SALT LAKE CITY (May 21, 2021) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for April 2021 increased an estimated 2.3% across the past 24 months, with the state’s economy both returning and adding a cumulative 35,600 jobs since April 2019. Utah’s current employment level stands at 1,589,900. Utah’s March year-over job change is unrevised at 0.9%.

April’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 2.8%, with approximately 46,600 Utahns unemployed. Utah’s March unemployment rate is unchanged at 2.9%. The April national unemployment rate inched upward to 6.1%.[more]

“A year ago, COVID-19 closed significant portions of Utah’s economy,” reported Mark Knold, Chief Economist at the Department of Workforce Services. “Evaluating this year’s open economy against last year’s partially-closed economy does not illuminate Utah’s underlying economic progression. We will be better served comparing the current economy against two years ago; a time before the COVID-19 distortions. In that vein, Utah’s current employment count is 2.3% higher than recorded in April 2019. A typical year’s worth of Utah employment growth has taken two years to accomplish—c ommendable given the intervening COVID-19 disruption.”

Utah’s April private sector employment recorded a two-year expansion of 3.6%. Eight of Utah’s 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net two-year job gains, led by Professional and Business Services (15,700 jobs); Construction (11,900 jobs); Trade, Transportation and Utilities (9,800 jobs); and Financial Activities (8,800 jobs). Two industry groups with less employment than two years ago are Leisure and Hospitality Services (-7,600 jobs); and Natural Resources (-1,400 jobs).

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