IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS THIS
MORNING, THE DOW DOWN 150 THE
AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE
COUNSEL RELEASING RICH
STATES-POOR STATES REPORT 14th
YEAR IN A ROW UTAH REIGNS
SUPREME BEST ECONOMIC OUTLOOK,
RANKS ON ECONOMIC XEVENZ UTAH
GOVERNOR SPENCER COX JOINS ME
TO TALK ABOUT THAT
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU NICE
STANDING ONCE AGAIN IN THIS
REPORT.
TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS
PERFORMANCE FOR UTAH?
>> GOOD MORNING MARIA GREET TO
BE WITH YOU YES 14 YEARS IN A
ROW QUITE A RUN BUT THERE ARE
SEVERAL THINGS THAT I THINK,
MAKES UTAH STAND OUT WE HAVE
THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
IN THE NATION WE WERE 2.7%
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE’RE
2.9% NOW SO WE HAVE DONE VERY
WELL, WE HAVE THE MOST DIVERSE
ECONOMY IN THE NATION THERE IS
SOMETHING ELSE THAT STANDS OUT
THAT IS AS WE LEAD NATION IN
UPWARD MOBILITY MEANS IF YOU
ARE BORN IN POVERTY DOESN’T
MEAN YOU HAVE TO STAY IN
POVERTY WE HAVE THIS CULTURE
OF LIFTING PEOPLE HELPING THEM
ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM,
AND THAT IS WHAT WE NEED MORE
OF IN OUR COUNTRY.
MARIA: I LOVE THAT YOU ARE
SAYING THAT, PARTICULARLY AT
THIS MOMENT IN THIS TIME,
WHERE YOU’VE GOT ALL THIS
MONEY BEING THROWN AT THE
ECONOMY, UTAH IS PART OF A
GROWING LIST OF STATES ENDING
PARTICIPATION IN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ENHANCED PANDEMIC
UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM, THE EXTRADITION 300
DOLLARS FEDERAL BENEFITS END
IN UTAH LATE JUNE, CALLING
28,000 UTAH RESIDENTS
RECEIVING BENEFIT DESPITE MORE
THAN 50,000 JOB OPTIONS IN
STATE ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENT
WORKFORCE SERVICES, TELL ME
WHAT IS BEHIND THIS YOU SAY WE
DON’T WANT $300, DO YOU THINK
IT ACTED AS IMPEDIMENT FOR
PEOPLE GOING BACK TO WORK.
>> IT IS MORE THAN JUST YOU
300 DOLLARS, OF COURSE, THE
UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSIONS,
GREATER, PEOPLE IN UTAH
BENEFITS ENDING IN A MONTH AND
A HALF A HUGE LABOR SHORTAGE
IN THE STATE RIGHT NOW
DEPENDING ON WHAT METRIC YOU
USE THREE TO FIVE JOBS
AVAILABLE FOR EVERY PERSON WHO
WILL BE ENDING THOSE
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, AT THE
END OF JUNE.
SO, THIS MARKET IS READY, THE
PURPOSE OF THOSE BENEFITS,
WITH HELP US GET THROUGH
PANDEMIC UNTIL OUR ECONOMIES
CAN RECOVER UTAH IS HALF THE
NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT, SO WE ARE READY
WE HAVE GREAT JOBS AVAILABLE,
AND MORE THAN THAT, THERE HAS
NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO
UPGRADE YOUR JOB ARE, THERE
ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES
RIGHT NOW TO HELP PEOPLE GET
UP SKILLED MORE TRAINING MORE
EDUCATION, SO THEY CAN GET A
JOB THAT PAYS EVEN BETTER.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO ACHIEVE THE
AMERICAN DREAM, WE ARE GOING
TO HELP THEM DO THAT.
MARIA: SO, GIVE US A STATUS
CHECK ON WHERE UTAH IS WITH
REGARD TO COVID.
YOU REMEDIATE ANNOUNCED UTAH
WILL NOT REQUIRE MASKS FOR
STUDENTS DURING THE LAST WEEK
OF SCHOOL.
WHAT IS THE LATEST IN TERMS OF
YOUR COVID SITUATION IN UTAH?
>> YEAH, SO OUR CASE NUMBERS
CONTINUING TO DOWN OUR
VACCINATION NUMBERS CONTINUING
TO HOSPITALIZATIONS DEATH
RATES GOING DOWN IN BEST SHAPE
SINCE MAY OF LAST YEAR, AND
THAT IS LED US -- WE WILL NOT
HAVE RESTRICTIONS AT ALL, LEFT
THE IN UTAH IT IS UP TO
EVERYONE IF I HAVEN’T BEEN
ABLE TO BE VACCINATED TO MAKE
SURE, AND KEEP YOURSELF SAFE
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE BEST
ECONOMY IN THE COUNTRY, NOT
ONLY WERE WE ABLE TO KEEP KIDS
IN SCHOOL THROUGHOUT THIS
ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT WE
ALSO HAVE THE FIFTH OR SIXTH
LOWEST MORTALITY RATE IN
COUNTRY UTAH WEDNESDAY COVID
AS WELL AS ANY OTHER STATE WE
ARE POISED TO REBOUND IN A WAY
THAT IS VERY EXCITING FOR
PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE.
>> TERRIFIC, GOVERNOR GREAT
ECONOMIC STORY WE KEEP
WATCHING IT SO APPRECIATE YOUR