Employment

Optimizing opportunity in Utah's job market through increased wages, union protection, and growth that keeps pace.

The courage of "&" in getting the job done

Utah’s economy is strong by traditional metrics, but the benefits are increasingly concentrated, leaving many working Utahns employed yet financially strained. Too many Utahns today are working harder just to stay in place. Even in a strong job market, workers struggle when wage growth stalls, career ladders narrow, and the gains of economic growth flow disproportionately to the top. Strengthening upward mobility involves ensuring that work leads to advancement and not just employment. Wages have not kept pace with the rising cost of living and inflation, even as productivity and prices grow, and younger generations face more competitive labor markets with slower wage growth than expected for their stage of life. The courage of "&" means raising wages without undermining job creation, supporting workers’ bargaining power without pitting labor against employers, and ensuring that economic growth benefits both workers and businesses.

Financial security

While inflation has increased 50% since 2009, the federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25, eroding its purchasing power relative to inflation and contributing to wage stagnation for many workers. Across extended periods, broad wage growth for the typical worker has been weak, leaving many unable to gain ground despite rising living expenses. When wages do not keep up with inflation, workers’ real earnings shrink even as productivity grows, putting downward pressure on household budgets and increasing reliance on debt or public support. Raising the minimum wage and aligning it with actual cost-of-living dynamics can put more money in workers’ pockets and reduce economic insecurity for those who need it most. 

Human dignity

Work is about more than income; it’s about respect, autonomy, and a fair return for contribution. When employers face weak competition and workers lack meaningful bargaining power, wage inequality grows, and fewer workers share in the benefits of economic productivity. Union membership has historically been associated with higher median earnings and stronger worker protections, helping reduce income inequality and giving workers a voice in shaping their workplaces. Strengthening collective bargaining supports human dignity by enabling workers to negotiate for safe conditions, fair compensation, and respect on the job, essential elements of a just labor market.

Real solutions

• Raise minimum wages to reflect actual inflation and living costs: Adjust the minimum wage so that it keeps pace with inflation and regional cost-of-living increases, helping workers maintain purchasing power and reducing financial instability for low-wage families and individuals. While moderate, well-designed minimum wage increases may lead to small, localized price adjustments, evidence shows they are not a significant driver of overall inflation, especially when paired with gradual implementation and inflation indexing.
  

• Support workers’ right to organize and bargain collectively: Protect and strengthen laws that support unionization and collective bargaining, which are linked to higher wages, better benefits, and reduced inequality.
  

• Expand access to affordable childcare: Provide cost-saving, reliable childcare so parents can participate fully in the workforce without sacrificing financial stability and career advancement. Affordable childcare is essential to a functioning labor market. When childcare costs rival or exceed rent or mortgage payments, parents are pushed out of the workforce or forced into reduced hours, limiting household income and long-term career growth. Utah’s high childcare costs effectively function as a work penalty, particularly for young families, women, and single parents, even in a strong job market. Expanding access to affordable childcare strengthens workforce participation, supports employers facing labor shortages, and allows parents to work, advance, and contribute fully to Utah’s economy.
  

• Expand job growth opportunities for younger generations: Invest in apprenticeship programs, career pathways, and partnerships between employers and educational institutions to help younger Utahns access good jobs and build skills that keep them competitive in a changing economy.
  

• Expand returnships and re-entry pathways: Support paid returnship programs that help workers re-enter the workforce after caregiving, military service, illness, or other career breaks, giving Utah employers access to experienced talent while restoring earning power and career momentum for workers.
  

• Strengthen pathways to upward mobility: Invest in training, advancement pathways, and job transitions that allow workers, especially younger Utahns, to move into higher-wage roles over time. A strong economy only delivers shared prosperity when people can progress and not just participate.