As part of our ongoing series “The Age of Work” about how demographic shifts — specifically the aging U.S. labor force — are shaking up the global economy, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal and ADP chief economist Nela Richardson visited Utah County, which is one of the youngest in America.
Yesterday, we explored Utah’s entrepreneurship culture at a startup incubator. Today, we’re looking at the relationship between established employers and Utah County’s labor force.
One reason for Utah County’s low median age (25.5 compared to almost 39 nationally), is the number of college students in the area. Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, with about 80,000 students between them, are both located within the county. Plus, the University of Utah and several community and technical colleges are all within commuting distance of Utah County employers.
Julia Anas, chief people officer at Qualtrics, a home-grown Utah County technology company with dual headquarters in Provo, Utah, and Seattle, Washington, said the company recruits heavily from the local universities. “But there are folks we've also relocated here to experience Utah, its beauty and obviously the opportunities it can create for families.”
Over the past 10-15 years, northern Utah’s tech industry has exploded. An analysis from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah found that in 2018, Utah’s tech industry supported one in seven jobs in the state and one-sixth of worker earnings.
Some of those jobs are from local startups, like Qualtrics. But much of that growth is from well-established companies, including Adobe, Oracle, and Microsoft, opening offices in Utah County.
“Utah has made its place on the map,” said Anas. She relocated to Utah from California several years ago for her job at Qualtrics. “I think it's really attractive for those who have younger families.”
Another industry that’s found a home in Utah County is contact centers, sometimes called “call centers.” These are companies that allow other companies to outsource their customer relations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Customer Service Representative is the most common job in Utah County.
“There are a couple of reasons why Utah is a good place for a contact center,” said Ryan Brady, the operations director of the Utah office of Foundever, a global contact center company headquartered in Luxembourg. “We have had a lot of success with the particular demographic, or the group of people that's here.”
Ryssdal and Richardson spoke with Brady about what makes Utah County uniquely suited to the industry.
Use the audio player above to hear more.
