Latest news with #UtahDepartmentofWorkforceServices
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah economy, job creation lead the nation but aren't safe from federal policies' impact
The downtown Salt Lake City skyline is backdropped by fresh snow on the Wasatch Mountains on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Utah's rates on unemployment and job growth are surpassing national averages this year and the state has kept its top spot in economic outlook ranking. But, amid tariffs, and a dropping consumer sentiment, economists warn the state is entering risky waters. The state's economy is outperforming other states, with jobs growing 2.1%, almost doubling the 1.2% national average. Utah also has some of the lowest unemployment rates, 3.1%, while that number remained unchanged at 4.2% nationally, according to a report from the Utah Department of Workforce Services released on Friday. 'Labor market indicators remain robust, with broad job expansions across industries and a low unemployment rate,' Ben Crabb, chief economist with the department, said in a statement. 'The level of job openings continues to exceed the number of unemployed workers in the state as employers promptly employ available labor.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The top private sector industries adding jobs to the state are education and health services, followed by construction and manufacturing. According to Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute data shared by Natalie Gochnour, the institute's director, to the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday, nearly half of the state's jobs are in Salt Lake County, and 1 in 4 jobs are in Salt Lake City. 'A stunning number when you think of the breadth of the state,' Gochnour said. That's over 400,000 roles in the city. Immigration, housing and tariffs awake uncertainty in Utah's 2025 economic outlook 'We're in an elite economy nationwide, as a state, and the urban center is participating and contributing to the economic vibrancy of the state in a big way.' Utah also led the nation in gross domestic product growth in 2024 with 4.5%, compared to a 2.8% national average, and earned other top spots in the country, including one of the highest household incomes with cost of living adjustments, and the lowest poverty rate. With this economic growth, whether a recession is coming is not apparent yet, Gochnour said. However, Utahns may still feel the impact of other economic national trends, and she believes it is for 'self-inflicted' reasons, such as tariffs, which she described as 'a tax on trade.' 'A reason many of the economists aren't forecasting a recession right now is because as things start to look bad, the administration will change and come to the rescue,' Gochnour said. During the first term of the Trump administration, tariff rates went from 1% to 3%, which the Biden administration kept. Now, according to Moody's Analytics calculations, the potential rate during President Donald Trump's second term could climb to 11.5%. Estimates predicting the future economics in the country have been uncertain this year and are constantly changing. But, the latest numbers, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Gardner Institute and Wells Fargo Economics, indicate that there may be a recession during the last half of 2025, with the country's gross domestic product falling 0.9% during the third quarter and 1.1% during the fourth quarter. 'Right now, the probability of a recession among most economists is somewhere in the 45% to 60% rate,' Gochnour said. 'So, flip of a coin. We'll see.' What's already happening, though, is the free fall of consumer sentiment in the country, an index used to measure how consumers view current and future economic conditions. 'And so you got a consumer that's feeling a little funky, you've got businesses with a lot of uncertainty, so they're not hiring, or they're pausing, they're not investing, and eventually that's going to show up in the numbers,' she said. 'This should be a leading indicator to all of us.' Another fall felt in the state is a decline of job growth in leisure and hospitality. According to the Department of Workforce Services' summary, that industry shrank by 400 jobs in the last year, the second-largest private sector decline after the trade, transportation and utilities industry, which experienced the loss of 2,300 jobs. Gochnour attributes that to tempered international travel, an effect of federal policies, as well as cuts in national parks, with employee counts declining 13% only this year, among other causes. The forecast for international visitation as of March is a 9.4% decline, according to Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics research company. 'This is something that's expected and well known in the leisure and hospitality sector, that we're going to feel some pain from that contraction,' she said. However, there will also be some other balancing forces, at least for Salt Lake City, with the opening of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' remodeled Temple Square in 2027, which is expected to attract millions of visitors. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah economy, job creation lead the nation but aren't safe from federal policies' impact
The downtown Salt Lake City skyline is backdropped by fresh snow on the Wasatch Mountains on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Utah's rates on unemployment and job growth are surpassing national averages this year and the state has kept its top spot in economic outlook ranking. But, amid tariffs, and a dropping consumer sentiment, economists warn the state is entering risky waters. The state's economy is outperforming other states, with jobs growing 2.1%, almost doubling the 1.2% national average. Utah also has some of the lowest unemployment rates, 3.1%, while that number remained unchanged at 4.2% nationally, according to a report from the Utah Department of Workforce Services released on Friday. 'Labor market indicators remain robust, with broad job expansions across industries and a low unemployment rate,' Ben Crabb, chief economist with the department, said in a statement. 'The level of job openings continues to exceed the number of unemployed workers in the state as employers promptly employ available labor.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The top private sector industries adding jobs to the state are education and health services, followed by construction and manufacturing. According to Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute data shared by Natalie Gochnour, the institute's director, to the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday, nearly half of the state's jobs are in Salt Lake County, and 1 in 4 jobs are in Salt Lake City. 'A stunning number when you think of the breadth of the state,' Gochnour said. That's over 400,000 roles in the city. Immigration, housing and tariffs awake uncertainty in Utah's 2025 economic outlook 'We're in an elite economy nationwide, as a state, and the urban center is participating and contributing to the economic vibrancy of the state in a big way.' Utah also led the nation in gross domestic product growth in 2024 with 4.5%, compared to a 2.8% national average, and earned other top spots in the country, including one of the highest household incomes with cost of living adjustments, and the lowest poverty rate. With this economic growth, whether a recession is coming is not apparent yet, Gochnour said. However, Utahns may still feel the impact of other economic national trends, and she believes it is for 'self-inflicted' reasons, such as tariffs, which she described as 'a tax on trade.' 'A reason many of the economists aren't forecasting a recession right now is because as things start to look bad, the administration will change and come to the rescue,' Gochnour said. During the first term of the Trump administration, tariff rates went from 1% to 3%, which the Biden administration kept. Now, according to Moody's Analytics calculations, the potential rate during President Donald Trump's second term could climb to 11.5%. Estimates predicting the future economics in the country have been uncertain this year and are constantly changing. But, the latest numbers, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Gardner Institute and Wells Fargo Economics, indicate that there may be a recession during the last half of 2025, with the country's gross domestic product falling 0.9% during the third quarter and 1.1% during the fourth quarter. 'Right now, the probability of a recession among most economists is somewhere in the 45% to 60% rate,' Gochnour said. 'So, flip of a coin. We'll see.' What's already happening, though, is the free fall of consumer sentiment in the country, an index used to measure how consumers view current and future economic conditions. 'And so you got a consumer that's feeling a little funky, you've got businesses with a lot of uncertainty, so they're not hiring, or they're pausing, they're not investing, and eventually that's going to show up in the numbers,' she said. 'This should be a leading indicator to all of us.' Another fall felt in the state is a decline of job growth in leisure and hospitality. According to the Department of Workforce Services' summary, that industry shrank by 400 jobs in the last year, the second-largest private sector decline after the trade, transportation and utilities industry, which experienced the loss of 2,300 jobs. Gochnour attributes that to tempered international travel, an effect of federal policies, as well as cuts in national parks, with employee counts declining 13% only this year, among other causes. The forecast for international visitation as of March is a 9.4% decline, according to Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics research company. 'This is something that's expected and well known in the leisure and hospitality sector, that we're going to feel some pain from that contraction,' she said. However, there will also be some other balancing forces, at least for Salt Lake City, with the opening of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' remodeled Temple Square in 2027, which is expected to attract millions of visitors. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah's employment numbers for March 2025 shows strong growth
SALT LAKE CITY () — New figures from the Utah Department of Workforce Services show a 1.7% growth in Utah's labor market in March. That means a total of 29,500 new jobs were created compared to the same time last year. According to the report, the employment growth in the Beehive State showed stronger promise than the national average, which showed only a 1.2% year-over-year growth. 'These numbers are very similar to what we've seen for the last six months,' said Jared Mendenhall, spokesperson from the Department of Workforce Services. 'That's a good thing. You want a stable economy.' Utah woman who survived being shot in the head as teen, passes away, family says Mendenhall added that the relatively younger population and the diversity of industries in Utah provide some of economic advantage over other states when it comes to employment. But not every industry reported positive growth. Leisure and hospitality services saw a 2% loss in employment, while the trade/transportation/utilities market saw a 1% drop. Mendenhall mentioned that these industries are continuing to see the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic play out. On the opposite end, Mendenhall highlighted manufacturing as one of Utah's stronger industries. He told that there was an expansion of 2,700 jobs in Utah's manufacturing sector. He said that this was a promising sign as manufacturing brings in a fresh demand for transportation services, warehouses, and a guarantee of good pay and benefits for workers. 'These are the kinds of jobs that you want to see come into an economy,' Mendenhall said. Join these viewing events to see bighorn sheep in their natural habitat Utah's employment numbers for March 2025 shows strong growth PICTURES: Volunteers show up to groom, treat 156 animals rescued in Ogden Ryan Gosling to star in next 'Star Wars' film, Lucasfilm announces FSU food service worker among those killed in shooting, company says Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's devastating': Thousands of Utah families are losing their food stamps to scammers
Tiffany Wirtz was counting on her SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to help her get through the month. But when she went to buy groceries in February her account had already been emptied, reports KSL TV 5. The money was spent at a business in New York, leaving her with just $1.30 to feed herself and her 12-year-old son for an entire month. 'It doesn't make any sense why you would take from people that already are struggling. We're already barely keeping our heads above water just in our daily life.' Wirtz told reporters. 'And then just a hit like that is… it's devastating, really.' She's far from alone. According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, an average of 700 reports of stolen EBT benefits were filed each month from October 2024 through January 2025. The problem peaked in December when more than 1,000 Utahns reported the theft of their SNAP benefits. These benefits are distributed monthly through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card at authorized grocery stores and retailers. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Thieves often use skimming devices — small, hidden card readers attached to store card machines — to steal EBT card numbers and PINs. Some also use phishing texts or calls to trick recipients into revealing their card details. Once scammers have this information, they can clone the card and drain the account, often within hours of the monthly deposit being made. However, when EBT fraud occurs, victims have little recourse. The federal funds once used to reimburse stolen benefits ran out in December 2024, and the state has not stepped in to fill the gap. In a December memo, the U.S. Department of Agriculture told states they could use their own funds to replace stolen SNAP benefits. But Utah didn't. 'In order to be able to do that, the Department of Workforce Services would need to have funds,' said Kevin Burt, deputy director of the department. 'And there were not funds approved to be able to issue that type of reimbursement.' Burt added that the department hadn't requested those funds during the last legislative session because the deadline for funding requests came before officials realized the federal money would run out. Read more: The US stock market's 'fear gauge' has exploded — but this 1 'shockproof' asset is up 14% and helping American retirees stay calm. Here's how to own it ASAP The USDA recently announced that states can now opt to upgrade their SNAP EBT cards to include chip technology, which could help deter card skimming. The federal government will reimburse states for half the cost of this upgrade. Utah officials say they're exploring the option but haven't committed to adopting chip cards yet. In the meantime, the Department of Workforce Services is working with its EBT card vendor to improve card security. But for some Utahns, the move is not enough and comes too late. 'It's not fair. It's not our fault,' Wirtz said. 'There should be some type of way for us to lock our card for us to protect ourselves.' Until more secure systems are in place, SNAP recipients must be vigilant about keeping their cards — and their benefits — secure. Here are a few ways to protect yourself from EBT fraud. Create a complex PIN and keep it a secret: Never share your card number or PIN with anyone who doesn't live with you. At the store, cover the keypad when entering your PIN to keep prying eyes away. Watch for phishing attempts: State agencies will never call, text or email you asking for your PIN or full card number. Be cautious of messages asking for personal information, including emails and pop-ups on your computer. Change your PIN often: Consider changing your PIN monthly, right before your deposit hits. This can help prevent thieves from using stolen data to access your funds. Check your balance frequently: Monitor your EBT account for unauthorized charges or changes to your information. If you see any suspicious activity, change your PIN immediately and contact your local SNAP office. Report theft right away: If you think your benefits were stolen, contact your local SNAP office or the USDA Office of Inspector General. You should also consider filing a police report. For now, families like Wirtz's are being forced to wait until the next month's payment and rely on local food banks, which isn't always enough. As discussions continue about card security upgrades and potential policy changes, victims need to stay wary and take precautions. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Looking for a job? Utah invites you to its March virtual job fair
SALT LAKE CITY () — If you're in need of work or are just looking for the next opportunity, You may want to circle Thursday, March 6, on your calendar. The Utah Department of Workforce Services will be hosting a free-to-attend virtual job fair, offering more than 1,700 open positions throughout the Beehive State. The statewide virtual job fair will start at 10 a.m. and run to 1 p.m. and can be easily accessed through a computer or mobile device. Job seekers will be able to explore a digital floor with 'rows of booths,' each representing an employer seeking to fill a position. Clicking on a booth will provide the company's profile, social media and information on available positions. From the virtual job fair floor, job seekers can start a live chat with a hiring representative and share their resume. Meanwhile, employers can schedule interviews, start one-on-one video chats or make a job offer on the spot. The job fair will feature open positions in a variety of industries including health care, manufacturing, government, hospitality, transportation and logistics and more. Meet a Utahn who worked on 'Thunderbolts*' — the first Marvel film shot in Utah 'Whether you're facing a layoff or looking for a job change, the virtual job fair makes it easy to network and meet with multiple employers in one place,' said Workforce Development Division Director, Liz Carver. 'In addition to the job fair, Workforce Services can help you at every step of your job search. We offer individual job coaching, job search workshops, as well as resume and interview assistance.' According to the Department of Workforce Services, Utah's unemployment rate with approximately 65,657 Utahns unemployed as of December 2024. This is compared to the 4.1% nationwide. Utah DWS Chief Economist Ben Crabb said Utah's labor market ended last year with strong growth across industries. 'The decline in job openings dating back to 2022 seems to be leveling off and the state's unemployment rate is holding steady,' said Crabb. 'Entering 2025, the state's labor market is showing resilience and durable growth.' DWS said it has more than 25,000 openings available on its website at . Job seekers can also visit their local employment center to find open positions. To learn about the upcoming virtual job fair, as well as two online workshops held on Wednesday, March 5, designed to help job seekers get the most out of the fair, visit . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
