Utah unemployment rate hits new low at 1.9%
May 20, 2022, 11:00 AM
The Department of Workforce Services in Taylorsville is pictured on Thursday, April 15, 2021. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Workforce Services released its Utah employment summary for April 2022 on Friday morning. The report estimates that the Utah unemployment rate was 1.9% for the month of April.
The rate is a drop from March’s rate of 2.0%. The national unemployment rate remains at 3.6%.
“The year has progressed into the springtime and the Utah economy continues on its expansionary path,” said Mark Knold, chief economist at the Department of Workforce Services. “The unemployment rate has fallen to a new low of 1.9%. The rate has been heading downward all year to date, so the current rate brings us to what we anticipated by this spring season.”
The report said that 33,300 unemployed people in Utah.
Deputy Director of the DWS Nate McDonald said job growth for some sectors was also strong last month.
“All of our ten [major] industry groups are in positive job growth,” said McDonald.
According to the report, Utah’s private sector employment recorded a 57,600 job increase in the past year. The sectors with the most growth are Trade, Transportation, Utilities and Leisure and Hospitality.
Overall, Utah’s employment rate for non-agricultural jobs has gone up 3.9% in the past 12 months.
The report said Utah’s current job count stands at 1,664,800. The report said the state’s economy added 62,400 culminative jobs since April 2021.
Aimee Cobabe contributed to the reporting of this story.
