Unemployment ticks up just a bit in September

Utah’s unemployment rate continues to hover around 2 percent, among the lowest in the nation. In September, the jobless number ticked up one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.1 percent, meaning about 36,200 employable Utahns remain without a job, according to the latest report from the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

Meanwhile, the September national unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percent to 3.5 percent.{mprestriction ids="1,3"}

Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for September showed an increase of an estimated 3.5 percent over the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 56,100 jobs since September 2021. Utah’s current job count stands at 1,681,300.

“The calendar has moved us into the fall months and the Utah economy continues to produce strong economic numbers,” said Mark Knold, chief economist at the Department of Workforce Services. “Job growth remains above the state’s long-term average, and the unemployment rate endures in the historically low range. Job opportunities remain strong. Given the state’s extremely low unemployment rate and yet above-average job growth, we must conclude that Utah continues to have a large amount of labor in-migration from out of state to support the above-average job growth.”

Utah’s September private-sector employment recorded a year-over-year expansion of 3.8 percent, or a 51,900 job increase. Eight of Utah’s 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains, led by trade, transportation and utilities (up 13,600 jobs); construction (up 12,600 jobs); education and health services (up 11,500 jobs); and leisure and hospitality (up 9,900 jobs). One sector, financial activities, had a job contraction of 2,900 jobs and the other services sector had no employment change over the past year.{/mprestriction}