January 25, 2022
Summary
Utah remained unchanged with 0 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage point to 1.9 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Utah added 67,100 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 1.4 percentage points from 3.3 percent.
In December, Utah’s private sector added 800 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 62,800 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 2,709 on net in December, and over the past year employment rose by 79,781.
Utah’s labor force participation rate rose to 68.2 percent in December from 68 percent. Since last year, the labor force participation rate rose by 1 percentage point.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Utah Payroll Employment
Utah remained unchanged with 0 net payroll jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Utah added 3,900 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Utah added 67,100 payroll jobs, or 4.3 percent. Utah nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 10 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Utah is tied for 19th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Utah’s private-sector added 800 jobs, or approximately 0.1 percent. The private-sector in Utah added 4,100 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Utah added 62,800, or 4.7 percent. Utah private-sector payroll employment has increased in each of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Utah ranks 20th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (1,200) and Construction (1,100). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Government (-800) and Professional and Business Services (-1,500).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (15,900) and Leisure and Hospitality (12,900). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Other Services (1,800) and Mining and Logging (200).
Utah Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Utah rose to 68.2 percent in December from 68 percent in the prior month. At a labor force participation rate of 68.2 percent, Utah ranks 6th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Utah rose by 1 percentage point from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Utah was 68.9 percent last occurring in June 2020. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Utah last occurred in November 1994 when the labor force participation rate hit 73.4 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 66.2 percent , last occurring in May 2020. The series low for the labor force participation rate in Utah last occurred in April 1976 when the labor force participation rate hit 62.5 percent.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Utah civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 66.9 from 66.6 percent in the prior month. At 66.9 percent, Utah ranks 2nd among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Utah rose by 1.9 percentage points from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Utah was 67 percent last occurring in December 2019. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Utah last occurred in February 2007 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 71.4 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 61.1 percent in April 2020. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Utah occurred in March 1976 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 58.8 percent.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.