WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Jobs Summit held Wedesday, Gov. Gary R. Herbert touted Utah’s latest rankings in a steady stream of notable economic accolades. In the Chamber’s annual Enterprising States report, Utah earned the most top 10 rankings and tied with Texas for the most top 25 rankings.
“What’s Utah doing? It’s simple: We focus on job growth as a top priority, keeping taxes low, maintaining a stable regulatory environment and affordable, sustainable energy resources,” Herbert said. “We are a state that is friendly to businesses, and that means we are a state friendly to employers,” said Governor Herbert. “With tech-savvy, industrious, educated and multi-lingual residents, we also have the best people for business, and that attracts companies from around the world.”
The updated edition of Enterprising States, released at the Jobs Summit, is a report that takes a comprehensive look at how states position themselves for economic growth and future investment.
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)
# 2 for the Top 10 Future Boom States
# 2 in Business Birth Rate
# 2 in Export Growth (rate of 37 percent, compared to the national 16 percent)
# 3 in Higher Education Efficiency
# 10 in Higher Education Degree Output
# 6 in Tax Environment for Mature Firms
# 10 in Tax Environment for New Firms