Press Release
April 21, 2023

UTAH’S EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY: March 2023

SALT LAKE CITY (April 21, 2023)  — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for March 2023 increased an estimated 2.7% across the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 44,100 jobs since March 2022. Utah’s current job count stands at 1,705,400.

March’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 2.4%. Approximately 41,700 Utahns are unemployed. Utah’s February unemployment rate is unrevised at 2.4%. The March national unemployment rate moved down one notch to 3.5%.

“The Utah labor market continues to show strength through the first three months of 2023,” said Department of Workforce Services’ Chief Economist Mark Knold. “Layoffs remain low, and finding adequate labor to fill open jobs remains a challenge. In spite of this challenge, the state’ s labor force continues to find a supply of workers. During the past year, Utah’s economy added 44,100 new jobs. However, we are seeing the rate of job openings coming down from the COVID-era peak of a year ago. The rate of job openings is still higher than anything seen before the pandemic. Available jobs are still plentiful.”

Utah’s March private sector employment recorded a year-over-year expansion of 2.7%, or a 37,400 job increase. Nine of ten major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains, led by education and health services (10,300 jobs); leisure and hospitality services (7,500 jobs); construction (5,900 jobs); and professional/business services (5,600 jobs). The only sector with an over-the-year employment contraction is financial activities (-2,400 jobs).

  • 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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