Press Release
October 22, 2021

SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 22, 2021) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for September 2021 increased an estimated 3.4% across the past 24 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 53,600 jobs since September 2019. Utah’s current employment level stands at 1,625,200.

September’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 2.4%, with approximately 40,100 Utahns unemployed. Utah’s August unemployment rate was lowered to 2.5%. The September national unemployment rate continued to decline, registering 4.8%.

“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 September private sector employment recorded a two-year expansion of 4.5%. Seven of Utah’s 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net two-year job gains, led by Trade, Transportation and Utilities (17,800 jobs); Professional and Business Services (15,500 jobs); Construction (12,200 jobs); and Manufacturing (8,800 jobs). Three industry groups with less employment than two years ago are Leisure and Hospitality Services (-3,500 jobs); Natural Resources and Mining (-1,200 jobs); and Other Services (-600 jobs).

• Additional analysis and tables at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/index.html
• County unemployment rates for September will post on or shortly after October 25, 2021, at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/une/season.pdf
• October’s employment information will be released at 7 a.m. on Friday, November 19, 2021.

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

Listen to Chief Economist Mark Knold shares his analysis of the September 2021 employment report: https://soundcloud.com/utahdws/utah-employment-report-september-2021/s-TgAKCiG4C2B?si=8c4a9a7b351c41ab8fac352790d7cf0d