Utah County’s unemployment stayed steady through April at 2.3%, according to the newest available data released by the Utah Department of Workforce Services. The state of Utah, as a whole, also remained at 2.3% unemployment.

The state evaluates unemployment through multiple measures including by county, by metropolitan area and by industry. From April into May, the largest increase in employment came in retail trade (about 400 jobs) and education and health services (1,000 jobs) across the Provo-Orem area — comprised of Utah and Juab counties.

The area saw an increase of approximately 400 jobs in the month-to-month review, with decreases in durable goods manufacturing, financial activities, professional/business services, leisure/hospitality and local government.

“Springtime is here, and the Utah economy is ready for its yearly injection of new labor into the economy,” DWS economist Mark Knold said in a press release. “Spring graduation is the most prolific time of the year for new labor to infuse the Utah economy. Whether from high school graduation or college, young working age people approach the labor market — some for the first time, some for a more expanded and full-time role. This is the life-blood for the Utah economy.”

Across the state, unemployment was recorded at higher levels in May 2023 than May 2022 aside from five rural counties — Daggett, Duchesne, Garfield, San Juan and Uintah counties. Utah County in May 2022 had the third-lowest unemployment rate in the state at 1.8%.

According to DWS, job gains were seen in eight major private industry sectors including: leisure and hospitality services (16,100 jobs); education and health services (8,500 jobs); professional/business services (6,600 jobs); and construction (4,700 jobs).

According to a WalletHub ranking of states, Utah is tied for the seventh-lowest unemployment rate in the country.

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