Long-Term Employment Projections

The long-term employment projections have been updated for the time period of 2012 to 2022. Projections are produced for the state of Utah as well as for eight sub-state areas. The areas are determined by population and job density and are not created equal. But rather, types of jobs are determined by the nature of the local area’s economy. Short-term projections for 2012 to 2014 are also provided for statewide.

The value in providing these projections is to help identify which types of jobs are most likely to be in high demand in the future. Ultimately, the long-term employment projections act as a forecasting measure by which individuals as well as organizations and agencies can plan ahead.

See the latest long-term projections produced by DWS for the State of Utah.

A Story of Wage Data

The Wages and Income page has a new look to the wage data that is gathered by the Workforce Research and Analysis division. Along with visualization of the data, you can now read story points at the top of each graph, to help understand what the data is showing you along with highlighting its insights. Just click along the story points at the top of the visualization to follow the story of wages.

Utah Licensed Occupations

The Department of Workforce Services provides information of occupations that require a license in Utah. This information is available through the data tool Occupational Explorer and through the dashboard Licensed Occupations. Licensed Occupations is now an interactive data visualization. Simply select the desired occupation and the information for the license required will be displayed. Links are provided for applications, regulatory agencies and any associated professional associations. You are also able to print this information by clicking on the symbol at the bottom.

* Information was gathered from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.

Utah Department of Workforce Services “Top” Jobs

Get a dynamic view of the occupations with the largest number of openings. Data is provided by job orders that have been placed with the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

DWS openings show data collected from June 2012 to the current quarter of data and can be seen in state, sub-state and individual counties. Selecting major occupational groups will show more detailed occupations and selecting occupations will show openings by selected area.

See the full version here.

Wages have fallen the most in low‐paying jobs, study says

Workers in low-wage jobs have lost a greater share of their take-home pay during the recession than higher-wage workers, according to a recent study of data from the bureau of labor statistics conducted by the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group for low-income workers.

The study found that wages dropped over all occupations by 2.8 percent between 2009 and 2012, despite the fact that productivity increased by 4.5 percent over the same time period. But while wages in the highest income jobs only declined by less than 2 percent, wages fell 5 percent or more in five of the largest low-wage job categories: restaurant cooks, food preparation workers, home health aides, personal care aides, and maids and housekeepers.

The data is particularly relevant because the greatest number of jobs being added to the economy are in the same exact sectors where wages have decreased the most. A 2012 NELP study analyzing data from the Current Population Survey found that during the recession, the largest concentration of employment losses were in middle-wage jobs like electricians, truck drivers and administrative assistants. However, during the recovery, the biggest job gains have been in low-wage service occupations like retail salespersons, waiters and food preparers.

That study found that while mid-wage jobs accounted for 60 percent of the jobs lost in the recession, they made up only 22 percent of the recovery. In contrast, low-wage jobs were 21 percent of recession losses, but comprised 58 percent of recovery growth. Deseret News

Report: STEM job impact larger than thought

Acquiring knowledge in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math are a much greater part of the economy than previously thought, according to a report released Monday by the Brooking Institute’s Metropolitan Policy Program. Almost half of these positions, commonly dubbed STEM jobs, are filled with workers by an associate’s degree or less education.

According to the report, 20.1 percent of Utah jobs are now considered STEM positions. This figure is in stark contrast to previous estimates of 4 to 5 percent by the National Science Foundation and others.

In Utah, 116,200 jobs now fit the qualifications to be considered STEM positions and command an average annual salary of $65,481, compared to non-STEM earnings of $37,658. Those with STEM jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree in the state earn an average of $80,269 while their counterparts with an associate’s degree or less earn an average of $48,588. One of the surprises revealed by the Brookings report is that 46.7 percent of the STEM job holders in Utah have an education of an associate’s degree or less.

In the report, “The Hidden STEM Economy,” much of the change in the statistical evaluation of STEM jobs is due to a redefinition of these workers by the Brookings study. Previous studies classified workers as STEM only if they worked in a small number of professional occupations, but the Brookings definition classifies occupations according to the level of knowledge in STEM fields that workers need to perform their jobs. As a result, many non-professional jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and mining industries are now considered STEM jobs. One large difference is in the number of jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree, as experience and on-the-job training help fill the demand for STEM skills.

As expected, in Utah the majority of STEM jobs are held by those in the computer-related occupations. Of the 19,280 workers in this sector, 87.8 percent hold bachelor’s degrees or higher. Other STEM jobs with large numbers of employees include health diagnosing and treating professionals (16,530), financial specialists (9,780), construction trades (9,600) and engineers (6,650). The Enterprise

Office Stress: His vs. Hers

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on survey results that show one-third of employees experience chronic work-related stress.

"Too much work, too little money and not enough opportunity for growth are stressing us out on the job, according to a new survey from the American Psychological Association.

"One-third of employees experience chronic stress related to work, the survey found. Women report higher levels of work stress than men, as well as a gnawing sense that they are under-appreciated and underpaid.

"Fifty-four percent of the 1,501 employed adults surveyed say they feel they are paid too little for their contributions, and 61% said their jobs don't offer adequate opportunities to advance. Only half of the adults polled said they feel valued at work.

"Women feel especially stuck and tense, the association survey indicates. Thirty-two percent of women said their employers don't provide sufficient opportunities for internal advancement, compared with 30% of men. Women are more likely to feel tense during a typical workday, reporting more often that their employer doesn't appreciate what they do.

"The annual survey, conducted in January and released Tuesday, found the proportion of chronically stressed individuals has shrunk to 35% this year, compared with 41% in 2012, suggesting an improving economy and job market are making some people's work lives easier. But smaller percentages reported satisfaction with their jobs and work-life balance compared with 2012 - two areas that had been on the upswing." Deseret News

Choosing a career takes time

Choosing a career can be overwhelming as well as disheartening. Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET provides valuable information to vocational rehabilitation counselors, career counselors and anyone interested in learning more about specific job requirements.

There are a variety of career interest tests (inventories) available on the Internet, at major colleges and universities’ career centers and at the Utah Department of Workforce Services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an Occupational Outlook Handbook that is now available on your mobile phone or tablet.

It is obvious that anyone interested in choosing a career should do as much research as possible. At the end of the day, however, a good career boils down to looking forward to going to work each day. That is more likely to happen when your career matches your skills and personal interests.

There are more than 10,000 job titles out there, each with its own unique job description. Add to that the fact that many jobs will vary significantly from employer to employer. Standard Examiner

To find occupational information specific to Utah, see our Occupational Explorer , a part of the Utah Economic Data Viewer tools at DWS.

New federal worker misclassification study

Buried in the Federal Register on January 11, 2013 is a proposal for the U.S. Department of Labor to conduct a study to “better understand employees’ experience with worker misclassification” by “measur[ing] workers’ knowledge about their current job classification, and their knowledge about the rights and benefits associated with their job status.”

The proposed study defines worker misclassification as “the practice, intended or unintended, of improperly treating a worker who is an ‘employee’ under the applicable law as [being] in a work status other than an employee (i.e., an independent contractor).”

The Department of Labor’s proposal notes that misclassification results in a loss in overall unemployment insurance revenue due to underreporting of at least $200 million dollars annually, as well as unpaid revenues to the federal government of more than $2.7 billion dollars per year in unpaid Social Security, unemployment insurance, and income tax. The proposal notes that a study conducted for the Labor Department in 2000 found that 10 to 30 percent of businesses audited for state unemployment insurance had one or more of its employees misclassified as independent contractors, and that, since 2009, Wage and Hour investigators have collected over $29 million in back wages for over 29,000 employees who were not paid in compliance with federal law because they were misclassified as independent contractors.


This new proposed study by the Labor Department appears to be related to the proposed “Right to Know” rule that the Department has included on its Regulatory Agenda.

The Department’s focus on workers’ understanding of their classification as employees or independent contractors, to the virtual exclusion of employers’ misunderstanding of the confusing array of tests for independent contractor status under both federal and state laws, seems to be a profound misapplication of the budgeted funds for the survey. Even the Government Accountability Office has stated that “[t]he tests used to determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee [at the federal level] are complex, subjective, and differ from law to law” (see GAO Report No. 06-656 at 25). The tests used by state regulatory agencies in enforcing state laws are even more diverse than the federal tests, leaving both businesses and employees equally confused.

Most companies with business models that are IC-dependent or simply make use of multiple ICs are aware that they are at risk of IC misclassification liability if they have not properly classified these workers. Recognizing which tests will be applied to the workers in question by the most relevant federal agencies and the applicable state agencies is one of the first steps, using the 48 Factors-Plus™ analysis, in determining where a business falls on the IC Compliance Scale™.

Once a company’s level of compliance is so measured, it can then enhance its IC compliance by restructuring, re-documenting, reclassifying, or redistributing contingent workers, using IC Diagnostics™ as described in our “White Paper” on minimizing IC misclassification liability. Lexology

Should Universities be charging more or less for degrees that are less likely to employ?

If a proposal being studied by a task force in Florida is adopted, universities will be able to charge higher fees to undergrads seeking degrees in fields the state deems less employable, like Art History, according to an article in The Atlantic. Other non-Florida schools choose to do tuition differential another way.

Florida’s incentive is to guide undergraduates to major in fields like science, technology, engineering and math by making tuition cheaper for those areas.

However, the University of Utah has had success using a different approach —fields with higher employment potential are more expensive.

At the U., tuition is higher for business and engineering undergraduate degrees while all others have the same lower fee. However, graduate degree programs tend to vary widely in their tuition charges.
The U. degrees that charge higher fees are almost opposite of what is being proposed in Florida. In these programs, most which have changed to the differential cost model within the past 10 years, increasing the tuition has been beneficial.

“It has increased enrollment,” said Sandy Hughes, the director of budget at the U. “There are lots of factors about that. When the economy is in bad shape, more kids go to school. I think they also accept the extra cost because they see the extra benefit and that’s the ideal situation. “

More expensive graduate programs at the U. include law school, nursing, pharmacy, social work, architecture, business health, MBA, Master of Public Administration, engineering and educational psychology.

A 2011 study by Cornell University researchers found that the U.’s model is the most accepted nationally. The most common differential charges are in business, engineering and nursing. At the time of the survey, 120 public institutions used the differential tuition approach. Deseret News

Do More than Just Dream of that Perfect Job

Ron Campbell, Standard Examiner

Hopefully, everyone has a career goal for this year; whether it is to keep your current job, find that dream job, get a promotion or, if currently unemployed, get any job. Often your goal may be larger than your realistic chances to achieve it in the near future, especially if your goal is to find that near-perfect dream job. Here are three realities regarding career jobs.

The first reality is, very few of us have a near-perfect dream job. Most that have jobs today are doing something that is less than their ideal job, but it is a job and it does help pay the bills. This “in the meantime job” is almost always worth keeping, at least until a better opportunity comes along.

The second reality is that better opportunities will rarely come along unless you take charge of your career and work toward that near-perfect career or dream job. The best way to take charge of your future is to take charge of today, setting goals and working towards those goals.

The third reality is that a dream job is available to each one of us, no matter how limited our current skills and our current circumstance. If your career goal is realistic, there is no reason you can’t reach it. Not one. You only fail on a goal once you give up on it.

The first step is to set realistic goals, taking into account the skills you have and, if you lack them, whether you have the sustainable desire to obtain the skills you need.

The next step is to identify the resources available to obtain those skills. Some may require schooling while others may be obtained on the job. This research is critical to ensure you are heading in the right direction.


The Utah Department of Workforce Services dedicates a great deal of effort to identify the skills that are needed for any given job in Utah. The “Occupational Explorer” link in the “Utah Data Viewer” section of their website at www.jobs.utah.gov provides valuable information for almost every job in Utah.

To illustrate, here is what this link says about being an actor in Utah: “…Actors face intense competition for jobs. Most roles, no matter how minor, have many actors auditioning for them. For stage roles, actors with a bachelor’s degree in theater will have a better chance than those without one. These jobs are also often part-time or temporary in nature. Compared to all occupations, wages for this occupation are very low.”

The report also includes the skills needed and how important each skill is, expected wages, current job openings, schools and training providers, licensing information and other important data.

As I counsel those who want to become a famous and wealthy actor, I tell them the following: (Although the actual numbers may be different, the point it exemplifies is accurate)

“If 10,000 people want to be a famous and wealthy actor, about 1,000 will actually pursue it; about 100 will find work; about 10 will make a living at it, and maybe one of those 10 will make it big.”

I then add, “You can’t be the one who makes it big without being one of the 10 that makes a living at it and one of the 100 that finds work and one of the 1,000 who actually pursue acting as a career.”

Everyone’s dream job —that near-perfect career job — is valid to that person. The question we all must ask ourselves is, “Do I have the sustainable desire to obtain the skills I need to get that job?” Standard Examiner

Majoring in Accounting May be a Good Bet

As 2013 dawns those monitoring employment opportunities have good news for students pointed toward business-oriented careers.

A new survey showed that majoring in accounting might be the best bet for many college graduates. According to the National Association of Colleges & Employers, 68 percent of the most recent accounting majors received job offers — the highest percentage of any major.

The report stated that the unemployment rate for accountants currently stands at just 4.1 percent and
Forbes.com recently ranked accountants and auditors as the second top job for 2013 behind software
developers. Accounting, engineering and computer science ranked as the three majors “mostly like to get job offers,” the reported said.

The survey stated that 65 percent of graduates expect to enter the workforce immediately upon leaving school, while about 28 percent would like to attend graduate school right away. The report said that students rated annual salary increases as the benefit that mattered most, followed by 401(k) company match, and tuition reimbursement.

Before the 2012 survey, medical insurance was the most-sought benefit among survey respondents, the survey said. Currently, insurance ranks fourth on the list. One possible explanation for the change was new federal healthcare provisions that allow students to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26.

Salary data contained in the NACE report was compiled from data derived from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the Census Bureau, and a master data set developed by Job Search Intelligence. Deseret News

Happy Holidays to all!

With the holiday season in full swing, Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves have put in many hours designing and building toys, making and checking lists, baking cookies and much more.

Do they get paid for their efforts to make the season festive and bright? Yes, but not in the same way we do. The North Pole's main currency is cookies. The elves also get a place to live, meals and an endless supply of milk, cider and cocoa. Many of the things they need, like furniture or clothing, they can make. If an elf needs something he/she can't make, a trade can usually be worked out with another elf who can. The North Pole insurance plan provides health coverage with minimal cookie premiums. Elves are extraordinarily healthy, most likely due to a combination of North Pole magic and Mrs. Claus making sure they get plenty of vegetables, fruits and other healthy items along with the sweet treats. After the initial probationary period of one year, they receive four weeks of vacation each of the next eight years, along with some spending money in the vacation destination's currency. Starting in the 10th year, they get two months off per year.

Imagine if the North Pole crew packed up the workshop and sleigh and flew south to set up shop? But not too far south ... let's say South Dakota. Since the North Pole is a self-contained organization, it is possible cookies could remain the standard currency; however, if they wanted to go sightseeing or shopping, they'd need something other than gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies. What could Santa and his jolly crew earn in South Dakota wages? The graphics below show how much a person would earn per hour doing a variety of North Pole jobs/tasks in South Dakota wages. Keep in mind, some of these duties would only total up to a few hours, days or weeks each year (e.g., Santa's Merry Christmas proclamations, mall visits) and others would be year-round jobs (e.g., toy-making, cooking-baking and naughty-or-nice reconnaissance).

Let's start with the jolliest old elf: Santa Claus. As head honcho, he oversees all operations at the North Pole. He loves to design, make and play with -- uh, test out the toys. But his tasks go far beyond just toy production. Thanks to the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?

LinkedIn surveyed more than 8,000 people around the world for its "Dream Jobs" survey, asking about their most common childhood career aspirations and whether they eventually landed their dream jobs.

According to the survey, the top childhood dream jobs for U.S. men were: professional or Olympic athlete (8.2 percent); airplane or helicopter pilot (6.8 percent); scientist (6.8 percent); lawyer (5.9 percent); and astronaut (5 percent).

The top childhood dream jobs for U.S. women, according to LinkedIn, were: teacher (11.4 percent); veterinarian (9 percent); writer, journalist or novelist (8.1 percent); doctor, nurse or emergency medical technician (7.1 percent); and singer (7.1 percent).

And, according to LinkedIn, there's a one-in-three chance that they will achieve their dreams. The survey found that about 30 percent of respondents said they either currently have their childhood dream job or work in a career related to that dream job. Of those who don't work in their childhood dream job, most said that's because they became interested in a different career path as they aged.

“The dream jobs we aspire to as children are a window into our passions and talents,” said Nicole Williams, LinkedIn’s career expert, in a press release about the survey. “Identifying and understanding those passions are key to improving our performance and enjoyment of the jobs we currently do, even if they aren't specific to the careers we dreamed of as kids.”

The LinkedIn survey also showed that more than 70 percent of respondents said the most important characteristic of a dream job is “taking pleasure in your work.” That was followed by “helping others” at 8 percent and “a high salary” at just over 6 percent. Deseret News

Building Enough Engineers to Meet Future Demand Must Start Early

Nurturing interest in engineering in high school, and even earlier, is critical to preparing students to succeed in collegiate engineering programs, a 2011 report by Intel Corporation said. Currently, about half of students who major in engineering drop the program during their freshman year of college, according to National Science Foundation data.

It's important to graduate engineers, because the U.S. needs them to develop energy sources, replace aging infrastructure, deal with air and water pollution and create new medical technologies. However, 88 percent of employers surveyed in a new poll said they had difficulty finding enough engineers to hire, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

Kurt Becker is an engineering education professor in Utah State University's College of Engineering notes, few students know what engineers really do: apply principles of science and mathematics to find solutions to technical problems and human needs.

Engineers build rockets, skyscrapers, roads, dams and bridges. They find ways to clean up water and air pollution, design machinery, create computer hardware and software, and develop life-saving medical equipment.

The job outlook for engineers varies depending on engineering discipline. The U.S. Department of Labor forecasts that the need for mechanical, electrical and electronics engineers in the United States will be below national job-growth averages through 2020 because the recent recession caused job losses in those areas, and the market is still recovering. There is booming growth in the fields of civil, environmental and biomedical engineering, though.


Despite strong job demand and good salaries for engineers — an average of more than $75,000 per year — few high school students think about being engineers. Intel's survey found that American high school students' general lack of familiarity with the engineering profession keeps them from considering engineering careers and preparing themselves to succeed in collegiate engineering programs.



Teen views of engineering:

• Sixty-three percent of teens have never considered a career in engineering.
• Twenty-nine percent of teens do not know of potential job opportunities in engineering.
• 13 percent don't think majoring in engineering in college will lead to more job opportunities than any other career.
• Sixty-one percent of teens are more likely to consider engineering careers after learning engineers make an average annual income of $75,000.

Source: 2011 Intel Corp. survey

Deseret News

Foreign sheepherders in Utah divided on wages, working conditions

Some migrant herders who have worked in Utah complain that their living conditions were inadequate, food was scarce and pay was poor.

Some fled from the employers who paid to bring them to the U.S., while others are now making a legal complaint to the U.S. Department of Labor, petitioning for better working conditions for future herders coming from Latin America to work on Utah's isolated ranges.

Most migrant sheepherders come from Peru or Chile, contracting to work long, lonely hours in harsh conditions for a minimum of $750 a month, most of which is sent home to their families in South America.
They are specialized in their field; most have tended sheep all their lives.

Curt Stewart, spokesman for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said the monthly rate for sheepherders hasn't changed in "a long time."

The program has sparked debate about living conditions, treatment of workers and compensation, drawing rave reviews from some H-2A visa holders —temporary agricultural work visas —and criticism from others.
Some employers have complained that after paying to bring workers to the U.S., the men abandon their posts after only a few months to seek more gainful employment in other industries, such as the oil fields. Others take pride in seeing workers return to their ranch for several contracts.


The life of a sheepherder is taxing. Herders spend weeks or months living alone in tiny trailers on the range, working seven days a week without a day off and no one but the sheep and a few dogs for company.
Tonia Fuller, a spokeswoman for the Utah Wool Growers Association, said complaints by foreign workers are trumped up by unnamed groups seeking to harm the sheep industry.

Those who accept sheepherder jobs do so knowing what the conditions will be like and what the job expectations will be thanks to a screening and interview during the application process.

Chad Edgington who owns Ace Land Livestock, said it's in ranchers' best interest to treat the workers well, provide them with top-of-the line gear and encourage them to return. More than that, he said, it's the right thing to do.

In 18 years, Edgington said he has only had one migrant worker skip out on a contract. As returning workers come back for new contracts, they bring hugs, gifts and tales of their families to share with him.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services facilitates the inspections, as required by the Department of Labor. Ranchers in rural areas have the option of conducting and reporting self-inspections, although an in-person inspection is required by the department every three years.

Inspections include checking the housing site, water supply, restroom and bathing facilities, cooking areas, safety measures and other standards stipulated by the Operational Safety and Health Administration, Stewart said.

The Department of Workforce Services also provides an ombudsman who can take employee complaints or those filed on behalf of employees by concerned parties.

Simple violations such as missing window screens or dead batteries in smoke detectors are met with a warning and sometimes a fine or a follow-up inspection. Serious violations are handled by the Department of Labor, which is responsible for issuing fines.

In the past year, Workforce Services has conducted 30 investigations of sheepherder operations in Utah, citing four violations, he said.

Retaining skilled sheepherders who have familiarized themselves with the operation is the best way to benefit ranchers, Stewart said, which is why it is important the workers have the option of a three-year contract and aren't required to spend six months outside of the U.S. between contracts.

"Experience and continuity are key to successful sheep herding because of the large, expansive grazing land that comprise most sheep operations and the necessity to care for the animals themselves," Stewart said. Deseret News

Hiring in Utah Improving, According to Job Vacancies Data

A study on job vacancies has found that the hiring environment in Utah has improved substantially since 2009, the state Department of Workforce Services says.

The study, conducted during the second quarter of 2012, measured the quality and characteristics of job openings in Utah by six geographic areas: statewide, metropolitan, northern, southwestern, non-metropolitan, and the Uintah Basin.

Among the highlights of the study:

• Approximately 27,600 jobs were open in Utah at any time during the quarter. The average wage of those openings was $14.10 per hour.
• Computer software developers and registered nurses were among the most-in-demand occupations requiring post-secondary training.
• Production-related occupations led all major occupational groups in the northern region, with 187 openings.
• Roughly 46 percent of the openings in non-metropolitan Utah were seasonal or temporary, compared to 12.4 percent statewide.
• Openings filled fastest in the southwestern region, with 80 percent open less than 60 days.
• Major occupational groups associated with natural resource extraction activities accounted for one-third of all job openings in the Uintah Basin. Salt Lake Tribune

The entire study can be found here

A Shortage of Pilots? The Answer is in the Air

Some say airlines are facing an acute shortfall of pilots, while others aren't convinced.

Since boyhood, Daniel Cifuentes has dreamed of becoming a pilot at a big airline. But now, with two years remaining before he graduates from Utah Valley University with a professional pilot degree, Cifuentes doesn't believe his dream is possible in the United States.

"Most likely, I will end up flying airplanes either in Mexico or Colombia because [of a new rule] here in the U.S. mandating that pilots have at least 1,500 hours [of flight experience]. It’s very expensive to get 1,500 hours," Cifuentes, 25, said.

The rule, set to take effect next August, raises minimum flight time requirements sixfold for new-hire airline pilots, from 250 hours of prior experience to 1,500. It was triggered by a law Congress passed two years ago to improve safety after the 2009 crash of a Colgan Air commuter flight that killed 50 people.
The mandate, however, has accelerated debate within the airline industry over whether a pilot shortage is looming in the U.S. and the effect that could have on service, especially to low-profit communities where passenger demand is spotty.


On several levels, it appears that ingredients are combining to create at least the threat of a shortage, if not an actual shortfall. At the same time minimum flight time requirements for inexperienced pilots are rising, thousands of veteran pilots are closing in on mandatory retirement at age 65, which was raised from age 60 in 2007. Simultaneously, revised rules on work schedules and rest periods are forcing commercial carriers to increase their pilot numbers.

Several beleaguered airlines have used bankruptcy to force pay concessions from pilots, while fast-growing carriers in Asia and the Middle East are expanding their fleets and recruiting U.S. pilots with big salaries to fly their new airplanes. Finally, fewer Air Force and Navy pilots are leaving the military — for years, a key source of pilots for the airline industry.

Earlier this year, aircraft maker Boeing said the world’s airlines will need 460,000 more aviators over the next two decades as the global economy expands and carriers take delivery of thousands of new jetliners. Most of the demand for commercial pilots will come from abroad. U.S. and Canadian airlines will need 69,000 pilots, according to Boeing.

"I believe there’s probably a pilot shortage coming up. It was delayed because of the age 65 rule that came in place in 2007," said Mark Saltzman, one of 600 Delta Air Lines pilots stationed at the carrier’s Salt Lake City International Airport hub.


Representatives for Delta, the predominant airline at Salt Lake City’s airport, aren't saying much. "We closely monitor our staffing needs," was all spokeswoman Betsy Talton would say, although an official at one of its regional partners, SkyWest Inc., was more forthcoming. The parent company of SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines doesn't anticipate a shortage anytime soon, said SkyWest Chief Financial Officer Mike Kraupp, who made his comment in an email but was not available to elaborate.

Neither does Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. He said any airline short of pilots can draw from a pool of "several thousand" veteran pilots who were laid off in recent years by carriers trying to cut costs. (The U.S. airline industry has lost $53 billion since 1999. Only three years out of the past 10 have been profitable, according to the association.) Many pilots went abroad to get work. Moak thinks most would return to the U.S. if they were summoned back to their jobs.

As for other sources of new pilots, at Utah Valley University, Peter Dittmer, who chairs the School of Aviation Science, hasn't seen a fall-off in student applications. He says students are banking on a future shortage and are enrolling in order to take advantage of the situation. Many have accelerated their training and flying times, hoping to land an airline job before the 1,500-hour rule goes into effect next summer, he said.

UVU student Nick Rich is a year away from graduation. He said it’s "disappointing" that the 1,500-hour rule will probably delay his ability to land his first job by at least a year, especially considering that his pilot friends who already work at the airlines have told him a shortage is on the horizon. Salt Lake Tribune

Occupations Related to Electric Vehicles

Did you know that electric vehicles actually outsold gas-powered vehicles in the early 1900s? Now they’re making a comeback! Electric vehicles are better for the environment, and – given the rising cost of gas prices – might also be more affordable over the long run. This industry employs a variety of workers in Research, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Maintenance. For example, there are research scientists who are focused on improving battery technology, including a group at Utah State University who just received a $3 million grant improve electric vehicle battery performance. Chemical, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineers all play a role in the design, development, and testing of electric vehicles and the various systems involved in making those vehicles run efficiently. The largest concentration of U. S. workers in electric vehicle manufacturing occupations (assemblers, CNC tool operators, and machinists) is in the Great Lakes region, but workers that maintain electric vehicles are needed all across the country. No matter what the occupation, people who work on electric vehicles require specialized training. 

You can learn more about these occupations, and find schools that offer related programs via UtahFutures. You might also be interested in this article in the Occupational Outlook Quarterly: Electric Vehicle Careers: On the Road to Change. And – just for fun – learn about an electric vehicle company on “our side” of the country: Tesla Motors. Tesla’s Chief Technical Officer got his start in the industry at age 14 when he discovered a discarded golf cart and re-built it!UTAHCTE

Chief Executives - Trendlines article

To quote Harry Truman—when it comes to running an organization, the “buck stops” with the chief executive. Chief Executives provide the toplevel, overall direction for a company or public sector organization, usually under the guidelines of a board of directors or similar governing body. They are the individuals responsible for planning, directing, or coordinating an organization’s activities at the highest management level.

Chief executives may operate under a wide variety of titles—chief executive officer, chief operating officer, general manager, president, vice president, school superintendent, county administrator, and mayor. Of course, the responsibilities (and pay) of high-level executives depend on their organization’s size. Top executives not only direct the overall organization, but also may be responsible for implementing strategies and setting the overall direction of a certain area of the company or organization and are under intense pressure to succeed. Depending on the organization, success may mean earning higher profits, providing better service, or attaining fundraising and charitable goals.

To read more, see the entire article here.