The Salt Lake Chamber has updated its May Roadmap to Prosperity Dashboard. Produced in partnership with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, is aimed at giving business leaders an understanding of how economic data impacts on Utah’s business community by prioritizing key data on the state’s economic outlook and actionable context for decision-makers, the chamber said.
The dashboard can be accessed at https://slchamber.com/resources/roadmap-dashboard/. The dashboard is updated monthly.
“Inflation remains higher than desired and continues to influence consumers’ buying decisions and ripples throughout the economy,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “After the debt ceiling compromise, markets have reacted positively with optimism that the economy is strengthening. As we enter a stabilization phase, we must continue to tackle challenges associated with growth, such as housing and transportation. Utah is one of the strongest economies in the country, and we plan to keep it that way.”
Three essential insights from the May Roadmap to Prosperity Dashboard are:
1. Employment growth slows slightly, but the labor market remains strong. Job growth now nears pre-pandemic levels after a post-pandemic spike. Sustained job growth, low unemployment levels and increasing labor force participation rates indicate a tight labor market.
2. After notable declines, Utah’s median home sales price ticks upward. Utah’s median home sales price peaked in May 2022 then fell 15 percent by January 2023. The median sales price has since increased two consecutive months but remains 10 percent below the peak.
3. Inflation falls further, contributing to 10 consecutive months of decreases. Although still higher than the target range, inflation continues showing signs of moderating in response to the Fed’s aggressive rate hikes. Current levels are nearly half of last June 2022’s 9.1 percent peak.
“Utah’s economy continues to outperform relative to the nation, despite speculation of either a hard or soft landing following recent federal interest rate hikes,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. “With the debt ceiling lifted and a short-term pause in rate increases likely, policymakers and businesses can now focus on building up strength in state and regional economies.”