More Utahns working in March; jobless rate at 7.6 pct.

SALT LAKE CITY — The number of Utahns drawing a paycheck rose slightly in March 2011 over the same time last year.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services reported Thursday a 12-month increase of 18,900 jobs, raising the total wage and salary employment to 1,187,400 — a 1.6 percent expansion over March 2010.

The state jobless rate for the month was 7.6 percent compared to the national unemployment rate of 8.9 percent. Last March, the state’s jobless rate was 8.0 percent, a 0.4 percentage-point decline over the past 12 months.

Approximately 102,900 Utahns are considered unemployed, according to the report.

Economic growth continues in Utah, although still at a slow pace, said DWS senior economist Mark Knold.

"Most industries have begun to add jobs once again to their payrolls as only three industries — construction, information, and financial activities — are still showing job losses over the past 12 months," he said. "Nearly 19,000 jobs have been added back to the Utah economy, making some headway against the roughly 75,000 jobs removed during the recent recession."

The industry with the largest over-the-year percentage growth is natural resources, which includes mining and oil and gas, showing a 5.8 percent increase over the past year. The hike represents a modest total of around 600 jobs statewide.

Knold attributed the increase to the oil and gas sectors' response to the rising price of those commodities.

The professional and business services sector showed the most robust gains, adding more than 6,000 new jobs over the past year. Employment flowing through temporary help and employment services is a major contributing factor, Knold explained.

And while many Utahns may lament the prolonged chilly and snowy weather, there has been a substantial economic benefit, Knold said.

"Leisure and hospitality employment is up an encouraging 2,500 jobs over the past year," he said. "Ample snowfall this year has been a plus for Utah’s ski industry." 

E-mail: jlee@desnews.com