Utah Governor Gary Herbert says his office is exceeding expectations at the half-way point of a goal to create 100 thousand jobs in one thousand days.
Speaking at a high tech manufacturing plant that chose to expand in Utah last year, Governor Herbert announced that the private sector has created 63,600 jobs since he announced the goal during his 2012 state of the state speech. Herbert says when companies choose to expand in Utah it often creates a ripple effect that leads to even more job creation.
“So I’m very optimistic that we’ll not only reach our goal but our unemployment rate can drop from 4.6% down to, I think, 4% over the next year I hope that we get down, maybe, below 4%,” he says.
Herbert says the secret to Utah’s success is low taxes, minimal regulation, and an educated workforce. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development has also recently announced several other projects that will help job growth in the state, including offering tax incentives to a company that will build an oil refinery in Emery County.