This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's economy sailed along in March, supporting 45,700 more jobs than it did a year earlier, a solid 3.2 percent year-over-year growth rate.
The state's unemployment rate held steady at 3.1 percent, among the nation's best, the Utah Department of Workforce Services reported Friday. About 47,700 unemployed Utahns are actively seeking work, said Carrie Mayne, the department's chief economist, while the state's employment total climbed to 1,455,600.
"Job growth continues at a firm pace, providing additional employment opportunities across multiple industries," she added. "Utahns looking to improve their employment situation should take advantage of Utah's expansionary economy."
Employment gains were recorded in eight of 10 private sector categories, led by trade, transportation and utilities (8,700 jobs); professional and business services (8,200 jobs) and education and health services (6,800 jobs).
While they're new-job numbers were not as big, the construction and leisure/hospitality sectors showed the largest percentage increases in employment, 4.7 percent.
Continuing a trend, the natural resources and mining sector lost 900 positions since March of 2016, while the information industry also was down by 600 positions.