Utah executives express optimism about financial future

More than half of Utah executives — 54 percent — report plans for increased spending in the year ahead, according to Zions Bank's Utah Quarterly Economic Forecast. The third-quarter 2010 report, conducted by Dan Jones & Associates gauges the health of the state's economy from the perspective of high-level Utah executives.

Among the 1,196 executives surveyed, 56 percent of panelists feel the impact of extending the Bush tax cuts will have a positive effect on their business.

Despite economic uncertainty, more Utah business leaders report being optimistic about the financial future of their companies than not. The report showed that 31 percent of executives surveyed have an optimistic outlook on a 10-point scale, while 9 percent said they are pessimistic.

Following the trend of the past seven straight quarters, the cost of employee health insurance is again the top concern among Utah executives, ranking above the cost of salaries and wages and the impact of inflation on the cost to do business.

— Jasen Lee