Utah leads the nation in job growth, ties for 2nd in lowest unemployment rate

Utah welcome sign | Photo by AndreyKrav/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY — Following the release of the November 2019 employment numbers for the state of Utah, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows Utah is ranked No. 1 for total job growth in the U.S. at 3.3%.

In addition, Utah is ranked No. 1 for private sector job growth at 3.7%. For unemployment, Utah is ranked No. 2 at 2.4%, tied with South Carolina.

According to a press release from the Utah Department of Workforce Services, Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for November 2019 grew by an estimated 3.3%, adding 51,600 jobs to the economy since November 2018. Utah’s current employment level registers 1,595,800, and October’s year-over job growth is unrevised at 3.3%.

November’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate lowered one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.4%. This matches Utah’s lowest recorded unemployment rate, only seen before in early 2007. Approximately 39,200 Utahns were unemployed and actively seeking work during November. The national unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.5%.

“Utah’s unemployment rate has fallen by four-tenths of a percentage points over the past four months,” Mark Knold, chief economist at the Department of Workforce Services, said in the press release. “Rapid declines in such a low unemployment environment point to an economy running at full steam. Employment opportunities are plentiful.”

Utah’s private sector employment grew by 3.7% year-over with the addition of 47,500 positions. Once again, all 10 of the private sector major industry groups measured in the establishment survey posted net job increases in November.

The largest private sector employment increases were in education and health services (12,500 jobs); construction (9,500 jobs); and professional and business services, along with leisure and hospitality services, both with 6,300 new jobs.

The fastest employment growth occurred in construction (9.1%); education and health services (6.0%); and leisure and hospitality services (4.3%).

The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows Utah rankings as follows:

Total job growth:

  • Utah – 3.3%
  • Texas, Nevada – 2.7%
  • Idaho – 2.6%

Private sector job growth

  • Utah – 3.7%
  • Texas – 3.0%
  • Washington – 2.9%

Unemployment rate

  • Vermont – 2.3%
  • Utah, South Carolina – 2.4%
  • North Dakota – 2.5%
  • Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, New Hampshire, Virginia – 2.6%
  •  Alabama – 2.7%

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

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