Utah taxable sales continue to modestly outpace inflation, according to the October 2025 Roadmap to Prosperity Economic Dashboard, released by the Salt Lake Chamber, in partnership with the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
Over the 12 months ending in August, taxable sales grew 3.6 percent year-over-year, compared with roughly 3 percent inflation. This indicates moderate real growth despite ongoing uncertainty, dashboard researchers concluded.
The chamber’s dashboard is designed to increase business leaders’ understanding of Utah’s economy. This tool prioritizes key data on the state’s economic outlook and actionable context for decision-makers.
“The federal shutdown may cloud the national economic picture, but we can still see that Utah’s fundamentals remain strong,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “While consumer sentiment declined in October, steady taxable sales indicate that businesses are weathering uncertainty well, continuing to spend and invest in our local economy.”
Another conclusion from the October dashboard was that the federal government shutdown limited economic visibility. Federal statistical agencies suspended data releases due to a lapse in appropriations. This led to substantial gaps in the broad economic picture, particularly regarding the labor market.
The report also spotlighted that Utah’s consumer sentiment dipped more than 8 percent in October. But despite the sizable drop in Utah sentiment, national consumer sentiment fell just 2.7 percent the same month. U.S. consumer sentiment fell 24 percent year-over-year, while Utah consumer sentiment fell just 9 percent.
“Despite a recent dip in consumer sentiment, Utah’s economy continues to show moderate real growth as taxable sales modestly outpace inflation,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Gardner Institute. “However, the federal government shutdown limited economic visibility by suspending critical data releases. With the return to work of federal workers, the economic picture will become more clear.”
The Roadmap to Prosperity Economic Dashboard can be accessed at https://slchamber.com/resources/roadmap-dashboardhttps://slchamber.com/resources/roadmap-dashboard.