Counties with the highest unemployment in Utah
Unemployment rates have continued to rise across U.S. metropolitan areas, stoking concern throughout the nation and guiding the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates.
As of September, unemployment rates had increased from the previous year in 260 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 37 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In October, these statistics were both lower than in previous months, indicating that the rate cuts may already be helping stabilize unemployment.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Utah, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in September 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.
In October, the health care and government sectors saw employment trend upward, while labor strikes contributed to a decline in manufacturing employment. However, the national unemployment rate still remains relatively low at 4.1% in October, unchanged from the previous month. It remains higher than it has otherwise been since November 2021.
By comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
The Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from curbing inflation to unemployment, cutting interest rates to alleviate economic strain and spur job growth. Since last year, unemployment has spiked in half of states—a signal often indicating a looming recession, as Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar told Business Insider. In September, South Carolina and Utah saw the biggest unemployment rate increases.
These jobless rates, paired with layoffs among major U.S. employers like Google and Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. Minus a major economic blow, economists continue to forecast that the U.S. is tracking toward an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." The Fed plans to continue cutting rates to achieve this.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Utah.
#29. Rich County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,577 people (35 unemployed)
#28. Grand County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,188 people (195 unemployed)
#27. Morgan County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,222 people (188 unemployed)
#26. Kane County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,236 people (133 unemployed)
#25. Juab County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,568 people (206 unemployed)
#24. Cache County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,411 people (2,231 unemployed)
#23. Millard County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,815 people (218 unemployed)
#22. Summit County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,417 people (849 unemployed)
#21. Wasatch County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,499 people (611 unemployed)
#20. Box Elder County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,944 people (952 unemployed)
#19. Iron County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,805 people (978 unemployed)
#18. Davis County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 192,760 people (6,402 unemployed)
#17. Wayne County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,603 people (55 unemployed)
#16. Daggett County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 453 people (16 unemployed)
#15. Salt Lake County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 700,127 people (24,763 unemployed)
#14. Sevier County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,583 people (383 unemployed)
#13. Washington County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 92,981 people (3,324 unemployed)
#12. Weber County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 141,369 people (5,087 unemployed)
#11. Beaver County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,950 people (110 unemployed)
#10. Emery County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,787 people (175 unemployed)
#9. Duchesne County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,748 people (328 unemployed)
#8. Utah County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 355,050 people (13,070 unemployed)
#7. Garfield County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,970 people (113 unemployed)
#6. Sanpete County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,147 people (546 unemployed)
#5. Uintah County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,654 people (606 unemployed)
#4. Tooele County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,473 people (1,520 unemployed)
#3. Carbon County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,519 people (386 unemployed)
#2. Piute County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 542 people (25 unemployed)
#1. San Juan County
- September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,086 people (289 unemployed)
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.