Utah jobless rate up an ‘insignificant’ tenth of a percentage point

Although Utah’s jobless rate ticked up slightly from June to July, it remains at a near-historic low and combined with other economic data, the change is considered statistically insignificant. 

The July unemployment rate for the state rose from June’s 3.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted 3.3 percent in July, meaning about 60,500 Utahns remain outside the workforce. 

The July national unemployment rate was also up a tenth of a percentage point to 4.2 percent.

Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for July was up an estimated 2.3 percent over the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 40,300 jobs since July 2024. The number of Utah residents holding jobs now stands at about 1,763,600.

“Robust job growth continues to fuel economic momentum, even as we see early signs of moderation in hiring trends” said Ben Crabb, chief economist with the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “While the unemployment rate has edged up slightly, it remains near historic lows, underscoring the resilience of our labor market.”

Utah’s July private-sector employment recorded year-over-year growth of 2.1 percent — a 31,100-job increase. Seven of the 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains. The overall gains were led by education and health services (up 19,600 jobs), construction (up 4,900 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (up 4,800 jobs). Trade, transportation and utilities (down 2,200 jobs) and other services (down 800 jobs) were the two areas that saw year-over-year job losses.

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