Utah continues to put fewer recruits into Army uniforms than most other states, according to a report from a nonprofit that has been tracking military volunteerism since 2005.

And recruiters expect the state's recent economic downturn to give only a modest boost to recruiting.

In the latest report from the National Priorities Project, Utah ranked 43rd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia for its rate of active-duty Army enlistment.

The Beehive State is among the most conservative in the nation and polls indicate Utahns support the military and its missions at rates far exceeding the national average. But no western state ranked lower for enlistment.

One often-cited reason is Utah's most common religious affiliation: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends many of its recruitment-age men and women on religious missions.

Professional recruiters see another factor in Utah's low numbers -- the state's relative insulation from the economic woes that other parts of the country have been facing for the past few years.

Speaking from Nevada, where he oversees several recruiting companies, Salt Lake City Recruiting Battalion Commander David Clonts noted that Las Vegas' unemployment rate is about twice the rate in Utah. Perhaps not coincidentally, Nevada ranked second in the country for enlistment.

Utah's economy may be changing, however. The state's seasonally-adjusted jobless rate rose to 4.3 percent last month -- up 0.6 percent from November, according to the Department of Workforce Services.

Utah's rate still remains well below the U.S. unemployment rate of 7.2 percent, but Clonts said the rise might play a small role in increasing recruiting.

He noted, however, that the Army doesn't simply accept everyone willing to join.

"It's not just a matter of if they don't have a job anymore they can join the Army," Clonts said. "We have people walk in all the time and they've lost their job, so they're interested, but they also have legal issues or they're overweight -- we can't take them."

That might change, too: The Army's top recruiter said this week that the nation's largest military branch is talking about starting a camp to help overweight recruits slim down before boot camp.

Accepting the cultural realities that make Utah a poor place to troll for teenage recruits, the Defense Department in 2005 specifically asked Utah to increase its efforts for the National Guard -- which tends to attract older recruits and offers furloughs for religious missions.

Utah now draws an above-average number of recruits and last month, it was recognized as one of only three states to meet all of the National Guard Bureau's goals for recruiting and retention in 2008.

Prior Salt Lake Tribune reviews of recruiting data show that's not enough to make Utah's overall military burden equivalent to surrounding states, but Clonts believes it's worth noting that Utahns do tend "to find other ways to serve their country" beside joining up straight out of high school.

The regular Army is trying to do its part, too, he said, noting the number of Army recruits from Salt Lake City and Ogden in the last fiscal quarter increased 26 percent over the same period a year earlier. That might account in part for Utah's moderate jump in the enlistment rankings from 49th last year.

The economy might also be affecting service members' decisions on whether to stay in the military. Currently, only about half of the airmen at Hill Air Force Base choose to continue their service after their first enlistment.

"There are lots of reasons they might be getting out," said Julie McQueen, who advises enlisted airmen on retention at Hill. "It can be family, it can be education and it can be opportunities -- better job offers on the outside."

McQueen said the souring economy didn't seem to make a dent in reenlistment numbers last year, but she has started to hear some voice concerns about the civilian economy. "A few do say, 'Yes, I'm staying in because of that,' " she said.

mlaplante@sltrib.com