This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's economy supported 3.3 percent more jobs in February than in the same month a year earlier, the Utah Department of Workforce Services reported Friday.
The state's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.4 percent, with about 51,000 unemployed Utahns who are actively seeking work. Nationally, the jobless rate was 4.9 percent last month.
Adding 44,700 jobs over the past year boosted the state's nonfarm employment total to 1,395,100, with eight of 10 private industry sectors reporting job growth over the past year.
"Utah's businesses continue to provide opportunity for job seekers who have the skills needed in today's labor markets," said Carrie Mayne, the department's chief economist. She noted that the education and health services sector led the way with 9,700 new jobs, followed closely by trade, transportation and utilities (8,700 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (8,300 jobs, up 6.4 percent).
The biggest losses were in natural resources and mining (1,600 jobs).
On Thursday, a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report said Utah was the country's top state in nonfarm job growth in 2015, increasing 3.8 percent. Florida was second at 3.4 percent.
Utah also ranked first in the rate of job creation in retail trade, financial activity and professional, scientific and technical services, the agency said.
Mike Gorrell