In accordance with 63C-10-103 (1)(g)(i)
Overview of the Rural Economy in the State In his 2017 State of the State address, Gov. Herbert announced the 25K Rural Jobs Initiative. This goal was introduced to create 25,000 new jobs in rural Utah before 2020. Rural Utah is defined as all Utah counties outside Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties. The definition of rural Utah includes a total of 25 of Utah’s 29 counties. The baseline period of 2016 was used in determining total job creation and growth within these counties. Before the pandemic, Utah’s economy was hitting on all cylinders with an historically low unemployment rate. The state led the nation with the best job growth as all ten measured industry sectors experienced employment gains. Since the start of the 25K Rural Jobs Initiative, rural Utah has gained 29,156 new jobs, or approximately 117% of the goal. Last year at the Utah Rural Summit, the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), along with the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, and Economic Development Corporation of Utah, announced a Rural Jobs Network to help promote hard-tofill jobs along the Wasatch Front and to advocate moving jobs to the rural areas. One emerging strategy is telecommuting/ remote work. Only one county, Daggett, lost jobs from 2017 to 2019. A major impact on the county’s revenue and employment was the 2017 closure of the jail, which resulted in this job loss. Six counties account for approximately 79% of this increase: Box Elder, Cache, Iron, Summit, Wasatch and Washington counties. Washington County alone accounts for 42% of this increase. Given that Washington County is the largest county economy within the 25-county rural designation, one would expect Washington County to add the most new jobs. Much changed in the four years since Gov. Herbert’s challenge, including advancement in technology, broadband, and an unprecedented pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic became the impetus to flex into a new era of online commerce, education and telehealth. The oil and mining industries in Utah have experienced significant peaks and valleys. There are increased global opportunities for this economy with the expansion of the railroad. Several of the rural counties have tossed their hat in the ring vying at strategic inland port prospects. The Utah Coal Country Strike Team serves Carbon and Emery counties’ coal communities by raising incomes and diversifying the economy. The Strike Team includes a multi-disciplinary team of experts who, with the support of the Utah Legislature and national funder Schmidt Futures, assist with public policies and invest in workforce training, tourism infrastructure, housing revitalization and economic development incentives. For more information, visit coalcountrystriketeam.com. Before the pandemic, and even more so since, the advent of remote work provides unprecedented prospects for rural residents and those living and working on the Wasatch Front who would like to become rural residents. The state’s great broadband and Utah State University’s Rural Online Initiative training opens this door widely. Silicon Slopes chapters were initiated statewide among mainly rural counties to promote tech diversification, remote working and bolsters the entrepreneurial spirit. Another result of the state’s response to the pandemic is the Learn & Work program. The program includes a wide range of programs offered to the rural workforce through these short term certificate programs. For example, SUU has 11 that will impact 435 individuals in rural Utah (see: suu.edu/learnandwork). Snow, Dixie, USU and others will have similar programs that have a real impact on rural communities. Some of the certificates are also for the support of remote working or online education/instruction. The Utah Main Street Pilot Project, funded through the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Utah Office of Tourism, Utah Department of Heritage & Arts, Utah Department of Transportation, USDA’s RBD grant, and supported by multiple partners, has been launched in Price and Brigham City. This project encourages economic growth, creates a positive community image, attracts new business, creates new jobs, and preserves historic resources. With support from the state Legislature, we hope to continue this program with many rural communities in Utah.
Overview of the Rural Economy in the State 2020 Governor’s Rural Partnership Board Annual Report
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