By Gwen Kervin

Since March of 2022, the Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates in an attempt to cool inflation and slow the economy. However, so far, the effect on Utah’s labor market has been minimal. Constricted labor markets following the COVID pandemic caused employers to have a hard time filling open positions. Because employers struggled to find workers, a large gap developed in unmet labor demand. This elevated wages, which in turn lured marginal workers into the labor force, helping to fill some of the vacancies. While Utah continues to turn in job growth numbers, growth rates have come down from the highs experienced in 2021 and 2022, resulting in a reduction in the unmet labor gap. Because of this, any additional Fed rate moves could have a more immediate influence on the Utah labor market going forward. More...

SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 22, 2023) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for November 2023 increased an estimated 2.0% across the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 34,700 jobs since November 2022. Utah’s current job count stands at 1,744,100.

November’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 2.8%, a one-tenth of a percentage-point increase over October. Approximately 50,300 Utahns are unemployed. Utah’s October unemployment rate is unrevised at 2.7%. The November national unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage-point to 3.7%. More...

Marilyn Cannon, Regional Economist

Utah continues to be a state that emphasizes the importance and value of education, something that is increasingly apparent as the average education level and number of enrollees in Utah colleges and universities continues to rise. Women, in particular, have been pursuing higher education at greater rates than men. The Utah economy has rewarded individuals obtaining higher degrees. They have greater access to employment opportunities as the number of jobs requiring higher education has increased. These jobs are also, on average, higher paying opportunities.

It is interesting to note that while college education is increasingly popular in Utah, there is a decreasing number of students enrolling in higher education in other states. From 2019 to 2022, only three states saw an increase in college enrollments. Utah topped the charts with enrollments going up 3.6%. The other 47 states saw fewer students filling the chairs in colleges and universities. This Utah enrollment increase is driven by a few different factors. The state has a young population, creating more potential for enrollment growth. Utah also has relatively less expensive education, recently ranked as the state with the highest degree value. This measure compares the cost of tuition and the earnings potential from a degree. The importance Utahns place on higher education also encourages high enrollment numbers. A 2022 survey found that 74% of Utahns feel that higher education is worth the cost. More...