Press Release
June 21, 2024

UTAH’S EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY: May 2024

SALT LAKE CITY (June 21, 2024) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for May 2024 increased an estimated 2.2% across the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 38,100 jobs since May 2023. Utah’s current job count stands at 1,759,600.

May’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 2.9%. Approximately 51,900 Utahns are unemployed. Utah’s April unemployment rate is unrevised at 2.8%. The May national unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.0%.

“Strong job gains in manufacturing and construction, along with hiring in the public sector, have helped maintain solid overall job growth,” said Ben Crabb, Chief Economist at the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “Industries that have faced challenges recently, including financial activities, information, and leisure and hospitality, are seeing some improvement as the May employment estimates show a state economy  expanding at a healthy pace, reinforcing a positive outlook of steady growth for the remainder of the year.” 

Utah’s May private sector employment recorded a year-over-year expansion of 1.8%, or a 25,700-job increase. Eight of the ten major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains. The overall gains are led by education and health services (10,600 jobs), construction (6,500 jobs), and manufacturing (4,000 jobs). Financial activities (-100 jobs), and information (-100 jobs) were the only sectors with year-over-year job losses.

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