Among a new all-time high confidence in the current business conditions, the unemployment rate for Utah County decreased 0.2 percentage point to 4.0 percent in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Utah County’s unemployment rate rests below the state average of 4.1 percent and well below the national average of 6.7 percent measured in the same period. The most recent report from RealtyTrac shows that approximately six in every 10,000 homes were in foreclosure in Utah County in March, the same rate as one month prior.

Gasoline prices in Utah County increased by 1.2 percent in the last month. The price of a gallon of regular gasoline increased to $3.37 compared to $3.33 one month prior, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Average state gasoline prices also increased to $3.43 a gallon from $3.37 in the same time period. Utah’s gas prices are lower than the current national average of $3.70 a gallon. Gas prices in American Fork range from $3.39 to $3.49 a gallon.

Utahns’ confidence in current business conditions has reached a new all-time high with 43 percent of Utahns expressing that current business conditions are good. Thirty-one percent of Utahns think business conditions will be better six months from now, up three percentage points from March. 

Utahns attribute at least some of this economic prosperity to their state government. In fact, 85 percent of Utahns think the state government is doing a good or fair job with its economic policy, up five points from the previous month. Meanwhile, only 39 percent of Utahns think that the federal government is doing a good or fair job managing the economy. Although the approval rating of the federal government is still very low relative to the approval rating of the state government, Utahns’ appraisal of the federal government increased five percentage points this month and currently stands well above its historical average.

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