Utah jobless rate at 7.6%

SALT LAKE CITY — The unemployment rate in Utah for October 2010 rose almost 1 percent compared to the same period last year. The Utah Department of Workforce Services reported that 7.6 percent of Utahns are out of work, compared to 9.6 nationally.

Last October, the state's jobless rate was 6.7 percent, a 0.9 percentage-point increase over the past 12 months. Approximately 102,400 Utahns are considered unemployed, while total wage and salary employment measured 1,204,400.

The state economy showed year-over-year employment improvement, with all occurring in the private sector, according to DWS senior economist Mark Knold.

"The latest national employment profile showed a re-emerging employment expansion in October, and it is anticipated that Utah will not be far behind with an accompanying response," he wrote in a prepared statement.

He said the Utah labor force has grown by 4,100 workers since June, yet the count of those employed within the labor force is unchanged.

"So those who have increased the labor force size have all done so upon the unemployed side of the ledger," he said.

This may be a reflection of discouraged workers slowly making their way back into the labor market, he explained.

"By being active once again in looking for a job, a previously discouraged worker is now counted in the unemployment statistics as unemployed until they find a job," Knold said.

Discouraged workers are those who do not have a job, may wish to have one, but have not been looking for a job because they are "discouraged" by their prospects within the unfavorable economy.

"The key to being included or excluded in the labor force and the unemployment rate is active participation, he said. "If one is not actively looking for a job, then that (person) is not included in the labor force or the unemployment rate."

e-mail: jlee@desnews.com