Employees at Utah colleges just received their biggest overall raise in decades — but with inflation and skyrocketing housing prices, some school leaders feel only “cautiously optimistic” about how much the boost will help them retain staff.
“The day-to-day costs of everything from child care to housing to pet food to groceries is all up,” said Lisa Rigtrup, operations manager in the Institutional Review Board at the University of Utah. “… Every little bit helps, but it’s pretty tough out there for everyone right now.”
Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature decided to grant Utah colleges enough funding for them to give pay increases up to 8.75% — but institutions get to decide exactly how the money is distributed.
The budget increase for raises is the largest Dave Woolstenhulme, commissioner for the Utah System of Higher Education, said he has seen in his 30 years working with colleges and universities in the state.
The second largest was last fiscal year, when a 5.75% increase was approved.
“This year is awesome for our employees and they definitely deserve it,” Woolstenhulme said. “I think it came about because of inflation across the board, and I think every employer has seen that — almost regardless of what industry you’re in.”
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