This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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 job picture remains one of the nation's brightest.
The state's unemployment rate fell to 3.2 percent in October, a 0.2-percent decline, while the year-over-year job gain was 3.0 percent. That meant 41,900 more people had jobs than a year earlier, raising Utah's non-farm employment level to 1,443,700.
"The creation of more than 40,000 jobs," said department chief economist Carrie Mayne, "is an excellent way for the state to transition into the winter economy." The low unemployment rate, she added, shows "the potential for sustained growth well into 2017."
Nine of 10 private-sector industry groups reflected job increases since October of 2015, led by education and health services. That sector added 8,400 jobs, a 4.5 percent growth rate.
Businesses involved in trade, transportation and utilities added 9,500 positions in the past year, up 3.6 percent. The largest percentage gain occurred in the financial activities sector, with 6,900 new jobs equating to an 8.5 percent growth rate.
Some key sectors watched closely by economists to gauge where things are going showed moderate growth. Construction was up 2 percent (1,800 jobs), manufacturing 3 percent (3,800 positions) and leisure and hospitality 2.7 percent (3,600 jobs).
The only job losses took place in natural-resource extraction industries. There were 1,200 fewer miners, rig operators and service people, a decline of 11.5 percent.
The government-employment sector also rose 0.8 percent, or 2,000 positions.
Within Utah, job growth occurred in 20 counties. Nine others experienced losses.
Southwestern Utah showed the strongest expansion, with Washington County adding 6.4 percent more jobs to lead the state while Iron County was second at 5.7 percent.
Salt Lake County, with nearly half the state's jobs, rose 3.2 percent.
Elsewhere along the Wasatsch Front, job totals went up 5.0 percent in Utah County, 4.8 percent in Summit County, 4.9 percent in Wasastch County, 4.6 percent in Tooele County, 2.7 percent in Weber County and 1.2 percent in Davis County.
The largest job losses occurred in Uintah County (11.9 percent), followed by Beaver County (6.2 percent), Piute County (5.7 percent), Duchesne (4.9 percent) and both Carbon and Emery counties (2.6 percent).