The university's monthly Business Conditions Index for Utah rose to 67.7 last month from 58.5 in March and 64.4 in February.

Unlike some other parts of the country, Utah is experiencing only a little negative fallout from the downturn in the national housing market and an increase in delinquencies among subprime borrowers (generally at-risk consumers who have high-interest loans), the report said.

Creighton University Economics Professor Ernie Goss noted that Utah's job growth is continuing at a rate four times that of the national average.

The report is based on a survey of corporate purchasing managers. The index ranges from zero to 100; an index number greater than 50 indicates that there will be economic growth in the months ahead, while an index number less than 50 demonstrates economic weakness.

For the Mountain States region, which includes Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, the Business Conditions Index rose to 75.3 in April from 65.3 in March.