SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for November 2025 increased an estimated 1.0% across the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 18,500 jobs since November 2024. Utah’s current job count stands at 1,788,600.

November’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 3.6%, up two-tenths of a percentage point compared to September. Approximately 66,000 Utahns are unemployed. Utah’s October unemployment rate is unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations. The November national unemployment rate is estimated at 4.6%.

“The state labor market is cooling, marked by an uptick in the unemployment rate and 1% year-over-year job growth,” said Ben Crabb, chief economist with the Department of Workforce Services. “While most sectors continue to add jobs, slight increases in layoffs and a steady hiring rate show employers are in a ‘low hiring, low firing’ mode, retaining available labor.”

Utah’s November private sector employment recorded a year-over-year expansion of 0.9%, or a 12,700 job increase. Six of the 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains. The overall gains are led by education and health services (9,900 jobs), financial activities (2,400 jobs), professional and business services (2,300 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (2,300 jobs). Trade, transportation and utilities (-5,700 jobs), other services (-1,100 jobs), manufacturing (-400 jobs) and natural resources (-200 jobs) experienced year-over-year job losses. Public sector employment grew by 2.1% year-over-year, adding 5,800 jobs, despite federal government employment decreasing by 7% (-2,900 jobs).

  • Additional analysis and tables at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/index.html
  • County unemployment rates for November will post on or shortly after Jan. 9, 2026, at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/une/season.pdf
  • December’s employment information will be released at 7 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
  • Statistics generated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C., modeled from monthly employer (employment) and household (unemployment) surveys.