This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The state's economy supported almost 46,000 more jobs in July than it did a year earlier, one of the more robust monthly gains since the recession.
But with growing confidence in the economy enticing more people to look for work again, Utah's unemployment ticked up a bit to 3.7 percent, still well below the national average of 6.2 percent.
"July's 3.6 percent growth is the highest thus far in 2014, both in terms of rate and numerical change compared to 2013," Carrie Mayne, the state Department of Workforce Services' chief economist, said Friday in releasing July's employment report.
"While the number of unemployed individuals showed a slight uptick from June," she added, "labor market expansion is strong enough that the new job seekers will likely find many opportunities."
The report put Utah's nonfarm payroll employment at 1,325,300 in July and said all 10 private-sector industry groups reported job increases over the previous year. Construction fared the best, growing 10.6 percent (8,200 jobs). About 51,800 Utahns were actively seeking work last month, Mayne noted.
Mike Gorrell