SALT LAKE CITY-Friday, the Utah Department of Workforce Services confirmed the jobless rate in the Beehive State dropped to 8.5 percent in May.
The only state with a lower rate of unemployment last month was Nebraska at 5.2 percent.
Friday’s report also confirms that April’s unemployment rate was 10.4 percent. It had originally been reported as 9.7 percent.
The Department of Workforce Services also confirmed in this report that the state’s nonfarm payroll employment for May 2020 contracted by an estimated 4.8 percent.
This resulted in the loss of 75,400 jobs compared to the same month in 2019.
The data attests that most job losses are resultant from temporary furloughs brought on by the COVID-19 shutdowns of businesses statewide.
Because of the heavy job losses during this period, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Utah as the top state for total job growth in the U.S. at minus 4.8 percent.
Furthermore, the Beehive State was ranked first nationally in private sector job growth at minus 4.6 percent.
Per department numbers, two of the 10 private sector major industry groups in Utah posted net job gains in May.
These include construction adding 8,000 jobs and financial activities gaining 500 jobs.
The remaining eight industry groups posted employment declines.
These had the greatest impact in leisure and hospitality services (-42,100), professional and business services (-7,800 jobs) and trade, transportation and utilities (-7,200).
Presently, 1,485,800 Utahns are considered gainfully employed with an estimated 137,200 residents were registered as unemployed during May.
Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate has decreased to 13.3 percent.
Utah’s private sector employment saw improvement as two of 10 private sector major industry groups measured in the establishment survey posted job net gains last month.
The construction industry added 8,000 jobs and financial activities added 500 new positions.
The remaining eight other industry groups posted declines in employment.
The most losses were in leisure and hospitality services.
