Utah’s economy added 54,700 jobs over the past 12 months — roughly matching the population of Taylorsville, according to federal data released Friday.
That was an increase of 3.5 percent in nonfarm jobs since August 2017, which again ranked No. 1 in the nation — as it often has in recent months, according to new estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Utah’s labor market continues to perform at an optimal level with the addition of almost 55,000 jobs over the past year,” said Carrie Mayne, chief economist at the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
“The state’s labor force continues to grow and is quickly absorbed into the employment rolls by Utah’s expanding businesses,” she said.
The Utah job market has been so competitive, for example, that Salt Lake City International Airport officials say contractors have had trouble finding enough workers for its $3.6 billion project to build a replacement airport adjacent to its existing facility.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City International Airport's first phase construction of the $3.6 billion project is hitting the halfway mark Ñ and large new buildings and elevated roadways are more easily seen. Nearing completion is the new concourse for aircraft gates, an enclosed new terminal, the steel skeleton of a new ÒgatewayÓ building, a new five-story parking garage and elevated roadways.
Data show that nine of the 10 major sector industry groups report net job increases over the past 12 months. The exception was nautral resources and mining, which lost 200 jobs.
Utah sectors that saw the biggest increases were trade, transportation and utilities (13,700 jobs); education and health services (7,200 jobs); and leasure and hospitality (7,100 jobs).
New data also released on Friday said Utah’s unemployment rate in August was 3.1 percent — well below the national average of 3.9 percent.
Utah’s unemployment rate was unchanged from the previous month.
Nationally, unemployment rates in August were lower in 13 states, higher in three and stable in 34.
Hawaii had the nation’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.1 percent in August. Alaska had the highest at 6.7 percent.
Data estimate that 49,783 Utah adults were unemployed in August, roughly equivalent to the population of Logan.