This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah added 12,400 jobs in February, while the unemployment rate stayed put, at a low 3.4 percent, an indication the state still has plenty of people to fill openings.
The report released Friday by the Utah Department of Workforce Services showed the job market rebounded after the state saw a loss of 21,300 jobs between December and January.
Overall the state has seen a strong upward trend in the labor market, adding 50,000 jobs in 2014.
"Maintaining high job growth and low unemployment shows that Utah still has excess labor supply from which to fill new positions," said Carrie Mayne, the chief economist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
The number of unemployed Utahns declined by only 400 people in February and now sits at 49,400.
The only sector seeing a reduction in jobs compared to a year ago is mining and natural-resources extraction, which has seen a slowdown after a reduction in gas prices.
The national unemployment rate ticked down two-tenths of a percentage point to 5.5 percent.