Utah hires rural, remote state workers to boost economies

Abigail Borrego has experienced all the hustle and bustle of big city life. But when it came time to raise a family, she wanted to return to a smaller area in Utah—one without traffic, pollution and smaller class sizes for her children.

“I like being able to avoid the traffic. I like the smaller population. Where we live, we’re close to the mountains and have access to national parks and entertainment and shopping,” the 46-year-old Medicaid program specialist said. “If I can just stay out of the larger cities. I would just be happy for the rest of my life.”

Borrego is among a growing number of Utah residents working for the state government but outside of the capital of Salt Lake City. It’s part of an initiative to allow government workers to do their jobs remotely, thereby allowing them to remain in smaller communities outside of the Wasatch Front, a metropolitan region of Utah that stretches along the Wasatch Range, containing major cities like Salt Lake City, West Valley City and Provo.