After a couple of months of steady unemployment data — both March and April saw 3.8 percent joblessness in Utah — the rate dropped slightly in May to 3.7 percent, according to data released by the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS).
Utah currently has about 67,900 out of the job market.
Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3 percent, according to a release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, D.C.
Utah's nonfarm payroll employment for May increased an estimated 1 percent over the past 12 months, with the state's economy adding a cumulative 16,900 jobs since May 2025. The number of state residents currently employed stands at 1,790,100.
"The latest data confirms Utah's economic foundation remains secure, with broad sectoral growth," said Ben Crabb, chief economist with DWS. "While the unemployment rate remains low, a declining labor force participation rate and an increase in underemployment suggest not all labor resources are being fully utilized."
Utah's May private-sector employment has recorded a year-over-year expansion of 1.2 percent, or a 17,800-job increase. Seven of the 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains. The overall gains are led by professional and business services (up 7,100 jobs), education and health services (up 6,800 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up 2,400 jobs). Information services (off 1,100 jobs), manufacturing (down 1,000 jobs) and natural resources (down 500 jobs) experienced the largest year-over-year job losses.
Additional information and analysis on Utah's employment situation, including county-by-county statistics, are available at the DWS website, jobs.utah.gov.
