Utah can be enjoyed with beautiful, crisp days atop snow-covered slopes, the majority of the days are spent drowning in the smoggy air known as inversion. According to a report by the Utah Foundation, more than half the air pollution in Utah comes from vehicle emissions. One way to combat this source of pollution is to drive electric vehicles, and a growing number of Utahns are doing just that. In an effort … Continued
January 28, 2016(Deseret News) - This is along the lines of a Utah Foundation report about a decade ago that showed Utahns pay less in property taxes, as a percentage of income, than they did in 1965. Of course, history means little when you’re digging into your pocket to give money to government. Ask a roomful of people how much of a tax burden seems appropriate and you’re likely to find yourself wishing you were closer to the door. What … Continued
January 25, 2016(Utah Public Radio) - Join us for a live broadcast of Access Utah from the State Capitol on Monday for the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature. We’ll talk about the issues likely to be addressed in the legislature this year. Bonus: Steve Kroes, President of the Utah Foundation, also spoke with Access Utah about research on education funding, voting practices.
January 24, 2016(Deseret News) - As often is the case, education will be a big issue this year, too. Utah continues to experience fast growth in its school-aged population, with little means with which to keep up. While we have long supported innovative ideas to improve public education and expand parental choices without a large infusion of new money, it is apparent that traditional public schools are being shortchanged. That much was made clear by a Utah Foundation report last … Continued
January 11, 2016(Deseret News) - It’s no secret that voter participation in Utah has fallen to an embarrassingly low rate. A recent report by the Utah Foundation said this trend likely has several causes. One likely cause, however, is the perception among Utahns that they have little access to the political system. A big cause of that perception is the way the Republican Party has traditionally nominated its candidates for state office, through a convention caucus system. Thankfully, that is … Continued
December 29, 2015(LinkedIn Pulse) - Utah’s job growth ranks among the top states in the country, unemployment is at a seven-year low and businesses have added more than 200,000 jobs since the recession. Many economists have discussed what “full employment” for Utah’s economy would be and in some circumstances how a vibrant economy is exposing gaps in our available work force. A key criteria to both those issues is wages. This is a not a new issue in recent economic … Continued
December 27, 2015(Deseret News) - A recent Utah Foundation survey of 151 local companies found that 71 percent of them had some level of difficulty finding qualified employees. The study also found that 68 percent of companies are offering below-median wages for positions that are difficult to fill. The 66 by 2020 goal, combined with an area of performance funding dedicated to meeting workforce needs, has helped institution leaders refocus their efforts, according to Holland. “I think it’s had a … Continued
December 22, 2015(Deseret News) - In Utah, the focus on integration through language and job skills is not only beneficial for refugees; it is beneficial for Utah employers and the economy. That is because the No. 1 challenge to the state’s continued economic growth is a lack of trained workers. The challenge faced by employers was highlighted in a report released last week by the nonpartisan Utah Foundation, which found that over 70 percent of companies reported difficulty in finding … Continued
December 22, 2015(UtahPolicy.com) - Last Wednesday EDCUtah hosted a press conference for the Utah Foundation, where the organization announced the findings of its survey of 151 local employers. Topics of the survey focused on what inhibits business growth in Utah, the best and worst of Utah’s labor pool, the availability of potential employees, how Utahns stack up against their out-of-state counterparts and what drives companies to relocate to or away from Utah. Some of the key findings from the … Continued
December 20, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - Utah has one of the fastest growing economies in the nation. Blessed with hard-working people and cheap energy, the state is attracting new companies as it grows existing ones. We are indeed the envy of many states. But a new report from the Utah Foundation sees a crack in that armor, and it’s one that threatens to keep us from sustained prosperity. Turning the state’s pioneer slogan on its head, the report is titled “Is … Continued
December 18, 2015(St. George Spectrum) - The tightening job market does mean fewer choices for businesses that are looking to hire though, and employers are reporting some challenge finding qualified workers, especially workers willing to work for the state’s lower-than-average median wages. A new report from the Utah Foundation showed that 71 percent of 150 state businesses surveyed indicated they were having difficulties finding enough good help, with 32 percent indicating a lack of workers was the greatest factor impeding their … Continued
December 17, 2015(Deseret News) - But while it would be easy to look at all this and envision roses poking their way through the snowdrifts, the state does face real problems it can’t afford to ignore. Two recent reports highlight some of them. The first is a survey by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan research group, released Wednesday. It asked 151 local businesses what they feel inhibits growth in the state. The overwhelming answer? A lack of skilled or qualified … Continued
December 16, 2015(Deseret News) - Most Utah companies struggle in some way to find qualified employees, according to a Utah Foundation report released Wednesday. In a survey of 151 local employers, 71 percent reported some level of difficulty in finding enough skilled or qualified hires, and 32 percent said a talent shortage is the greatest factor impeding economic growth. But the report notes that the shortage might not rest entirely on shortcomings within the workforce. An analysis of data from … Continued
December 16, 2015(KUER) - Utah companies can’t find enough qualified workers to fill the ranks according to a new report from the non-partisan research group Utah Foundation. More than 150 businesses across the state participated this summer in the Utah Foundation survey. The companies typically had more than 500 employees and have been around for a couple of decades. Utah Foundation Research Analyst Christopher Collard says most respondents say it’s hard to find qualified employees, especially those with graduate … Continued
December 16, 2015(Utah Pulse) - Finding qualified workers to fill open positions is among the obstacles to growth for employers in Utah, according to a new report from the non-partisan Utah Foundation, Is This the Place? A Survey of Utah Employers. The report also shows the wages offered for those skilled positions are often below national median levels. The survey of more than 150 businesses across the state also shows that Utah’s workforce is recognized for its strong work ethic, … Continued
December 16, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - Utah’s pro-business credentials remain impeccable, according to a new survey, but there are signs some employers are having trouble finding qualified workers. Nearly 72 percent of 151 Utah employers recently reported difficulty in locating adequately skilled candidates to fill job openings, the new poll by the nonprofit Utah Foundation found. About a third of those employers said worker shortages were the single greatest obstacle to their companies’ growth, while a comparable share called it “the … Continued
December 16, 2015(Daily Herald) - The technology boom is reverberating with a cause and effect throughout Utah County in apartment, condominium and single-family home construction. By 2050, three cities — Eagle Mountain, Lehi and Saratoga Springs — are projected to outpace the rest of the county with more than 400,000 combined residents, nearly one-third of the projected total county population. The Utah Foundation Report estimates there will be 1.2 million people living in Utah County by 2050. Put in perspective, … Continued
December 14, 2015(care2.com) - Utah has historically had some of the worst voter turnout in the country, hovering around 20 percent of all eligible voters. In the four years between 2011 and 2015, however, officials have managed to nearly double that number, with one very easy step: Switching municipalities over to a vote by mail ballot, which allows voters to fill out and return ballots at leisure rather than having to go to the polls. A study put out … Continued
December 14, 2015(Standard-Examiner) - THUMBS DOWN: To the Utah cities that still haven’t implemented vote-by-mail. Why? Because the cities that adopted it saw voter turnout this November increase 39 percent over 2011, according to a report from the Utah Foundation. In Ogden, turnout jumped from 20 percent in 2013 to 36 percent in November — still far too low, but a significant improvement. And the story was the same across the Wasatch Front: North Ogden — up 17 percent. … Continued
December 07, 2015(ThinkProgress.org) - Since 2009, Utah has tested out a number of voting reforms designed to increase participation, including online voter registration and pilot projects allowing voters to register on Election Day, as well as mail-in voting. The Utah Foundation, a public policy think tank, looked at turnout data over the past few municipal elections in a report released last week. They found that those municipalities that implemented voting by mail saw major increases in their turnout rates. … Continued
December 03, 2015(Standard-Examiner) - One effect of cities and other municipalities offering vote by mail is that local elections, once generating very low returns, are bringing more voters to the polls. According to research from the Utah Foundation, municipal election turnouts in Weber and Davis counties this year were far higher than turnouts for similar elections in 2013 and 2011. Similar vote turnout success occurred across the state. In Weber County, turnout was just below 40 percent this year. … Continued
December 03, 2015(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah once had one of the best voter participation rates in the nation, with turnout reaching nearly 70% in elections going back to 1980. That’s gone down significantly in recent years, and a new Utah Foundation report Voting in Utah: Analyzing Current Practices and Future Options for Utah Voters looks at reasons for that decline as well as efforts to bring it back up. While there are some innovative programs designed to bring new voters … Continued
December 03, 2015(KNRS TalkRadio) - A new study — of voting by mail, in Utah — shows it likely more than doubled voter turnout. The Utah Foundation reports, the average participation — in this year’s election, across 70 cities that used vote-by-mail — was 40 percent. In Salt Lake City, voter turnout was up 13 percent from 2 years ago… and 24 percent, from 2011.
