More families will need two incomes to survive, so corporations here will have to begin making more allowances for family commitments, Robson added. It's automatically occurring. But we need a lot more progress in sharing family responsibilities between men and women and giving people flexibility for family needs. One family need that may not be so flexible is a home. Average house prices along the Wasatch Front have risen steadily and remained above national averages, a trend that experts fear will continue if developers don't start diversifying the kinds of home they are building.
Housing is a huge dilemma.
Leavitt's concerns run deeper than politics. The father of five doesn't want to see his children forced to choose between living in Utah or living in a place where they can find a decent job and an affordable home. Still, Leavitt says dealing with growth beats living in a state that is economically stagnant. An ever-increasing and young population may cost more now, but it also means residents are sowing a young, emerging work force, he said. States with more people retiring than entering the work force are headed for rougher water.