SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Chamber, in partnership with the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, has released the March 2026 Roadmap to Prosperity Economic Dashboard to inform business leaders’ understanding of Utah’s economy. This tool prioritizes key data on the state’s economic outlook and actionable context for decision-makers.
“The March dashboard reflects a national economy facing real pressure, with job growth slowing, inflation climbing and labor force participation declining to its lowest level since the pandemic,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Utah Chamber. “Utah continues to outperform the nation, but the Chamber is watching these indicators closely. And we will continue to focus on the long-term priorities that keep Utah resilient through periods of national uncertainty.”
Three essential insights from the March 2026 Roadmap to Prosperity Dashboard include:
- Employment growth weakens. While Utah job growth (0.6%) slightly exceeded U.S. job growth (0.2%) over the previous 12 months, these rates remain below historical averages.
- U.S. headline inflation sees a sharp increase and exceeds 2025 levels. The conflict with Iran and geopolitical tensions drive up energy prices, a core component of the Consumer Price Index.
- U.S. jobs increase and the unemployment rate decreases in March but labor force participation drops. U.S. labor force participation decreased to 61.9% in March — the lowest since the pandemic — and Utah’s labor force participation declined to 67.5%. This downward trend likely reflects an aging population and reduced immigration.
The Dashboard is updated monthly, providing essential insights, tracking timely and leading measures and sharing pertinent indicators. This provides leaders with critical and timely information to make informed decisions.
“The U.S. and Utah economies face mounting challenges,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. “Tariff uncertainty, above-target inflation, relatively high oil prices, and a subdued labor market point to a growth slowdown in the near term.”
To view the dashboard, click here.
About the Utah Chamber
The Utah Chamber is a statewide chamber of commerce, representing the diverse voices of the state’s 80,000-plus employers and employees. The Chamber unites the voices of Utah businesses, local chambers and industry associations to build a stronger business environment, increase healthy job creation and support prosperous communities across the state.
About the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute serves Utah by preparing economic, demographic, and public policy research that helps the state prosper. We are Utah’s demographic experts, leaders in the Utah economy, and specialists in public policy and survey research. We are an honest broker of INFORMED RESEARCH, which guides INFORMED DISCUSSIONS and leads to INFORMED DECISIONS™. For more information, please visit gardner.utah.edu or call 801-587-3717.