UTAH (ABC4) – As the pandemic caused dramatic decreases in unemployment across the nation, the state of Utah has seen growth despite the hardships.
A new report released by the Department of Workforce Services tracks the period between September 2019 to September 2021. In those 24 months, Utah’s (nonfarm) payroll enrollment has increased by 3.4%.
That equates to the cumulative addition of 53,600 jobs since September 2019. Currently, Utah’s employment level reports 1,625,200 active workers in the state.
“The Utah economy is still moving strongly through the greater pandemic event,” said Mark Knold, Chief Economist at the Department of Workforce Services. “Utah’s economy has more jobs now than it did prior to the pandemic’s onset and that speaks to Utah’s economic resiliency. There remains room for improvement as the population’s labor force engagement is below what it was before the pandemic. For some, trepidations remain about re-engaging in work, i.e., public interaction. We view this as a natural and short-term condition and not a new normal.”
Utah’s private sector employment saw a two-year continued growth of 4.5%. With Utah’s 10 major private-sector industry groups, seven of them reported two-year gains, with the most growth by the trade, transportation, and utility sector reporting 17,800 jobs.
The other sectors contributing to Utah’s growth include professional and business services with 17,800 jobs, the construction industry with 12,200 jobs, and the manufacturing sector with 8,800 jobs.
Although most Utah industries saw growth, the few that reported declines include the leisure and hospitality services, which was down 3,500 jobs, and the natural resources and mining sector which was down 1,200 jobs.
To check out the full report, click here.