KAYSVILLE—Utah’s employment rate is on the rise with an increase of 2.8% over the past 12 months and the state added a cumulative 46,400 jobs since January 2022. Davis County saw an increase of 2.2% from January 2022 to January 2023, according to a report by the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

“Of course our state continues to grow and we have a business friendly environment,” said Davis County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Angie Osguthorpe. “Our migration from people out of state is close to the national rate because there is opportunity here. Every year we’re named the best state for business, economy, etc. which is interesting for such a small state.”

Davis County is the smallest in land space but third in population in the state, she said. “A lot of construction is going on because of the legislative appropriation from last year. That’s great. We didn’t get hit as hard.”

Utah has one of the youngest workforce, said Osguthorpe. “They’re highly educated and lots of them are bilingual so we’re getting more jobs. We also have the Aerospace contracts that help.” 

“Utah begins the new year right where the old one left off, with a strong economy employing large amounts of new labor,” said Department of Workforce Services’ Chief Economist Mark Knold in the release. “Each year in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reviews the past year’s employment rates and makes revisions based on updated information. The year-end revisions for 2022 show an economy that grew more rapidly than originally estimated. Interestingly, the unemployment rates for 2022 were revised slightly upward. This shows that more people were looking for work last year. This is a reflection on the strength of the 2022 economy as more people felt confident to go looking for a job. It also helps to explain how the economy continued to grow in the face of limited labor availability.”

The Chamber is seeing people opening all different kinds of businesses, Osguthorpe said. “There are restaurants, construction and other entrepreneurial businesses. The Chamber provides training, networking and we protect companies through the legislative process and regulations. We’re always looking for companies to join and get that support.”

Growth is helpful to Davis County, she said. “But the cost of housing and infrastructure goes up. But it’s better to be in a high growth mode. The natural rate of population growth makes people want to start a business here.”

For more information about employment statistics visit jobs.utah.gov/wi/update/index.html. λ