SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s unemployment rate edged down to 3.6% in June as the state’s economy added an estimated 26,300 nonfarm payroll jobs over the past 12 months, state officials announced Friday.
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell one-tenth of a percentage point from May, leaving approximately 66,200 Utahns unemployed, according to data released by the Utah Department of Workforce Services. By comparison, the national unemployment rate also dropped a tenth of a point to 4.2%.
Ben Crabb, chief economist with the Department of Workforce Services, said in a statement that Utah’s economy remains resilient with strong job growth and low unemployment.
“Ultimately, Utah’s labor market continues to exhibit fundamental durability, characterized by moderated but steady job growth and a low unemployment rate relative to the nation,” explained Crabb. “While a more deliberate hiring pace is creating temporary headwinds for entry-level job seekers, and lengthening search times, the state’s economy appears to currently be successfully navigating a demographic wave, as older workers transition into retirement, and younger generations proactively pivot toward educational and skill preparation”
Utah’s total job count now stands at 1,790,300, representing a 1.5% expansion since June 2025. The private sector primarily drove the growth, recording a year-over-year increase of 1.8%, or 26,600 jobs.
Crabb noted that faced with a difficult hiring landscape, many young workers are intentionally opting out of the workforce to prioritize their education and career preparation. According to federal survey data, 18,500 of the 26,600 additional young Utahns who remained outside the labor force this year explicitly stated they did not currently want a job.
“This transition has occurred alongside a slightly more competitive environment for entry-level jobs, with the teenage unemployment rate ticking up from 8.4% to 10.2%,” said Crabb. “Rather than navigating a slower hiring landscape, many of Utah’s young people are making the strategic decision to invest in their education first.”
The latest numbers show Cache County ties for the lowest unemployment rate at 3.1 percent. Rich County is at 3.3 percent and Box Elder County is at 3.5 percent.