Utah “Rock Star” in Economic Growth
Thursday, November 29, 2012
SALT LAKE CITY - Western states grew more jobs at nearly double the rate of the rest of the nation over the last four decades, and the access to high-quality outdoor opportunities on public lands is a factor driving that growth, according to a new report. Ben Alexander with Headwaters Economics says their new "West is Best" analysis found that almost all job growth in the western states has been in the high-wage services industry. Utah is leading the pack, he says.
"Utah is a 'rock star:' number three population growth in the last decade; number one employment growth in the last decade; and number eight in the growth of personal income in the last decade."
Increasingly, local chambers of commerce and economic development associations are using national parks and public lands as tools to lure companies to relocate to the West, Alexander says. According to the report, employment grew in the West by 152 percent from 1970 through 2010, compared to only 78 percent for the rest of the country.
Alexander says in western non-metropolitan counties with 100,000 acres of protected public lands, the average per-capita income is more than $4,000 higher than in similar counties with no protected public lands.
"Higher-wage services industries are able to capitalize in part on the incredible quality of life in Utah, which is closely tied to public lands there."
When he talks to recruiters for high-tech and service-industry companies, Alexander says they say the quality of outdoor opportunities is a prime factor in attracting talent.
"People are interested in balancing career with lifestyle. As a result, the quality of life in a place - including the opportunity to participate in the outdoors and various forms of recreation, trails and parks - is tremendously important."
The report is "West is Best, How Public Lands in the West Create a Competitive Economic Advantage."
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