Utah Retirement Systems’ pension payments help keep Utah’s economy buzzing, supporting thousands of jobs and significantly boosting the tax base.

A recent study by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows how these payments ripple throughout the state’s economy.

The economic activity generated by URS pension payments in 2024 supported more than 7,200 Utah jobs and $377 million in wages for an $828.8 million overall economic impact in Utah.

In 2024, URS paid more than $2.1 billion in pension benefits to more than 72,000 Utahns, an amount so large, it’s equivalent to 0.9 percent of the state’s total personal income. For perspective, this is larger than the earnings paid by many entire industries in Utah, including motor vehicle and parts dealers, truck transportation, and repair and maintenance, according to the study.

The average portion of benefits paid through investment returns over the past 10 years is about 66.5 percent.

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