| OCR Text |
Show Figure 1 Percentage Change in Population Utah---------------US 5 T 4-- 1951 1954 1957 1960 1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 Utah's percentage change in population is different from the nation's (Figure 1). While the total population in Utah and the U.S. increased between 1951 and 1991, the nation's rate of population increase fell, though not consistently. The Utah percentage change in population has fluctuated dramatically during this same time period. Utah's fluctuation is best revealed by its migration patterns (Figure 2). Utah's migration patterns are closely associated with economic conditions. In 1991 the state's in-migration rate is similar to that noted during the economic boom of the late 1970's and 1980. The recent rebound in in-migration is an indication of the relative strength of the current Utah economy. When there was a decline in jobs in Utah's mining, manufacturing, and construction industries during the mid-to-late 1980's, Utah experienced net out-migration of some 59,000 people. However, even as residents left the state, Utah's population still grew at a faster rate than the rest of the U.S., with natural increase (births minus deaths) supplying more than enough population growth to meet the still growing service sectors' employment needs of the state's economy. Utah's population increase is based on higher birth and fertility rates, and lower mortality rates than the nation (Figure 2). As a result, Utah's population is composed of large, young families. This can be an important factor in understanding health status, since generally speaking, a population's youth portends good health. DEMOGRAPHICS |
