Nicole Steele, the Castle Country Service Area Manager of the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), released a statement on Friday regarding employment, unemployment and all things job-related within the state of Utah.
According to the statement, the non-farm payroll employment in the state for March of 2021 increased 0.9% within the past 12 months. The state’s economy also added 13,800 jobs since March of last year. The current employment levels for Utah stand at 1,566,900 and the February year-over job change was revised from 0.0% to 0.1%.
It was also stated that March’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is estimated to be at 2.9% with an approximate 46,600 Utahns that are currently unemployed.
The state’s February unemployment rate is unchanged, sitting at 3.0% and the March national rate has lowered to 6.0%. According to DWS Chief Economist Mark Knold, March marks the first month in which the economic comparison is beginning to look back on the months of the COVID-19 economic disruption.
Knold stated that Utah’s underlying trend is positive and will continue and gain steam as the year progresses. While there are still COVID-19 economic setbacks to overcome, the state is ahead of the national curve in undergoing the repair economically. Continuing, it was stated that Utah’s March private sector employment recorded a year-over expansion of 1.8%.
In comparison, while Utah’s unemployment is at 2.9%, New Hampshire is at 3.0% and Idaho tops this particular report with 3.2%. For total job change, Idaho takes the lead at 1.8%, followed by Utah at 0.9% and South Dakota at -1.1%.