Counties with the highest unemployment in Utah
The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Utah, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Utah.
29. Summit County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,058 people (652 unemployed)
28. Rich County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,324 people (32 unemployed)
26. Morgan County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,220 people (154 unemployed)
26. Cache County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,754 people (1,807 unemployed)
24. Iron County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,389 people (804 unemployed)
24. Millard County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,919 people (181 unemployed)
20. Davis County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 192,421 people (5,262 unemployed)
20. Box Elder County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,066 people (790 unemployed)
20. Beaver County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,072 people (82 unemployed)
20. Wasatch County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,883 people (505 unemployed)
18. Salt Lake County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 702,029 people (20,556 unemployed)
18. Juab County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,590 people (188 unemployed)
16. Washington County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 93,195 people (2,779 unemployed)
16. Utah County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 354,126 people (10,472 unemployed)
15. Weber County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 141,530 people (4,408 unemployed)
13. Uintah County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,885 people (509 unemployed)
13. Sanpete County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,909 people (448 unemployed)
11. Sevier County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,604 people (346 unemployed)
11. Duchesne County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,632 people (284 unemployed)
10. Tooele County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,712 people (1,345 unemployed)
9. Kane County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,007 people (140 unemployed)
8. Emery County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,522 people (163 unemployed)
7. Carbon County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,447 people (324 unemployed)
6. Daggett County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 370 people (18 unemployed)
5. San Juan County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,842 people (302 unemployed)
4. Grand County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: +2.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,407 people (343 unemployed)
3. Piute County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 525 people (30 unemployed)
2. Wayne County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: +2.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,543 people (96 unemployed)
1. Garfield County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.8%
--- 1-month change: +3.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,468 people (217 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
