Unemployment in Utah jumped sharply in December as job losses spread beyond the hard-hit construction industry, the state Department of Workforce Services said Tuesday.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 4.3 percent last month , up 0.6 percent from November but still well below the U.S. unemployment rate of 7.2 percent in December.

Utah's unemployment rate was 2.9 percent in December 2007, when the U.S. recession officially began.

The number of jobs in Utah contracted by 1.9 percent in December. Utah's economy has lost 24,600 jobs in the 12 months ending Dec. 31, although state economists consider that estimate by the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics to be overstated by as much as 10,000.

"I think it's too aggressive," Workforce Department economist Mark Knold said. "Does that mean Utah doesn't have job contraction? That's not what I'm saying. I just don't think our contraction is that deep."

Job losses continued to be centered in construction, down 18.4 percent from December 2007.

But Knold said all industries lost jobs in December, continuing a trend that began in November.

"I do think the economy in Utah definitely got worse in December. There's no doubt about it."