More homeowners in Utah and the nation fell behind on their mortgage payments or were in foreclosure in the third quarter as the economy plunged deeper into recession.

Nationally, the share of mortgages 30 days or more overdue rose to a seasonally adjusted 6.99 percent while loans already in foreclosure rose to 2.97 percent, both all-time highs in a survey that goes back nearly three decades, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a report Friday. The gain in delinquencies was driven by an increase of loans with payments 90 days or more overdue.

Utah's delinquency rate rose a hefty 64 basis points to 4.97 percent. But the rate of homeowners in the state who have fallen behind on their mortgages still remains low compared to the rest of the country, giving the state a 40th-place ranking among all states in delinquencies.

The chief reason why Utah's delinquency rate remains lower than the national average is that Utah's economy and real estate market began to deteriorate only as recently as early last year. Much of the rest of the country had a two-year head start.

The share of Utah loans already in the foreclosure process rose 20 basis points to 1.43 percent, but remains half the national rate.

Nationally and in Utah, the foreclosure problem has been aggravated by job losses. Utah's economy isn't immune to the national downturn, and has just begun to lose jobs. Economists are predicting further losses for Utah over the next year.

"Until we see a turnaround in the job situation, we're not going to see these numbers improve," said Jay Brinkmann, chief economist of the Washington-based bankers group.

The U.S. economy has shed 1.91 million jobs this year, while falling home prices have made it difficult for people who can't pay their mortgages to sell their property. Payrolls declined in each month of 2008 through November, the Labor Department said Friday.

New foreclosures fell to 1.07 percent from 1.08 percent in the second quarter as some states enacted laws to temporarily stop home repossessions and lenders increased efforts to modify the terms of loans, Brinkmann said. New foreclosures in Utah totaled 0.72 percent of outstanding loans.

U.S. home sales and prices began to tumble in 2006 after a five-year boom, dragging the economy into a recession that began in December 2007, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Utah's home sales began to slow early last year, and by summer had plummeted.

Home prices in Utah have yet to fall by the same double-digit margins as the rest of the country, which makes it easier for Utahns who have fallen behind on their mortgages to sell their properties at a high enough price to cover their mortgage obligations. But that could change if home prices here continue to fall.