Educational Profile of the Mountainland Region

Cory Stahle, Regional Economist

Several of our past blog posts have highlighted the statewide education levels of Utah; however, little has been written about the educational makeup of counties and regions. The 2014 American Community Survey (ACS), released December 2015, provides data that profiles education levels by county. This article will focus primarily on the Mountainland Region and its counties.

Understanding educational attainment for an area is important for two reasons. First, it is generally acknowledged that obtaining higher education yields increased income. This increase can then improve living standards and aid in long-term economic growth. Second, education is both a product and driver of the types of jobs available. A highlight of the educational characteristics in the Mountainland Region follows.

According to the 2014 ACS, 38 percent of individuals 25 years and older held a bachelor’s degree or higher in the region. Of the four counties included, this category was the highest in Summit County at 50 percent and the lowest in Juab County at 16 percent. Utah and Wasatch counties fell near the average with 37 and 34 percent respectively. When compared in the graphic below, all counties are above national and state averages for bachelor’s and higher except Juab. Lack of employer demand for workers with advanced education is one possible explanation for the bachelor’s degree lag in Juab County.

Annual Profiles

The Workforce Research and Analysis division has updated information in the county Annual Profiles.

The information available in these Annual Profiles are separated by county and state and include:

• quick facts
• nonfarm employment
• unemployment
• major employers
• population
• demographics
• income and wages
• construction
• gross taxable sales
• county rankings

This data is updated on an annual basis, and dates can be found at the bottom of each tab. To print any of the visualizations, see the instructions here. For more information about this data, contact your regional economist.

Provo-Orem, Ogden-Clearfield areas top worst-paying list for women

Nationally, women make 77 cents for every dollar paid to a man. A 2012 report from the National Partnership for Women and Families found women in Utah fared even worse than female workers in other states across the country; Utah women are paid only 69 cents for every dollar paid to a man.
Marty Carpenter, spokesman for the Salt Lake Chamber, said the way the data were compared paints "an incomplete picture" and could say more about culture than dollars.

"Stay-at-home moms who then go back into the workforce don't compare to the men who never left the workforce and have more experience and get paid for more experience," Carpenter said. “More years in the workforce is more pay. Everyone agrees that a man and woman who can do the same job at the same skill level with the same experience should be compensated equally."

The 24/7 Wall Street website analysis compared the median earnings of men and women who worked full time, year-round in the past 12 months, focusing on those in the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas as designated by U.S. Census Bureau data. All data were from 2011, the most recent available, according to the website. It found that women in the Provo-Orem are make 62 percent of what men in the area earn, an average difference of almost $20,000 in pay. Those in Ogden-Clearfield made 65 percent of men's wages.

The review conceded that there was some additional factors to consider, and also cited a researcher from the Institute For Women’s Policy Research who said Utah has a "more traditional culture."

Carpenter said, "If they are to match that study with one on the communities with the most stay-at-home moms or women who work part time from home or work part time to be home with children, we'd be high there, too. But looking at either one of them can give a skewed perspective," Carpenter said. "It's not that the data is wrong, it's just painting an incomplete picture."

Carrie Mayne, chief economist at the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said that another component not considered by the analysis is the young age of those in the workforce in the Orem-Provo and even Ogden-Clearfield areas. Utah on the whole has a younger workforce population, she said.

"When you look at a young workforce, you see women in their childbearing years who will be exiting and entering the labor force, interrupting their labor force experience," Mayne said. "Then they've interrupted that and may have to start with a new employer or new position and rebuild their track with employers and raises."

Utah also has a high population of part-time workers and the rate of part-time work is higher among women than men, Mayne said. Also, there are differences in pay for different jobs and industries and occupation choice is a major factor in pay. What we always try to emphasize with job seekers is to be aware of differences in pay for different occupations. Be educated on what a job really pays, be realistic about what things pay. Women dominate in healthcare support occupations as well as teaching, Mayne said.

The 24/7 Wall Street analysis also looked at employment composition by sector. It found the women in Ogden-Clearfield and Orem-Provo working in personal care and service occupations experienced the largest pay gap, with women making 40 percent of what men are paid in Ogden-Clearfield and 44 percent in Orem-Provo.

Zach Bitner, a sales manager at BrainStorm Inc., a software training company in American Fork, said there are more male employees than female employees at the company but said that is reflected in the applications they receive. He, too, pointed to the impact of more women potentially choosing to stay home in Utah County. BrainStorm Inc., though, which was recognized with a 2012 Utah Work/Life Award by the Utah Department of Workforce Services, focuses on employee performance, not gender.

"I wouldn't be so naive to say it (the gender pay gap) doesn't potentially exist, but in a small organization it probably exists less than it would in a larger corporation," Bitner said. Deseret News

Ogden, Provo and Salt Lake City named top cities for career and family

An interactive map from Improvement Center rates the best cities to live in for 35 different categories. Some of the categories include: best holiday spirit, best for couples, best for women, low-stress, best for young professionals, most-caffeinated, most tax friendly and highest paying jobs.

Improvement Center lists Ogden at No. 5 in the category of highest median income.

Other Utah cities placed in the categories of best place to raise a family and best for business and careers. On the family list, Provo is third and Ogden is eighth. For best careers, Provo is first and Ogden sixth. Salt Lake City is also the fourth-best city for young professionals.

To view the map, visit ImprovementCenter.com

Deseret News

Fighting poverty and hunger in Utah County

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center’s annual Hunger Banquet, held in February, will educate university students and community members on local, national and global poverty.

According to the 2010 Census, 11.4 percent of Utah’s population lives below the poverty line. Utah County was at 12.8 percent, putting it in the top 10 most impoverished counties in the state. The continued flailing economy has only increased the percentage over the last three years to a calculated 13.5 percent in Utah County alone.

Utah has one of the highest percentages of children living in high-poverty areas in the United States. Since 2000 it has grown 80 percent in comparison to the 25 percent increase in the country. The Hunger Banquet will provide insight not only into the problem of poverty, but to the solutions available.

In the past the banquet has drawn around 200 participants, who were randomly assigned an economic status upon arrival. That status would then determine their meal experience.

The upper class would be served a four-course meal on fine linen with silverware to match the dining experience of the financial elite. The participants assigned to the middle class were served pizza and soda to mimic the diet of an average middle-income family. Those assigned the lowest class were asked to eat rice and beans on the floor. The percentage of high, middle and lower class tickets reflect the percentages of those socioeconomic classes in the United States.

The Hunger Banquet will be held Feb. 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. Tickets will be available in early February. UVU Review

Affordable Housing Industry

Photo: Courtesy Anita Crane

Prestige Senior Living Center in Heber City, Utah held a grand opening in November. Developed by the Wasatch County Housing Authority and Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, the property was constructed for residents 62 years or older with incomes between 25 and 49 percent of the AMI. The property’s 21 units come equipped with a washer and dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal and central air conditioning. There is also a community game room available for residents. The Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund granted a $380,000 low-interest construction and permanent loan through the State of Utah and Mountainlands Association of Governments helped purchase land through a $150,000 Community Development Block Grant. WNC provided $2.3 million in LIHTC equity. Journal of Tax Credits

Utah company gives power to third world cities while empowering individuals

On Monday, a Utah company was considered by 'Outside Magazine' to be one of the best places to work in America. It's a Company that has roots in Africa.

Robert Workman traveled halfway around the world to help others, and during his travels he found a multi-million dollar idea.

Workman started his business career at Provo Craft. He turned his father's business from a small retail store into an international distributor.

He got the idea when he was traveling in Africa. That is when Workman started 'Goal Zero,' a company that produces power sources charged by the sun. The company engineered solar panels and provided electricity to light up an entire village of 50 homes in Africa.

Goal Zero's message of empowering individuals earned the company the spot on Outside Magazine's annual ranking of the Best Places to Work list.

In the past three years, sales have grown exponentially for Goal Zero, and in a year the company will have outgrown their brand new facilities. KSL

Provo tops nation as best large metro area for ‘successful aging’

A new index says that the best large metro areas in the nation for "successful aging" include many of the usual suspects: New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. But at tip top of the list, unexpectedly, is Provo — the metro area with the lowest percentage of senior citizens nationally.

Also, Salt Lake City is No. 6 on the list, making Utah — home of the nation’s lowest median age because of its many children — the only state to have two metro areas in the Top 10 in rankings released Tuesday by the Milken Institute, a California-based think tank that says it helps business, philanthropy and policy leaders with ideas to create prosperity.

Provo Mayor John Curtis says that honor is a bit unusual, coming on the heels of another study that recently proclaimed Provo as the "youngest" among the nation’s larger cities. "So we mentally have a paradigm that this is a place for youth and kids. But it’s nice to have validation that we also have a great place to live for the grandparents of those kids." Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Valley University childcare center receives $1 million donation

A year and a half ago, Kellie Jeffrey was a single mom with an associate’s degree and a desire to finish her education. But she needed affordable child care for 18-month-old Philip while she took a full load of 12 credits a semester.

After looking at a number of Utah colleges, she found what she was looking for at Utah Valley University in Orem. The school’s 11-year-old Wee Care Center "sealed the deal for me," she said.

That opportunity for affordable child care will expand to many more UVU students, thanks to a $1 million gift from Barbara Barrington Jones that will substantially enlarge the Wee Care Center.

In making the announcement Wednesday, UVU President Matthew S. Holland said one of his top priorities this year is helping women finish their degrees: In Utah, women’s postsecondary participation rate lags significantly behind the national average. Salt Lake Tribune

Community leaders participate in poverty simulation

Many stories of hardship and unfortunate events, were simulated Thursday afternoon by local leaders and activists to help give them a perspective of what Utah County families are facing as they go through life. "It is really valuable to have that taste," Provo Mayor John Curtis said. "To taste it in a small way I think is important."

Curtis was joined by business leaders, county commissioners, state lawmakers and those in the community who might be in a position to help those in need in a simulation put on by Community Action Services and Food Bank. The group was divided into different families; the families faced a month's worth of ups and downs that a family near the federal poverty line and lives in Utah County might face.

They had to go to work, deal with robberies, pawn items to make the mortgage or pay the rent. They had life experiences come to pass as babies were born or grandparents moved in. They had options to go to the government for help but could face some of the challenges that come with dealing with the government. Daily Herald

Utah scores high for quality school access, economic integration

Provo has the fourth lowest levels of economic segregation in the U.S., which translates into smaller gaps in elementary school test scores between low- and high-income students, according to a study from the Brookings Institute Metropolitan Policy Program, an organization working to provide economic and demographic research on metropolitan areas.

Salt Lake and Ogden-Clearfield are also among the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas where housing costs near high-scoring schools is not much different than property near low-scoring ones, which contributes to low elementary test-score gaps, according to the study.

Housing in the Provo-Orem area is 1.4 times more expensive near high-performing schools rather than low-performing alternatives compared to the national average of 2.2 times more. That means a low-income family in Provo would have to pay $4,921 more to move closer to a high-scoring school.

This low gap has resulted in only a 14.1 percentile point spread in state-mandated test scores between low-income, which is defined as those who qualify for reduced lunch, and middle/high-income students. That’s lower than the national average of 26 percentage points between low income and high-income students.

The Provo-Orem metro area had the lowest housing-cost gap in the state, and the third lowest in the country, according to the Brookings report. Deseret News

School for autistic children getting a new building

Autism is a group of developmental disabilities that affect how children perceive the world. Autism impacts each person differently, but common symptoms include significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. Today, it is estimated that nationally one in every 77 children will be diagnosed with autism. However, in Utah the rate is one in 47 children.

With that many children in Utah needing focused instruction, Sondra Hurst (the mother of two autistic children) and her family got to work. In seven short years, they've outgrown their space.Since opening its doors, Clear Horizons Academy has more than quadrupled in size. It has a growing waiting list, leaving children unable to access the specialized services that could benefit them the most.

Brent Wood, Hurst's father and president of the Hurst-Wood Education Foundation, said they started a $6.54 million project and have been working on building a new school on family property sold to the foundation at 1875 S. Geneva Road.

"The building has unique features including classrooms that have their own observations rooms, quiet rooms, a sensory room with occupational therapists. It has a life skills room that teaches students self-care," director of development Christopher Lindsay said. "It's set up like a home, where they can even learn to make beds, set the table. It helps them acquire skills to become independent adults." Daily Herald

2011 County Population Estimates Available

The Census Bureau has recently released county-level population estimates for 2011. Of course, the operative word here is "estimates." Actual counting only occurs once every ten years.

As you can see from the visualization below, tiny Daggett County displayed the largest 2011growth rate (using the July 1 estimates), but added less than 100 individuals. The second fastest growing counties were neighbors--Summit and Wasatch counties. Despite its late entry to the economic recovery, Washington County managed the fourth-fastest population growth rate.

Six counties registered population declines--Emery. Carbon, Garfield, Piute, and Beaver. Interestingly, these counties form a little cluster of contracting population near the center of Utah.

You can access the Census Bureau's 2011 estimates by clicking here. The Utah Population Estimates Committee should also release their 2011 population figures in the near future.

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Provo-Orem, Heber in nation’s top 10 in growth

Provo-Orem, Heber City and St. George — and, to a lesser extent, Salt Lake County — were among the fastest-growing places in the nation in 2011, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. But not everywhere in Utah is booming. Estimates also showed that rural Beaver, Carbon, Emery, Garfield, Piute and Wayne counties all lost population last year. Salt Lake Tribune

The Heber City micropolitan area, for example, grew by 3.8 percent — or four times faster than the national rate. That made Heber the seventh fastest-growing such area in the nation.

Meanwhile, the Provo-Orem metropolitan area grew by 2.7 percent, or three times the national average. It also finished as the nation’s seventh fastest-growing metropolitan area.

Metro St. George landed at No. 11 out of 366 metropolitan areas nationally with 2.6 percent growth. Metro Salt Lake City was No. 40 at 1.9 percent. Logan was No. 64 at 1.7 percent. Ogden-Clearfield was No. 77 at 1.6 percent.

Women's Task force recommends ways to keep women in college

If you were to visit a college campus outside of Utah, you likely would run into more women than men. That is not the case, however, for most colleges in Utah. Across the nation close to 60 percent of college students are women, but here in Utah and especially Utah County that number is much lower, with enrollment rates of women hovering between 44 and 50 percent.

Susan Madsen, a professor of management at UVU, first noticed the trend a few years ago and is working with a team of professors, policymakers, community leaders and students to get more women to enroll in and graduate from college. Madsen is a member of the Utah Women's College Task Force, which has been researching attendance and graduation trends for the past two years.

Madsen says there are many reasons why Utah's numbers are lower than the national average. "A lot of young women in Utah don't really understand the broad value of what a higher education can do for them. They understand it is connected to getting a job, but education is important for so many other reasons."

Madsen says women with higher education are more likely to vote, donate blood and be healthier in general. She also says educated mothers prepare their children better for school and are more involved in the community. Madsen stresses that those benefits are most associated with a bachelor's degree, not just a trade certificate or associate's degree.

The task force recommendations on how to keep women in college go to Gov. Gary Herbert. A few of those recommendations include developing a social media campaign intended to create a college-going culture in Utah, creating women-focused mentoring programs and creating flexible attendance programs. While Madsen says most of the recommended initiatives will need state funding, UVU and BYU are already working to attract and keep more women in school. Daily Herald

For more on Women and Higher Education, read our Trendlines article here.

Provo women earn some of the lowest salaries in the largest U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Women in Provo have some of the lowest average salaries in the country, according to a Forbes analysis of the 2010 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. Provo women are making on average less than $37,000 a year, according to the report. Provo women are making on average less than $37,000 a year, according to the report. Deseret News

Note:
Since I am interested in women's labor force issues and don't usually look at this type of data below the statewide level, I took the opportunity to look at the actual Forbes article. Forbes  used 2010 American Community Survey data for "large" Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and focused on females working year-round and full-time. Unfortunately for comparative purposes, Forbes doesn't tell us what they considered a large MSA.

With median female earnings for year-round, full-time workers of $31,400, the Provo/Orem MSA ranks 249 out of 374 MSAs nationwide. Incidentally, the "smaller" MSAs of Logan and St. George showed lower female median earnings ($27,100 and $26,700, respectively). Other large Utah MSAs appear higher in the rankings--Salt Lake ranks 154, while the Ogden/Clearfield MSA ranks in the 200 spot.

However, keep in mind that areas with low female earnings might also have low earnings for both genders. In other words, an MSA's low female earnings may be reflected in low male earnings as well. Cost of living, age of the labor force, industrial mix, etc. affects wages generally. . .not just for women. In my mind, the true question perhaps should be: How do men and women's earnings compare in Utah's most populous communities?

In 2010, U.S. median earnings for women working year-round, full-time measured 78.6 percent of the comparable male figure. (This wage gap has contracted decidedly in recent decades.) How do Utah's MSAs stack up? Honestly, not so great. The Ogden/Clearfield MSA shows a female/male wage ratio of 63 percent, the Provo/Orem MSA shows 65 percent ratio. Logan's ratio measures 70 percent, and St. George's figure is 71 percent. Even in Utah's best MSA performer--Salt Lake City--the female median wage measures only 74 percent of the male median wage. More than 70 percent of the nation's MSAs show female/male wage ratios better than Salt Lake City.

What's up? Why the low female-to-male wage rations in Utah? Undoubtedly many factors come into play. However, one major influence on the large difference in wages seems to come to the forefront. I call it the "education gap" and it is a primary factor behind Utah's larger-than-average wage gap. Statistically, there is a well-know relationship behind one's earnings and one's education. In general, the higher a person's level of education, the higher their earnings.

What's the education gap? By my reckoning, it is simply the percentage point difference between the share of the male population (over 25) with at least a Bachelor's degree and the share of the female population (over 25) with at least a Bachelor's degree. Nationally, there is a six-tenths of a point difference in the share of men and women with at least a Bachelor's degree (28.5 percent and 27.9 percent, respectively). In other words, in the U.S. there is currently very little difference between the share of men and women with a four-year degree or better.

The three MSAs with the largest male/female education gap in the nation? Number 1--Provo/Orem, Utah (11.3 percentage points). Neck and Neck for the number 2 spot--St. George, Utah (9.8 percentage points) and Ogden/Clearfield, UT (9.8 percentage points). Logan's performance is somewhat better--"only" a 4.2 point difference. The Salt Lake MSA managed the smallest Utah education gap--still large at 2.5 percentage points. Every single Utah MSA ranked among the 20 percent of MSAs with the largest education gaps.

Keep in mind that in 40 percent of the nation's Metropolitan Statistical Areas, a higher percentage of women have obtained a Bachelor's degree than have men. If Utah's women are falling far behind men in educational attainment, it should come as no surprise that they are falling far behind men in earnings.

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Utah schools grow but increase is less than projected

Statewide, enrollment in districts and charter schools grew by nearly 2 percent or 11,500 students this year over last, coming in below projected estimates that enrollment could increase by more than 14,700 students. According to the new numbers, 587,745 students now fill Utah’s public school classrooms.

Of all the districts in the state, Alpine saw the biggest enrollment leap. Much of the increase in Alpine is a result of growth in a number of its communities, including Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain and Lehi. Over the past 10 years, Alpine has built 19 new schools, and plans to build another six in coming years, thanks to a $210 million bond voters approved last month. Alpine now has 79 schools.

The Davis district grew by 1,665 students this school year. And Jordan, Washington, Provo, and Nebo districts saw significant increases as well, among others. But charter schools, as a group, experienced the largest growth. Enrollment at Utah’s 78 charter schools swelled to 44,892 students, an increase of 4,760 bodies, meaning about 7.6 percent of all public school students now attend charter schools, up from about 7 percent last year. Charter schools are independently run public schools. Salt Lake Tribune

Most of Utah's Metropolitan Statistical Areas experience GDP growth in 2010

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis just released annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) today. Remember that GDP represents the value of all goods and services produced in an area. Real (inflation-adjusted) U.S. GDP for metropolitan area increased an average 2.5 percent in 2010 after declining 2.5 percent in 2009. Growth proved widespread with real  GDP increasing in 304 of 366 (83 percent) metropolitan areas, led by national growth in durable-goods manufacturing, trade, and financial activities.

In Utah, growth also dominated the figures with only the St. George, UT MSA displaying an annual decline in real GDP (down 1.6 percent). In general, GDP growth in Utah's MSAs registered below average. The Logan UT, MSA showed the most rapid expansion (4.0 percent).

For more information about the 2010 GDP figures for MSAs, click here.