Lee DavidsonUtah’s economy continues to be a powerful job creator — ranking No. 2 nationally between March 2018 and March 2019, data released Friday show.
Utah’s job growth rate was 3.0% in that time, ranking behind only behind the 3.4% in neighboring Nevada. Idaho was No. 3 at 2.7%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Utah added 44,500 jobs over that yearlong period, data show.
“Utah has led the nation in its rate of job growth during the nearly 10 years since the Great Recession,” said Mark Knold, senior economist at the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “The current 3.0% growth continues that trend, and there is little on the immediate horizon to suggest it will soon change.”
Nine of the 10 private sector industry groups measured in Utah showed net job increases in March. The other one, “other services,” lost 200 jobs.
The largest private sector employment increases were in leisure and hospitality (8,900 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (8,600 jobs); and education and health services (6,000 jobs). The fastest employment growth sector by percentage was information (6.7%); leisure and hospitality (6.0%); and natural resources (4.3%).
Data was also released Friday about unemployment in the states.
In Utah, March’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.0% was unchanged from February and marks the lowest rate in Utah since early 2008. About 47,200 Utahns were unemployed and were seeking jobs last month.
Utah’s unemployment rate was significantly lower than the 3.8% rate nationally.
North Dakota and Vermont had the lowest unemployment rates in March, 2.3 percent each. Alaska had the highest jobless rate, 6.5 percent.
Lee has worked at The Tribune since 2011. He previously was a reporter for 28 years at the Deseret News, including 18 years as its Washington, D.C., correspondent. He covers politics, transportation and demographics.