The latest survey from AAA Utah, released Tuesday, shows that the state's motorists are paying an average of $2 per gallon for unleaded gasoline, a 15-cent increase from last month and a 44-cent increase from last year.

"Gasoline prices are as high as they have ever been, but when adjusted for inflation, they are not the highest burden they have ever been," Knold said. "It appears that the American consumer is currently absorbing this higher-gasoline-price blow and is not reducing driving plans or automobile buying habits. But if prices go higher and hold there, then a change is possible. History has shown that these adjustments usually result in economic downturns."

The department said nearly all industrial sectors in Utah added new jobs in April. Only the financial sector dropped 100 jobs last month, the department said, and that was to be expected as rising mortgage interest rates slowed the refinancing boom.

The three strongest growth areas are education and health services, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality, which accounted for 11,100 new year-over jobs together. Construction added 1,400 new jobs over April 2003, and the government sector grew by 1,900 positions, nearly all through hiring by local entities like school districts, cities and sewer districts.

Along the Wasatch Front, the department reported that the April unemployment rate in Salt Lake County was 4.6 percent, while it was 3.6 percent in Utah County, 4.3 percent in Davis County and 5.1 percent in Weber County.

San Juan County had the state's highest unemployment rate last month, at 9.8 percent.

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E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com