Trendlines: Perspectives on Utah's Economy, Nov/Dec 2009

November/December 2009

Perspectives on Utah’s Economy

healthcare
in utah

Health Spending—an
Ever Larger Slice of the Pie
Economic News pg. 8

Healthcare Jobs with the
Best Employment Outlook
Economic Insight pg. 10

Department of Workforce Services

Trendlines

Trendlines
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is published every other month by the
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Division. To read, download, or print
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Mark Knold
Department of Workforce Services John Mathews
Attn: WDID John Krantz
140 East 300 South Jim Robson
Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Lecia Langston
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Email: wipublications@utah.gov Coordination
Connie Blaine

The Workforce Development and
Designer
Information Division generates accurate,
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timely, and understandable data and
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support sound planning and
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jobs.utah.gov

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2 November/December 2009

Perspectives on Utah’s Economy
November/December 2009

contents
We're Getting Close
5 Wasatch Front and Statewide
re
healthcautah
in
Using Local Employment Dynamics
Data to Better Understand the
6
Health Spending—an
Ever Larger Slice of the Pie

Healthcare Industry
Economic News pg. 8

Healthcare Jobs with the
Best Employment Outlook
Economic Insight pg. 10

The Outlook

Health Spending—an Ever Larger
8 Slice of the Pie
Department of Workforce Services

Economic News

Which Healthcare Occupations Have
10 the Best Employment Outlook?
Economic Insight
Healthcare Is the Recession Easing Up?
12
in Utah National News

What is Healthcare? The Industry
14 What's Happening

pg. 6 There's a New Education & Career
17 Planning System in Town: UtahFutures.org
Insider News

Pharmacist: On Duty
18 Occupations

Utah Health Exchange
20 Our Guest

Iron County
21 County Highlight

Netting a Job on the Internet
22 DWS News

pg. 24
Hospital Wages: A Rural/Urban
24 Comparison
The Outskirts

Just the Facts...
27 Rate Update

jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 3

wasatch front and statewide | by mark knold, chief economist


We're Getting Close
It will be a while before the nation’s (and Utah’s)
production capacity and labor force are pushed back
to a level where additional workers, en masse, are
needed to raise the nation’s output.

A Did You Know...
lthough employment numbers Still, job gains in a recession-busting
are still falling, there are indica- quantity are also not just around
tions arising to suggest that the the corner. IHC Global Insights, a
Utah employment slide is close to find- Massachusetts-based economic think
• Construction crews began
ing its bottom. One factor is that num- tank and consulting firm, estimates
heavy work to build the six-
bers cannot move down at an acceler- that the United States is only using 65
mile light-rail track that will
ating rate indefinitely. They eventually percent of its production capacity. If
connect downtown to the Salt
reach a point where a downward run so, that is an historic low in the post
Lake City International Airport.
loses its negative momentum. Some- World War II environment. That means
http://www.deseretnews.com/
times the momentum breaker is an there is plenty of room for the nation
article/705327416/Work-begins-
improvement in the economy itself, as to kick its production into a higher
on-airport-TRAX-line.html
job hiring picks up. Other times, as is gear without a corresponding need to
probably the current case, the improve- kick up its number of new workers.
ment comes with time and simple • Utah is using state money
mathematics. There is much evidence that the nation’s and federal stimulus funds to
existing workforce is not utilized to its leverage long-term research
The year-over percentage of job growth full potential. Extensive furloughs and projects with a commercial
(or loss) is calculated by comparing full-time workers working less than full- potential. http://www.sltrib.
the most recent employment number time hours suggest the economy needs com/news/ci_13286420
to that of one year ago. As we move to fully use those who are currently
forward in time, the year-prior employed more than it needs to add • University of Utah researchers
reference date will begin to capture more workers to the nation’s payrolls. have secured more than $7
the steep employment losses of the million in federal money
recession. Consequently, while Utah is This is also true for the Utah economy. to explore ways to make
still experiencing job losses, those job It will be a while before the nation’s geothermal wells more
losses will be fewer in comparison to (and Utah’s) production capacity and productive. http://www.sltrib.
those experienced during the height labor force are pushed back to a level com/business/ci_13293581
of the recession. Therefore, the rate where additional workers, en masse,
of employment decline will begin to are needed to raise the nation’s
moderate. output.


the outlook | by lecia parks langston, economist

Using Local Employment Dynamics Data to
Better Understand the Healthcare Industry
A
s a data geek, I love to wax rhapsodic about Local share of teenagers working in the healthcare/social services
Employment Dynamics (LED) data. This melding of sector. However, perhaps the most striking characteristic of
statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau provides industry- the data occurs in the gender breakdown. Statewide, men
level demographic information never before available for account for 54 percent of total employment. However, in
data-geek consumption. This LED data reveals important the healthcare/social services industries, men account for a
insights about Utah’s recession-resistant healthcare/social minor 28 percent share. Yes, women heavily dominate this
services industry. industry’s employment.

Before we get started, let’s talk about the inevitable
“caveats.” Typically, Department of Workforce Services
Wage Gap
healthcare/social service data includes only privately-owned In addition, the difference between male and female wages
establishments. However, for the purposes of this article, is huge. For men, the average monthly wage measures
we’ll be looking at the characteristics of all healthcare/ almost $5,300. Women post an average monthly wage of
social services industry jobs—both private and public. just more than $2,400. In other words, on average women
Except. . .federal data is excluded. The Census Bureau has make 45 percent of men’s wages in the healthcare/social
yet to obtain the pertinent information it needs from the services industry. The comparable statewide figure measures
federal government (go figure). Employment numbers are 56 percent. Part of the difference in wages may be due to the
2008 averages. Other figures represent the most recent four fact that women typically work fewer hours than do men.
quarters ending with the third quarter of 2008. All figures However, most of the gap undoubtedly reflects the clustering
represent the most current data available. of women in lower-paid occupations and the clustering of
men in higher-paid occupations. In general, healthcare/
War of the Sexes social services workers make slightly less than workers in all
industries combined.
The age distribution of the healthcare/social services industry
tracks very closely with the overall age structure in the labor To learn more about the healthcare/social services industry:
market. The main difference appears in the slightly smaller http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/datatools/qwiapp.html

72%

Utah Healthcare/Social Services
Industry Characteristics 2008
54%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Local Employment Dynamics.

46% All Industries
Healthcare/Social Services

28% 27% 28%
GENDER

Percent of Industry Total

20% 19%
16%
AGE

11% 12%
5% 3%
2%

Female Male
14-18

19-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65-99


• Workers in
ambulatory
healthcare
services (doctors/
dentists offices, clinics,
etc.) show the highest
average wages, while
hospitals display the
highest new-hire
wages.

• Ambulatory
healthcare services
Utah Healthcare/Social Services created the most
Industry Employment new jobs and
generated the most
Four-Quarter Average ending Third Quarter 2008 new 2008 hires of
any healthcare/social
services subsector. This
subsector also showed
Nursing/Residential Ambulatory Healthcare the largest total
Care Facilities employment.
Social Assistance Hospitals

• Nursing/
Total residential care
Employment
facilities showed
the highest
turnover rate while
Average hospitals showed the
Quarter New Average Average Average lowest turnover.
Hires Monthly New Hire
Quarter Job Earnings
Creation Earnings
15,549

3,101

899

$3,760

$2,127

$2,096
1,222

$1,529
$1,276
46,997
35,473
20,651

5,904
2,398
5,145

$2,071
2,155
452

$3,484

$2,269

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Local Employment Dynamics.


economic news | by jim robson, economist

Health Spending—
an Ever Larger Slice
of the Pie

I
ndividually and collectively by New treatments also increase costs Another important source of medi-
businesses and government, an as they are rapidly adopted by an cal spending growth is the aging of
ever-increasing proportion of expanding number of patients. Of the population. As one ages, the de-
our total consumption goes toward course, some technological advances mand for medical intervention in-
healthcare. The most widely used do reduce spending, but overall, creases. With the post World War II
measure for the total dollar value of medical technology and clinical baby boom generation moving into
all goods and services produced in practices have overwhelmingly in- their senior years, the demand for
the U.S. economy is Gross Domestic creased costs. medical treatments and services will
Product (GDP). In 1960 healthcare increase significantly.
accounted for 5.2 percent of GDP. Over time, as our wealth increases,
The proportion of national produc- people naturally allocate more of Another way to look at the increase
tion going to healthcare has steadily their spending to healthcare. The in healthcare spending is to compare
increased over almost 50 years to demand for medical care tends to overall consumer price inflation to
reach an estimated 16.6 percent of rise as real (inflation adjusted) fam- medical price inflation (as measured
GDP in 2008. ily income increases. This result by the consumer price index). From
manifests itself in the increased use 1960 to 2008, medical inflation has
Analysts who have studied the un- of insurance coverage in recent de- been 2.24 times the overall increase
derlying causes of this dramatic cades and the greater demand by in consumer prices.
growth in healthcare spending in consumers for healthcare goods and
recent decades cite the following services to improve the quality and It is interesting to note that the
reasons: New medical technologies longevity of their lives. United States is the only modern
and services are constantly emerg- industrialized country that does not
ing and becoming widely used. The With the growth of insurance cover- provide some kind of healthcare
major advances in medical science age, as evidenced by a substantial re- coverage for all its citizens. Yet in
allow practitioners to diagnose and duction in out-of-pocket healthcare 2007, out of the 30 most industrial-
treat illnesses in ways that were not spending, more medical services are ized countries, the U.S. spent 16 per-
previously possible. Many health- used than would otherwise be de- cent of its GDP on healthcare, while
care innovations require costly manded if the costs were more di- no other country spent more than
new drugs, equipment and skills. rectly borne by the consumer. 11 percent.


U.S. Health Spending
as a share of Gross Domestic Product
(for selected years)
20%

15%
As our wealth
increases, we
10%
usually divvy
out more of our
spending on
5% healthcare.

0%

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2006 2007P* 2008P*
P* = projections
Source: Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of the Acturary.

Percent Change in
U.S. Consumer Prices
by Decade
140%
Medical 121%
120%
inflation has 98%
112%

100%
been over two
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

times the overall 80%
71%
68%

increase in 60%
48%
45%

consumer prices. 40%
26%
34%
29%

20%

0%
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000-08
All Consumer Prices Medical Care


economic insight | by lecia parks langston, economist

Which Healthcare Occupations Have

the Best Employment
Outlook? Untangling the
Projections Data

T
he recent economic downturn cess? It’s registered nurses. In other words, don’t be
proves one very important point. deceived by a high growth rate. In small occupations,
While the healthcare industry may rapid growth may still result in few job openings.
not be recession-proof, it is certainly re-
cession-resistant. It is the one major in- In Utah, the registered nurse occupation is projected
dustry in Utah that continues to create to produce (by far) the highest number of openings
additional job opportunities despite between 2006 and 2016. The next four occupations
recession. Moreover, healthcare oc- with large numbers of openings (nursing aides/or-
cupations will continue to provide derlies, home health aides, medical assistants, dental
some of the best employment op- assistants) fall in the “healthcare support” category.
portunities in the years ahead.
These occupations are the least skilled of the total
But, how do you sort through healthcare group. More technically oriented occupa-
our projections data to deter- tions with large numbers of openings include phar-
mine which occupations offer macy technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical
the best employment outlook? records technicians and dental hygienists. Higher-
You can examine growth rates skilled healthcare occupations in demand include
or projected openings. Keep in physicians (of all specialties), dentists, and pharma-
mind that openings result both cists (along with registered nurses).
from growth and replacement
of individuals who have left the Nice to Know. . .
occupation. Both these indicators
have their merits. However, we Of course, growth rates are helpful in knowing
suggest you consider the number which occupations are expanding rapidly. On aver-
of projected openings first, then age, healthcare occupations are expected to expand
look at the growth rate. at a 4 percent annual rate—noticeably higher than
the 2.8 percent rate for all occupations. Interestingly
enough, of the nine fastest-growing healthcare occu-
The Best Figure. . . pations, five fall in the lower-skilled support catego-
Here’s why: Our most recent 10-year ry, three are technical occupations, and only one—
projections (through 2016) show phy- physician assistant—hails from the highly skilled
sician assistants with a high growth “practitioner” category.
rate—more than 5 percent per year.
Registered nurses are projected to dis- It’s in the Stars
play an average annual growth rate
of 4 percent. But, consider this: pro- Finally, we have one last way to look at occupations.
jections show almost 1,000 openings Star ratings combine employment outlook (based on
for nurses per year compared to only both openings and growth rate) and wages to rank
40 for physician assistants. occupations. Five-star occupations have the best em-
ployment outlook and the best wages of occupations
Which occupation provides the most in their particular training level. The healthcare occu-
opportunity for employment suc- pations at the right received a five-star rating.


Registered Nurses 980

Nursing Aides/Orderlies 410

Home Health Aides 340

Medical Assistants 340 Average
Annual Five-star
280
Dental Assistants Openings Healthcare
Total Physicians 270 Occupations
Pharmacy Technicians 200
Utah 
Licensed Practical/Vocational 140
Nurses Healthcare • Cardiovascular Technologists
Medical Records Technicians 130 Occupations and Technicians
with the
•
Dentists 120 Most Openings Dental Hygienists

2006-2016 • Dentists, General
Pharmacists 110
• Family and General
Dental Hygienists 100 Practitioners

• Occupational Therapist
Practitioners Technical Support Assistants

• Pharmacists

Utah • Pharmacy Technicians
Fastest Growing Healthcare Occupations • Physical Therapists
2006-2016
All Occupations 2.8% 980 • Physician Assistants

Total Healthcare Occupations 4% • Registered Nurses

• Respiratory Therapists
Home Health Aides 7.3%

Medical Assistants 5.9%

Physical Therapist Assistants 5.4% For more information about the employment
outlook for various occupations:
Pharmacy Technicians 5.4% http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/wi/occi.html
Annual
Dental Hygienists 5.3% Average
Growth
Physican Assistants 5.3% Rate
Dental Assistants 5.2%

Physical Therapist Aides 5.1%

Veterinary Technicians 5%

Practitioners Technical Support
Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services.


national news | by mark knold, chief economist

Is the Recession
Easing Up?
A recession losing its grip does not
mean a recession gone

T
here is much talk in the media that the recession is In fact, this inventory shortfall is the main variable driving
beginning to loosen its grip on the nation’s economy. many economic analysts to assume that there will be GDP
It is still too early to definitively say the recession is growth in the second half of 2009.
easing, but the fact that there are currently conflicting signals
about the economy in the various statistics is probably a Then there are the signals from the down side. Unemployment
signal in and of itself that the recession is losing its grip. claims are still high, though trending downward. Job losses
are still being counted on a monthly basis by the Bureau of
Historically, when one follows the cycle of a recession, in the Labor Statistics, and the unemployment rate is still trending
initial and developing stages there are basically no economic higher and expected to keep going higher.
variables sending any type of positive signal. It is quite clear
that all things are negative. But once a recession approaches In a recession, unemployment will actually be one of the last
or even reaches its eventual bottom, history shows the indicators to shift from negative to positive. This has also
economic signals become mixed. Some begin pointing up; been observed in past recessions. Particularly deep recessions,
others keep pointing down. That appears to be the current like this one, produce many discouraged workers—those who
message from the national economic landscape. have lost a job and have also given up looking for a new job.
Therefore, they are not officially counted as unemployed. But
The housing market was both a starting point and a major when many of these idle laborers sense that the economy is
casualty of this recession. Yet, recent data suggests that the improving and that they may now be able to find a job, they
worst for this industry in now behind us. Sales of both new become active again in the labor force. When they do, they
and existing homes are beginning to rise once again, and the become classified as unemployed. So this actually causes the
home-price slide seems to have stabilized. unemployment rate to rise even further, putting a final spike
on that variable’s long recessionary rise.
Another factor is the second-quarter performance of the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Though it still produced a The recession does appear to be losing its grip. But does that
fourth quarter in a row of declining GDP, the decline was mean the recession is over? It’s tempting to say that it is, but
not as deep as anticipated. Most analysts are expecting a a recession losing its grip does not have to mean a recession
positive GDP number for the third quarter of 2009. Business gone. If nothing else, though, loosening its grip is the first
inventories are way down and appear to need replenishing. step in the right direction.


U.S. Gross Domestic Product
Percent Change from Preceding Quarter*

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis * Chain-weighted 2005 dollars


what's happening | by john mathews, economist

What is Healthcare?

The Industry
A
bout one in ten Utah workers is Is healthcare a growing industry? Healthcare Wages—Across a Wide
employed in healthcare. Where Spectrum, Big Bucks and Small Cents
Yes, and it is largely the only industry
do these healthcare workers
growing at this time. Healthcare is Wages in healthcare span the range
work? The broad industry sector of
generally recession-resistant, not from the highest of all occupations in
healthcare is divided up into four sub-
recession-proof. Still, the industry the state to some of the lowest wages.
industries. Most people think if you are
continues to grow even in light of the There is a direct relationship between
in healthcare, you work at a hospital.
shrinking broader economy. In 2008, education and earnings. Those at
Not so. Only about 27 percent, or
employment in healthcare grew by an the top of the earning list are the
30,900, of all 114,400 Utah healthcare
annual rate of 5.3 percent. Compared medical professionals that include
industry jobs, are in hospitals. Did you
to Utah’s overall total growth rate of 0.1 physicians, surgeons and dentists—
know there are different hospital types?
percent, that’s growth at light speed. As those professions that require extensive
Most hospitals are “general medical and
population grows and baby boomers training and professional licensure.
surgical” but nearly 4,000 workers are
age (the first baby boomers reach age Also included in the top earnings are
employed in psychiatric and substance
65 in 2011), the demand for healthcare medical and health managers. Most
abuse facilities, and there are a number
continues to increase. Regardless of the of the high-level occupations in this
of rehabilitation and transitional care
method of healthcare reform that is group had annual earnings in excess of
hospitals as well.
currently being implemented, people $100,000.
The largest healthcare sub-industry sec- will still need healthcare services. continued on page 16

tor is “ambulatory healthcare services.”
It accounts for 40 percent of total
healthcare workers, or 46,100. These Utah Healthcare Industry Sub-Sectors
are the doctors offices in clinics, out-
as a Percent of Total Healthcare Employment
patient care centers, laboratories, home
health care, and others. In Utah, nearly & Number of Firms in 2008
4,900 establishments were active in
this sub-sector. Most of these offices are Social Assist. (Family Svcs.,
Voc. Rehab., Child Care)
small in terms of employment. Nursing & Residential Care
19% 14%
Another 21,300 employees work in the 500 rms 960 rms

sub-sector of “nursing and residential
care facilities.” In 2008, nearly 500
of these establishments were active
Total Healthcare
around the state.
Employment = 114,400
The last sub-sector is social assistance. It
includes individual and family services,
vocational rehabilitation services,
emergency and other relief services, and Hospitals
childcare services. Combined, about 14 27% Ambulatory (doctors o ces,
percent of total healthcare workers, or 70 rms labs, home health, other)
16,100, are employed in this industry 40%
that has about 960 firms. 4,900 rms

Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services, Workforce Information.


Utah Healthcare Occupational Employment*

Healthcare Technologists
& Technicians
Healthcare Support Aides
23.4% & Assistants
32.8%
Total Healthcare Occupational
Employment = 85,230

Medical & Health Service
Managers
2.9%

Health Diagnosing
& Treating Practitioners
40.9%

*2006 employment estimate.
Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services, Workforce Information.


what's happening | by john mathews, economist

2008 Median
Utah Healthcare Occupations
Wages
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Audiologists $55,470
continued from page 14 Chiropractors 52,270
The next group of healthcare
Dentists, General 101,780
occupations includes the technologists Dietitians and Nutritionists 45,870
and technicians. These job titles Medical and Health Service Managers* 80,880
reported median wages from $23,000 to Occupational Therapists 63,150
about $65,000. There is a mix of training
requirements for the technologists and Optometrists 101,730
technicians that assist the practitioners. Pediatricians, General 165,480
Some require very little training and Pharmacists 104,840
some must have a bachelor’s degree
and be licensed. These 15 occupations
Physical Therapists 65,240
include cardiovascular technologists Physician Assistants 87,300
and technicians, LPNs, lab technologists Psychiatrists 131,700
and technicians, nuclear medicine Radiation Therapists 70,170
technologists, opticians, radiologic
technologists and technicians, and Recreational Therapists 34,300
others. Registered Nurses 56,640
Respiratory Therapists 53,580
Healthcare workers that support the
above two groups are the aides and Speech-Language Pathologists 55,860
assistants. They work in the following Veterinarians 71,010
healthcare areas: dental, home health, Health Technologists and Technicians
medical (assistants), transcriptionists, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians $49,840
nurse aides, occupational therapy,
physical therapy, and others. Typically,
Dental Hygienists 65,860
assistants earn more than aides. Wages Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 59,020
in these support titles typically earn Dietetic Technicians 23,370
$20,000 to $30,000 per year, but Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics 28,440
some, like the occupational assistants Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 37,290
and physical therapy assistants, make Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 28,320
around $40,000. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 50,580
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians 27,370
Industry With a Future
Nuclear Medicine Technologists 62,410
Healthcare will become an even more Opticians, Dispensing 30,530
important industry as America’s Pharmacy Technicians 30,230
population ages and needs more
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians 43,760
health-related attention. People are
not only working longer but living Respiratory Therapy Technicians 36,910
longer. This industry will provide great Surgical Technologists 33,370
career opportunities for that segment Veterinary Technologists and Technicians 23,670
of the workforce interested in serving Healthcare Support Occupations
in healthcare. Dental Assistants $26,610
Home Health Aides 20,490
For more information on the healthcare
industry in Utah see the industry fact Massage Therapists 27,850
sheet on line: http://jobs.utah.gov/openc- Medical Assistants 25,430
ms/wi/statewide/ifsheets/healthcare.pdf Medical Transcriptionists 30,750
Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants 21,590
Occupational Therapist Aides 21,140
Occupational Therapist Assistants 43,240
Physical Therapist Aides 18,510
Physical Therapist Assistants 38,320
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers 19,060
*Managers are classified in another category but included with the professional for convenience.


insider news | by kimberley bartel, manager

Plan and manage your career from
grade school to retirement!

There’s A New
Education and Career
Planning System in Town:
UtahFutures.org
A
re you thinking of entering the links to Utah training information. tuition, and programs of study for
workforce for the first time in There are helpful hints and infor- all accredited, public and private
many years? Are you tired of mation for organizing and con- two- and four-year colleges and
your job and need a change? Have you ducting a job search, and for keep- universities.
lost your job and want to do something ing and excelling in your job.
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If you answered “yes” to any of these licensing organizations, appren-
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planning opportunities. and training opportunities.
• Create online portfolios where in-
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sonal reflections, plans, and educa- plan can include classes for 9th are most likely to hire for specific
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• Take assessments that can help you number, and size.
identify your interests, aptitudes, • Use the information entered in
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• Find information about specific career goals, and links to schools her lifestyle cost?), and investigate
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preparation requirements. You • View detailed information about Utahfutures.org can help Utah citizens
can see real world interviews, oc- U.S. colleges and universities in- plan and manage their careers from
cupational videos and job-specific cluding admission requirements, grade school to retirement.


occupations | by linda marling church, research analyst

Pharmacist:
On Duty
W
hat do O. Henry, Benedict Arnold, Sir Isaac
Newton, Hubert Humphrey and Ned Flanders
have in common? If you guessed that they were
all pharmacists at one time—you’re correct! A pharmacist,
as defined in the Standard Occupational Classification
Manual, is one who dispenses drugs prescribed by health
practitioners and provides information to patients about
medications and their uses. They may advise physicians
and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage,
interactions, and side effects of medications.

In early nineteenth century America, pharmacy was a
trade, not a profession, and entering the field was through
apprenticeship programs. Pharmacists were experts in
chemistry and botany with knowledge not only of wine-
making, but perfumes, essential oils and soda fountain
syrups. Most took pride in producing their own medicine
rather than purchasing them from manufacturers who
were scarce in number and had a reputation for poor
products. Many of the current drug companies were
founded by pharmacists from that era.

Prior to 1992, a bachelor of science in pharmacy was ad-
equate education. After that year, all U.S. schools and col-
leges of pharmacy went to the Doctor of Pharmacy as the
only degree offered. It requires six years of study: two in


There is a strong
employment outlook and
higher-than-average wages
for pharmacists.

pre-pharmacy and four in professional Pharmacy aides usually provide admin-
pharmacy studies. To practice in any istrative support, such as answering

wages
state, a pharmacist must be licensed. phones, cashiering, stocking shelves,
etc. In some states technician and aide
About 62 percent of pharmacists prac- duties overlap; in others they are clear-
tice in community pharmacies, either ly delineated. A high school diploma
independently owned or chain drug- and on-the-job training is usually the Annual Median
stores, grocery or department store or minimum requirement in this field. In
mass merchandisers. About 20 percent Utah, pharmacy aide is a one-star job, United
work in hospitals and the remainder meaning that it has a limited employ- Utah
States
are employed by home healthcare, ment outlook and low wages.
pharmaceutical manufacturers, health Pharmacist $104,840 $106,410
insurance companies, public health- Remember the earlier mention of soda Pharmacy
care services, college faculty, and the fountain syrups? In the 19th century, $ 30,230 $ 27,710
Technician
military, to name a few. it was common for pharmacists to sell
Pharmacy
mineral water, believed to have heal- $ 20,350 $ 20,100
Pharmacist is deemed a five-star job in Aide
ing powers. They often mixed bark,
Utah, which means that it requires a nuts, berries and herbs in it to improve
bachelor’s degree or higher, has a strong the taste and efficacy. After it was dis-
employment outlook and higher-than- covered that mineral water bubbled Data from Utah Department of Workforce
average wages. because of carbon dioxide content, a Services, May, 2008
method was developed to carbonate
Today, pharmacists are assisted in their mineral water. From that beginning,
duties by pharmacy technicians and Pepsi Cola®, Vernor’s Ginger Ale®,
pharmacy aides. Technicians, who Coca Cola® and Dr. Pepper® were all
are also licensed and under the di- developed by pharmacists.
rect supervision of a pharmacist, may
measure, mix, count, label and record
amounts and dosages of medications.
Administrative duties include main- For more information, see:
taining patients’ records, preparing • www.swsbm.com
insurance claim forms, and taking in-
ventories. The duties vary depending • http://jobs.utah.gov
on state rules and regulations. Most • http://www.swsbm.com/
are trained on the job and most states homepage/
have put a limit on how many techni-
cians can be employed per pharmacist.
• http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/
utalmis/gotoOccinfo.do
The pharmacist is required to check the
technician’s work before it is dispensed. • http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/wi/
Pharmacy technician in Utah is also a pubs/licensedoccup/
five- star job.


our guest | by cheryl s. smith, office of consumer health services

Utah Health Exchange
O
ffering affordable health insur- Exchange allows employers to offer
ance benefits is an increasingly greatly expanded health plan options
difficult proposition for Utah’s to their employees. Employees will
small businesses. Small businesses gen- use the Exchange to compare plans
erally pay more for their health insur- and providers and select the option
ance coverage while having fewer plan best tailored to their individual needs;
options available. The Utah Health no more one-size-fits-all benefits
Exchange was created to reverse that packages.
equation. In the Exchange, employers
will be able to designate a defined con- Advantages for employers are equally
tribution—a specified dollar amount— as attractive. In defined contribution
to be contributed toward a health in- arrangements, employees, not em-
surance plan selected by the employee, ployers, can compare and select the
also via the Exchange. Defined contri- health plan that works best for their
bution arrangements offer a number individual needs and circumstances
of advantages to both employees and via the Exchange. Employees may also
employers. pay their premium contribution with
pre-tax dollars, thus reducing their tax
The Utah Health Exchange gives liability. Certain plans available via
Advantages for employees: employers expanded opportunities. the Exchange may also allow pre-tax
Defined contribution plans simplify contributions to a health savings ac-
• Individual control and the management of a company’s count (HSA) which is then individually
choice health benefit options. By enrolling
in a defined contribution plan via
owned by the employee.

The Exchange also allows for plan por-
• Pay with pre-tax dollars the Exchange, the only decision an
tability, so employees can keep their
employer has to make is how much
coverage even if they change jobs, pro-
• Plan portability to contribute towards each employee’s
viding that both employers participate
health benefit. Employers will no
in a defined contribution plan.
• Premium aggregation longer be responsible to choose between
multiple plans, insurance companies,
and provider networks. Furthermore, Finally, the Exchange allows employees
by making a defined contribution to aggregate premium contributions
from multiple sources. The Exchange
Advantages for employers: rather than choosing a company-wide
facilitates paying plan premiums
health plan, employers can predict and
from the defined contribution of
• Simplified benefits contain health benefit costs from year
the employer, the contribution of
to year.
management the employee, and other possible
A defined contribution plan also allows contributions from a second employer,
• Predictable and controllable employers to continue to offer the tax a spouse’s employer, etc.
benefits of an employer-sponsored
costs plan. Employees can pay their portion Until spring of 2010 the UHE is
of their health premium with pre-tax closed for new applicants while the
• Preservation of tax benefits dollars, which reduces the employee’s system is being beta tested to verify all
taxable income and also reduces the components work in a timely manner
• Expanded health care employer’s FICA obligations. for those companies who have already
coverage options for The Exchange will help Utah’s small
registered. Following the completion
of the system tests the site will re-open
employees businesses control their costs while to new applicants. Small businesses
offering expanded health coverage can log on to the system and request
options to their employees. Enrolling notification when the exchange
in a defined contribution plan via the reopens for enrollments.


county highlight | by lecia parks langston, economist

Iron County
I
ron County is often overshadowed
by its larger and flashier neighbor
to the south. However, the
The Two Gentlemen of Verona county certainly deserves economic
Justin Matthew Gordon (left) as attention in its own right. For most
Valentine, Carly Germany as of this decade, Iron has consistently
Sylvia, and Timothy Pyles as ranked among Utah’s fastest-growing
Turio in the Utah Shakespearean counties.
Festival’s 2008 production of The
Two Gentlemen of Verona. Manufacturing plays a particularly
(Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah important role in providing jobs in
Shakespearean Festival 2008.) Iron County and maintains the same
share of total employment as in the
state as a whole. That’s an unusual
situation for a nonurban county. This
dependence can work to the county’s
detriment since a downturn typically
hits manufacturing hard. During the
current recession, Iron County has
had to deal the double-whammy of a
housing bubble collapse and the loss of
Mining
0% its “bread and butter” manufacturing
1% jobs as well.
8% Southern Utah University (the site of
Construction
8% Utah's Shakespearean Festival) plays
Manufacturing
10% an important role in the economy pro-
10% viding jobs, an abundant student labor
18% supply, and a backdrop for one of the
Trade/Trans/Util state's premier cultural events.
20%
Information
1% For more information on Iron County, go
3% to: http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/utalmis/
gotoCounties.do
Financial Activities 5%
6% Iron
8% Utah
Prof/Bus Services
13%
Ed/Health/Social Svcs.
10% 2008 Nonfarm
11%
Leisure/Hospitality
9%
11% Job Distribution
by Industry*
Other Services
2%
3%
Government
27%
17%
*Does NOT include covered agriculture. Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services.


dws news | by lecia parks langston, economist

Netting a Job on
the Internet
F
inding a job requires a multi-pronged attack. Just one
of the tools in your job-search arsenal is the internet.
But, perhaps you’re not a web surfer and don’t know
“ftp” from “html.”

Why even bother with the internet?
• It’s there 24/7. It’s available anytime: weekends,
holidays, the dead of night (when the kids are finally
in bed)—anytime.

• No Limits. You can search for jobs in your own
hometown or in Cameroon.

• Demonstrate Your Leading-Edge Skills.
Finding an opportunity on-line or researching
on the internet before an interview
demonstrates you have some
technical skills.

• Explore Alternatives
You Haven’t Considered. Not
quite sure what you really want to be
“when you grow up?” Self-assessment tools,
occupational exploration, training-program
information are all online.

• It’s Where the Jobs Are. Many companies require
electronic resumés and find applicants exclusively
online.

Getting Started
The biggest problem with the internet is the vast quantity
of information. It may seem like too much information.
Keep in mind that the internet is a tool, and like all tools,
it is only as good as the skill of the user.

Learning to use the internet productively (like most
things) takes time and effort. Don’t be overwhelmed! Ask
a friend or librarian (or your kid) for help, if you need it.


Before you start your internet job search, you might
want to ask yourself a few questions that will help you
narrow your employment search. Here are just a few links to get you
• What kind of work do you want to do? Come started on that internet job search:
up with general occupations that interest you—not
specific job titles. Often you will need to search for •Utah Dept. of Workforce Services
job duties rather than job titles—many businesses jobs.utah.gov
use their own unique job titles.
•Other State Job Banks
• Who do you want to work for? Are you www.ajb.org
interested only in certain industries? Do you want
to work for a large employer? Do you have a specific •Federal Government Jobs
employer in mind? jobs.utah.gov/jobs/fedjobs.asp

• Where do you want to work? Will you move •State Government Jobs
anywhere for the right job or do you want to work statejobs.utah.gov
in Enterprise, Utah?
•Career Builder
Finding the Right Sites www.careerbuilder.com
The right site for you will depend on how you
answered the questions listed above. For example, large •Hot Jobs (Yahoo)
international sites are probably not your choice if you’re hotjobs.yahoo.com
looking for a job in rural Utah. Here are some other
things to consider about each site: •Monster
monster.com
• Is it easy to use?
•Job Central
• Do they keep your identity confidential?
www.directemployers.com
• Can you search with precision?
•Employment Guide
• Are the job listings dated so you know when they
www.employmentguide.com
were added?
• How often is it updated? •Care Givers Job Clearing House
www.carecareers.net
• Who runs the service?
• Do you know someone who uses this service? •Get a Job
www.getajob.com
• If they charge a fee, is it worth it?
•Job Hunt
Of course, we think the best place to start is the no-
www.job-hunt.org
charge Utah Department of Workforce Services web site:
jobs.utah.gov. Just go to the web site and click on “Find •Salt Lake City Help Wanted
a Job.” You can also use our online directory of Utah www.saltlakecityhelpwanted.com/home/89.htm
businesses to find employers in an industry/area that
typically employs your particular occupation: jobs.utah. •Southern Utah Help Wanted
gov/jsp/firmfind. southernutahhelpwanted.com/home/15.htm


the outskirts | by john krantz, economist

Hospital
Wages:
A Rural/Urban
Comparison
H
ospitals rely upon a large pool of workers from a
highly diverse group of occupations. Naturally,
with the wide variety of occupations found
within any hospital, wages will vary considerably
from worker to worker. To keep things simple, we
will examine the average annual wage for all hospital
workers within groups of counties during 2008.

The distinction between rural and urban counties can
sometimes be fuzzy. A county may have a relatively
large city in one area while the rest of the county is
very sparsely populated. A good example is Vernal
in Uintah County. Instead of using the traditional
rural/urban distinction, the wages of hospital workers
were calculated for groups of counties on the basis of
population density or population per square mile.

Not all counties in Utah have hospitals. Daggett, Emery,
Morgan, Piute, Summit, and Wayne counties were not
included because they did not have hospitals in 2008.
The 23 counties with hospitals were separated into four
groups according to population per square mile, where
the most rural counties have the lowest population
density and the most urban counties have the highest
population density. As the chart reveals, hospital wages
progressively increase as the population per square mile
increases. The average annual hospital wage is $34,096
in the most rural counties, while hospital workers in
the most urban counties receive an average wage of
$45,589.

Why are hospital wages lower in rural areas? Part of
the explanation may lie with the size of hospitals.
Labor economists have long recognized that workers in
larger establishments tend to receive higher wages than
workers in smaller establishments. Only the largest
hospitals are able to acquire and efficiently use the


Population Per Counties
Square Mile
Beaver, Box Elder, Duchesne, Garfield,
1 to 10 Grand, Juab, Kane, Millard, Rich, San Juan,
Tooele, and Uintah
most advanced medical technologies. Moreover, large
hospitals are in a better position to effectively utilize a 11 to 50 Carbon, Iron, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wasatch
wide array of specialists. Both of these facts can help
account for the differences in wages between large and 51 to 100 Cache and Washington
small hospitals. It shouldn’t be surprising that hospitals
in rural counties tend to be smaller than those in urban
counties. Measuring the size of hospitals as the average 101 or more Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber
number of workers per establishment, a look at the data
shows that the average size of hospitals increases as we
move from the most rural to most urban counties. The
two upward trends in wages and establishment size are
statistically related and suggest that the employer size/
wage relationship holds for hospitals in Utah. Average Annual
While it may be unwelcome news to rural hospital HOSPITAL WAGE
workers that their wages are lower on average as
compared with urban hospital workers, the rural/
urban wage gap may not persist indefinitely. Utah
is currently the fastest growing state in the nation,
with many rural counties exhibiting high population $45,589
growth rates. As the population increases in these rural $42,502
counties, the rising demand for hospital services should $36,524
translate into the expansion of existing hospitals or the $34,096
construction of new, larger facilities. If the employer
size/wage relationship holds true, the rural/urban wage
gap can be expected to narrow in the future. 1 to 10 11 to 50 51 to 100 101 or more
 Population per square mile 

Average
ESTABLISHMENT Employees Per Establishment

SIZE

149 164 553 632
1 to 10 11 to 50 51 to 100 101 or more

Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services


Unemployed? Need help with child care
payments while job searching?

Contact your local CCR&R and ask about the Kids In Care Program

Child Care Resource & Referral agencies offer the following services to parents:

• free referrals for child care, tailored to meet your family's specific child care needs
• free information on child care programs in your area
• free information on how to choose quality child care

Child Care
Bridgerland CCR&R
1-800-670-1552 Resource & Referral
435-797-1552
www.usuchild.usu.edu Service Delivery Areas
Northern CCR&R
1-888-970-0101
801-626-7837
programs.weber.edu/ccrr/

Metro
CCR&R
1-866-438-4847
801-355-4847
www.cssutah.org
Click on purple “Childcare Resource Mountainland
CCR&R
and Referral” link
1-800-952-8220
801-863-8631
www.uvu.edu/ccrr

CCR&R
1-435-586-8722 Eastern
1-800-543-7527 CCR&R
www.childcarehelp.org 1-888-637-4786
435-613-5619
www.ceu.edu/childcare/

http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/occ/occ2/ccrandrcontact.html


rate update | workforce information

just
September 2009 Changes From Last
Unemployment Rates Year

the .
Utah Unemployment Rate 6.2 % Up 2.8 points

acts..
U.S. Unemployment Rate 9.8 % Up 3.6 points

f
Utah Nonfarm Jobs (000s) 1,210.1 Down 4.1 %
U.S. Nonfarm Jobs (000s) 131,306.0 Down 4.2 %

August 2009 Consumer Price
Index Rates
U.S. Consumer Price Index 215.8 Down 1.5%
U.S. Producer Price Index 174.3 Down 4.3%

August 2009 Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services
Seasonally Adjusted
Unemployment Rates

Beaver 4.6 %
Box Elder 5.8 %

Next Issue:
Cache
Carbon
4.3 %
7.0 % Watch for these features in our
Daggett 3.3 %

Davis 5.4 %
Duchesne 7.2 %
Emery 6.3%
Garfield 7.2 %
Grand 6.8 %

Iron 6.7 %
Juab 7.3 %
Kane
Millard
5.1 %
4.2 % Theme:
Morgan 5.0 %
A Look Forward and Back
Piute 4.6 %
Rich 3.7 %
Salt Lake
San Juan
5.9 %
9.7 %
County Highlight:
Sanpete 6.1 % Garfield
Sevier 5.9 %
Summit
Tooele
5.7 %
6.4 % Occupation:
Uintah 7.0 %
Utah 5.5% Police Officer
Wasatch 6.5 %
Washington 7.7 %
Wayne 5.6 %
Weber 6.8%


Utah Department of Workforce Services
Workforce Development and Information Division Presorted Standard
140 E. 300 S. US Postage
Salt Lake City, UT 84111 PAID
SLC, UT
Permit # 4621

What do they make?
How much training?
What is the job outlook?

Find it at
jobs.utah.gov

Trendlines: Perspectives on Utah's Economy, Nov/Dec 2009

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