Steady as she goes: Utah jobless rate stays at a low 3.3 percent

As the nation’s unemployment rate crept up in August, Utah’s jobless numbers remained steady for the third consecutive month. 

The Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS) reported Utah’s August rate at 3.3 percent, meaning about 61,700 residents remain out of the workforce. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.3 percent.

Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for August is up an estimated 1.9 percent across the previous 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 33,600 jobs since August 2024. Utah’s current job count stands at about 1,774,000.

“Utah’s labor market continues to show job gains and a low unemployment rate,” said Ben Crabb, chief economist with the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “While some industries are cooling, the overall picture reflects a resilient economy with increasing wages and job openings exceeding the number of unemployed individuals.”

Utah’s August private-sector employment recorded a year-over-year growth of 1.7 percent, a 25,600-job increase. Seven of the 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains. The overall gains are led by education and health services (up 20,000 jobs), leisure and hospitality (up 4,200 jobs) and financial activities (up 1,700 jobs). The trade, transportation and utilities sector has lost about 3,000 jobs, while the “other services” category lost an estimated 1,300 jobs.

Additional information and analysis on Utah’s employment situation, including county-by-county statistics, are available at the DWS website, jobs.utah.gov.