| Jeff Thredgold |
Economist Jeff Thredgold was the keynote speaker at a Nov. 23 luncheon for Carbon and Emery-area business leaders hosted by Zions Bank. Thredgold’s 45-minute presentation explored the economic outlook for Carbon and Emery Counties, as well as for Utah and the country.
He also touched on the value of education, the quality of new jobs, and the importance of technology. “The Utah economy has been impressive in recent months,” said Thredgold, who is economic consultant to Zions Bank. He noted the unemployment rates in both Carbon and Emery Counties have fallen over the last 12 months. Carbon County’s jobless rate now stands at 5.6 percent, down from 7.4 percent a year ago. Unemployment in Emery County is 8.7 percent, down from 10.8 percent last year.
“Job growth in Utah is stronger than it has been in six years,” he said. “We expect job growth to continue across most sectors in coming months.”
Thredgold noted that the number of jobs in Carbon County has decreased by about 170 positions (-2.0 percent) over the last 12 months. But Emery County employment has increased by about 200 jobs, a healthy gain of 5.7 percent over the year.
In addition to serving as economic consultant to Zions Bancorporation, Thredgold is president of Thredgold Economic Associates, a professional speaking and economic consulting company. His career includes 23 years with KeyCorp, where he served as senior vice president and chief economist.
He has appeared dozens of times on CNBC-TV, the nation’s business network, as well as numerous appearances on CNN, and is quoted frequently in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Investor’s Business Daily, and Business Week.