By Ben Crabb, Chief Economist

Utah's economy has experienced an observable trend that has been occurring since early 2023: government job growth has been outpacing that of the private sector. High rates of growth in the public sector – which includes government employees in public administration roles as well as public education and hospitals – have helped keep Utah workers earning and spending as the broader labor market has slowed. While the contribution of the public sector to labor market performance has been beneficial, the private sector has typically been the bigger jobs-producing engine. What has been occurring in the past eighteen months that has allowed the public sector to outperform the private sector in job growth?

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SALT LAKE CITY (Sept. 20, 2024) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for August 2024 increased an estimated 2.3% across the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 40,300 jobs since August 2023. Utah’s current job count stands at 1,760,800. 

August’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 3.3%. Approximately 59,700 Utahns are unemployed. Utah’s July unemployment rate is unrevised at 3.2%. The August national unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.2%. More...

By Marilyn Cannon, Regional Economist

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides unemployment statistics for the nation. BLS does the data capturing, calculations, and publication. It distributes both statewide and county-level labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics. One variable that BLS does not provide at the county level is the labor force participation rate (LFPR). This article addresses how county-level participation rates are calculated. More...