Show Business volume increased in Vernal last year Business activity in Vernal increased by percent last year according to a study just released by Utah Foundation the private research organization For the state as a whole the overall gain in business volume amounted to percent during 1974 A large part of the increased dollar sales volume in 1974 however was due to inflation According to the report the average increase in the cost of living last year was 11 percent When adjustments are made for this use in the consumers consumer's price index the net gain for the state was only 07 percent This record however still was considerably better than the experience of the entire nation which last year registered an overall decline of 22 percent in personal conn consumption consumption con con- expenditures stated Inconstant in inconstant inconstant constant dol dollars TIlE THE FOUNDATION report shows that gross sales in Vernal as measured by local option sales tax collections amounted to during 1974 This compares with total business activity of in 1973 in 1970 and 1967 The total increase in business volume between 1967 and 1974 InVernal in inVernal inVernal Vernal was equal to 2173 percent Throughout the entire state business activity rose rooe by 1195 percent during this same period Inflation of course accounted for much of this gain gainin in the dollar volume of business activity Between 1967 and 1974 a percent rise was recorded in the consumers consumer's price index Some of the largest percentage per gains in bw business activity activity activity ac ac- last year were recorded Inthe in inthe inthe the smaller counties of the state The report shows that the 1974 increases amounted to percent in Duchesne County percent in Daggett County percent in Uintah County percent in Carbon County and percent in Piute Count County Foundation analysts attribute many o of f these gains to up stepped up i-up energy exploration and development in these areas TOTAL SALES SALE volumes throughout the state equaled 42 billion last year an Increase increase increase in In- crease of 11 percent over 1973 The study notes that the percentage percentage per per- gains were modest during the first half hall of the year but rose sharply in the last two quarters of 1974 More than half hall of all aU business activity in Utah is concentrated in Salt Lake County with half hall of the Salt Lake County total located within Salt Lake City proper During recent years however there has been some shifting of business activity away from the central business district to the suburban areas BETWEEN 1967 1961 and 1974 for example the dollar volume of business activity within Salt Lake City has risen by 81 percent compared with a gain of percent in the suburban areas of Salt Lake County The movement of d population from the city into the county along with the construction of large shopping malls in suburban areas are cited by the report as major factors responsible for this business shift |