Press Release
November 20, 2020

UTAH’S EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY: October 2020

SALT LAKE CITY (Nov. 20, 2020) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for October 2020 has contracted by an estimated 0.5% across the past 12 months, with 8,400 fewer jobs since October 2019. Utah’s current employment level stands at 1,578,700. Utah’s September year-over job change has been revised up from -0.9% to -0.6%.

October’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 4.1%, with approximately 67,200 Utahns unemployed. Utah’s September unemployment rate is unchanged at 5.0%. The national unemployment rate for October lowered from September’s 7.9% to 6.9%.

“Utah continues pushing its job losses toward the point of net neutrality,” reported Mark Knold, Chief Economist at the Department of Workforce Services. “Eliminating Utah’s year-over job losses would be a milestone within the greater national pandemic’s economic sphere. Not only would it be the launching point from which Utah’s economy will once again grow, but it would mark Utah as one of the first states to regain economic expansion.”

Utah’s October private sector employment recorded a year-over decline of -0.6%, an improvement above September’s revised -0.9% deficit. Half of Utah’s 10 private-sector major industry groups posted net year-over job gains. These are Trade, Transportation and Utilities (10,500 jobs); Construction (5,100 jobs); Financial Activities (3,000 jobs); Other Services (2,700 jobs); and Manufacturing (1,300 jobs). Five industry groups remain with year-over employment declines. These include Leisure and Hospitality Services (-21,700 jobs); Professional and Business Services (-4,100 jobs); Information (-2,100 jobs); Education and Health Services (-2,000 jobs); and Mining (-1,100 jobs).

* Additional analysis and tables at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/index.html

* County unemployment rates for October will be posted on or shortly after November 23, 2020, at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/une/season.pdf

* November employment information will be released at 7 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020.

Statistics generated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C., modeled from monthly employer (employment) and household unemployment) surveys.

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