A new report says Hill Air Force Base pumped nearly $3.3 billion into Utah’s economy in 2015.
Hill recently released its 2015 Economic Impact Statement, a report that documents the installation’s fiscal footprint on Utah’s economy.
According to the report, the base employs more than 5,000 active-duty and reserve Air Force personnel, more than 15,000 civilians and another 3,500 government contractors. Hill’s total federal payroll was $1.26 billion in 2015. More than $990 million went to civilian employees, with military personnel earning nearly $254 million.
Hill is Utah’s largest single-site employer, in terms of both total employees and salary paid out.
In 2015, Hill spent more than $814 million, which includes almost $37 million in base construction, $600 million in service contracts and $178 million to procure materials, equipment and supplies.
The EIS says work done at Hill creates an additional 27,000 indirect jobs worth $1.2 billion. The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development says the base’s biggest influence on jobs happens in the aerospace and defense industry, as the base relies on Utah companies to perform work in avionics, propulsion systems, advanced composites and software, aircraft and missile maintenance.
The base’s payroll, expenditures and indirect jobs created account for $3.26 billion, the report says.
“Hill is a boon to our economy,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
Hatch said the base’s “indispensable role” in the nation’s defense, which was recently bolstered by the arrival of the F-35, should keep the base viable for decades.
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, says the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, reflects Hill’s role. The bill authorizes $44.5 million dollars for construction projects at the base, which includes maintenance facilities, weapons maintenance storage units and F-35 facilities.
Base spokesman Rich Essary said the EIS report is completed by cost analysts on base and uses identifiable spending numbers associated with Hill. The report is provided to federal, state and local officials and can be viewed at www.hill.af.mil.
