Employers can move Utah's economy forward.

• Author: Francom, Sarah Ryther
• Position: From the Editor

One of Utah's many strengths has long been is its youthful workforce. Utah, in fact, has the nation's youngest population; the state's median age is 28.5, the nation's is 36.8.

In our annual Forty Under 40 recognition feature, we celebrate 40 of the state's rising entrepreneurs, business execs and community builders. These 40 individuals are already making a difference in Utah and are quickly on their way to becoming tomorrow's major players. We applaud their accomplishments. Read their stories beginning on page 42.

While it's encouraging to see so many young Utahns making a difference in our business community, it is also a time to reflect upon how the Great Recession has impacted another side of Utah's youth, a group often referred to as the Recession Generation or the Lost Generation. While there's no doubt that today's economy has impacted everyone in one way or another, it's been argued that the individuals who will be most burdened by today's economy are those in their young- to mid-20s. Though many in this age group are college educated, hard working and motivated, they haven't been able to obtain the real work experience needed to start and build a long-term career. By the time they reach their early 30s, many will have glaring holes in their resumes and may even be overshadowed by younger, fresh-out-of-college individuals.

Utah's unemployment rate has now reached 7.5 percent--the highest rate since 1982, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Peri Kinder, a frequent Utah Business contributor, describes the states increasing unemployment number from the perspective of the unemployed in "Help Not Wanted." This feature...