U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Recognizes Utah as a Leader in its Enterprising States Project

Utah the best performing state overall for the past two years

February 4, 2015
Enterprising Statesstudy

Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF), the Salt Lake Chamber, and Gov. Gary R. Herbert came together to celebrate Utah as the best performing state overall for the past two years in the USCCF’s national Enterprising States study, and to release a state-specific report outlining Utah’s leadership in driving economic growth. The Utah: Collaboration as the Foundation for Growth report offers an in-depth review of the policies being implemented to address economic performance and job growth in the state.

“Utah is proof that if you pursue the right policies, take a balanced approach, and commit to working collaboratively, you can get great results,” said John R. McKernan Jr., president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and former governor of Maine. “Utah is on the right track in ushering in a new era of prosperity, and there is much for other states to learn from Utah’s success.”

In Enterprising States 2014 Utah was the only state that ranked in the top 10 in all six major categories, including economic performance, exports, technology and entrepreneurship, business climate, talent pipeline, and infrastructure. Utah: Collaboration as the Foundation for Growth delves further into Utah’s success in building economic opportunity and outlines the state’s strength in the areas of job growth for high-tech and middle-skill jobs. The report shows that Utah saw 20.9 percent growth in middle-skill jobs between 2001 and 2014, nearly 11 times the national average and second only to North Dakota. Moreover, the state saw a 77 percent increase in high-tech job growth between 2004 and 2014.

“In Utah, we respect the power of the free market and we work to empower the private sector,” Gov. Gary R. Herbert said. “The recognition of Utah as the best overall economic performing state the past two consecutive years is further evidence that what we are doing is paying off and solidifying our position as an economic leader.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness and educating the public on how the free enterprise system improves society and the economy.

The report highlights Utah as a top state in numerous areas, including:

Top five in all three job growth measures – Long-term; Short-term; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

#3 in Gross State Product Growth
#3 in Growth in share of national exports
#3 in Higher-ed degree output
#4 in Export intensity and growth
#4 in New start up rate
#5 in Bridge quality
#6 in Labor force utilization
#7 in High-tech share of all businesses
#7 in Small business lending
#7 in High School Advanced Placement scores
#8 in Productivity growth
#8 in Legal environment
#8 in Cost of living
#8 in College affordability
#9 in Business tax climate
#10 Academic R&D intensity
#10 U.S. Business policy index

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Recognizes Utah as a Leader in its Enterprising States Project