More than 36,000 families in Utah are behind on their mortgages and another 13,000 are in the foreclosure process, but the state's share of problem loans remains well below the national average, a new report shows.

About 3 percent of 434,983 mortgages were in the foreclosure process in the state at the end of the third quarter, a rate that's been increasing but that remains well below the national foreclosure rate of nearly 4.5 percent, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Thursday.

The group's National Delinquency Survey that showed that about 8.4 percent of loans in Utah were at least 30 days past due in the third quarter.

Utah's delinquency rate is up significantly from just under 5 percent in the same quarter last year. But it remains lower than the record-breaking national rate of 9.6 percent.

Delinquencies are an early indicator of foreclosures, in which a homeowner loses a property. Many, but not all, delinquencies lead to foreclosure.

"While it's our worst recession since the Great Depression, the numbers reflect the fact that it's not as bad here as it is in many parts of the country," said Salt Lake City economist Jeff Thredgold, a consultant to Zions Bank.

In the report, Utah ranks in the middle of states in both delinquencies and foreclosures.

While risky loans made at the height of the real estate boom are part of the foreclosure problem in Utah and other parts of the country, the largest factor for struggling homeowners today is the dismal job market, economists say.

In Utah and elsewhere, many people have faced pay cuts, furloughs and job losses. Many homeowners who have lost jobs often can't find another one with comparable pay fast enough to stay current on the mortgages. And many don't have enough savings to keep them afloat financially until better times.

Cathy Hoskins, executive director of the Salt Lake Community Action program, said her housing counselors have been busy lately trying to help homeowners in trouble. She said those struggling to pay their home loans should steer clear of companies promising to fix loan programs for an upfront fee. "You don't have to pay for counseling," Hoskins said.

She said many nonprofit and government entities can provide counseling at no cost. (Sources of counseling can be found at http://www.hecutah.org.)

The disturbing trend for many housing counselors is that delinquencies and foreclosures are becoming a problem across all loan categories, including fixed-rate loans and those backed by the Federal Housing Administration. Nationally, more than 18 percent of borrowers with loans insured by the federal government are at least one payment behind or in foreclosure, the report said.

Selling their home hasn't been a viable solution for many property owners for about two years now because home prices have been on the decline and a number of Utahns now owe more on their mortgages than their home is worth. Many people simply can't sell their homes fast enough and at a high enough price to cover their mortgage.

Some homeowners are able to do a short sale in which their mortgage holder accepts less than they are owed. But these types of transactions can take months to complete.

Experts agree that the housing market isn't going to improve until delinquencies and foreclosures begin to taper off. About 4 million homeowners nationwide were either in foreclosure or at least three months behind on their mortgage payments as of September, according to the mortgage bankers group. Even if a quarter of those borrowers are able to stay in their homes, "there's a lot of potential inventory coming into the market next year," said Jay Brinkmann, chief economist with the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.