Press Release
December 18, 2020

UTAH’S EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY: November 2020

SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 18, 2020) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for November 2020 has contracted by an estimated 0.2% across the past 12 months, with 2,800 fewer jobs since November 2019. Utah’s current employment level stands at 1,590,100. Utah’s October year-over job change remains unrevised at -0.5%.

November’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 4.3%, with approximately 70,900 Utahns unemployed. Utah’s October unemployment rate is unchanged at 4.1%. The national unemployment rate for November lowered from October’s 6.9% to 6.7%.

“Utah’s job market continues to incrementally improve with thousands of job openings in multiple industries,” reported Mark Knold, Chief Economist at the Department of Workforce Services. “Utah’s economy has shown itself to be one of the nation’s best in re-employing workers. While the pace of job improvement has slowed in the last few months, we anticipate continued job gains amidst this moderating trend as the economy moves through the winter months.”

Utah’s November private sector employment recorded a year-over decline of -0.1%, an improvement over October’s revised -0.7% deficit. Half of Utah’s 10 private-sector major industry groups posted net year-over job gains. These are Trade, Transportation and Utilities (10,700 jobs); Construction (5,200 jobs); Financial Activities (4,000 jobs); Manufacturing (3,700 jobs); and Other Services (2,200 jobs). Five industry groups remain with year-over employment declines, including Leisure and Hospitality Services (-19,300 jobs); Professional and Business Services (-2,200 jobs); Information (-2,200 jobs); Education and Health Services (-1,800 jobs); and Mining (-1,200 jobs).

* Additional analysis and tables at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/index.html

* County unemployment rates for November will be posted on or shortly after December 21, 2020, at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/une/season.pdf

* December employment information will be released at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, January 22, 2021.

Statistics generated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C., modeled from monthly employer (employment) and household unemployment) surveys.

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