ST. GEORGE – Utah’s nonfarm payrolls rose 2.8% in February over the last calendar year. The state’s economy has added 46,000 jobs since February 2022, according to a press release from the Department of Workforce Services.
Hildale resident Paula Barlow works as an intern after receiving assistance from the Utah Department of Workforce Services, date and location not given | Photo courtesy of Utah Department of Workforce Services, St. George News
Utah’s current job count is 1,701,000. About 42,300 residents are currently unemployed, the statement said.
“Little changed between the January and February economic readings,” said Mark Knold, chief economist for the Department of Workforce Services. “YoY jobs growth is 2.8% in February and 2.9% in January. Both months show an unemployment rate of 2.4%. The economy has been resilient, to say the least.”
Private sector employment in Utah in February was up 2.9% year over year, or an addition of 40,000 jobs. Nine out of 10 large private sector industrial groups posted net job growth year-on-year, led by leisure and hospitality services (9,400 jobs); education and health services (8,600 jobs); Construction (6,900 jobs).
The only sector reporting job losses over the year is financial services (-2,200 jobs).
The result of a great economy could be the reason behind a recent analysis that ranks Utah residents among the least stressed in the nation. According to research conducted by the financial website wallet hubonly those who live in Minnesota experience less stress.
“There are many different sources of stress, from the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and work deadlines to strained relationships,” said communications manager Diane Polk. “In addition, 83% of adults are stressed by high inflation. However, overall stress levels are not consistent across the country, and some states are more concerned than others about specific issues.”
A trail in Pine Valley Recreation Area, Utah, June 9, 2020 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St George News
The analysis compared lifestyles in 50 states on 41 key indicators of stress, ranging from the average hours worked per week to the number of personal bankruptcies and divorces to the amount of adequate adult sleep.
Utahns ranked best of all states for average weekly work hours and lowest divorce rates. The state ranks second in terms of percentage of population living in poverty and ranks fairly high in percentage of adults in good health and psychologists per capita.
In terms of housing affordability, 35 states have been reported as more affordable to live in, and adults in 15 states get more sleep than those in Utah. Only nine states rank higher than the Beehive State in research on job security.
Overall, researchers listed Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, West Virginia, and Nevada as the areas where Americans are most stressed.
Three Peaks Recreation Area, Iron County, Utah, April 5, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News/Cedar City News
Minnesota, Utah, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Massachusetts were listed as the states where residents experienced the lowest levels of stress because of their environment.
according to dr Scott Tobias, associate professor at Kent State University, reducing personal stress related to finance can help reduce stress in many other areas.
“Financial issues and stress tend to go hand-in-hand, so reducing that stress can have tangible benefits,” Tobias said. “Creating a budget and sticking to it is not the easiest task. However, for those who do, the benefits are twofold. Achieving the goal, staying on budget and knowing that financially everything is in order.”
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Haven Scott was born in Provo and moved to Cedar City in 1987. As a member of Cedar High School’s class of 1994, where he fell in love with journalism at The Cedar Post, he then earned his bachelor’s degree in media studies (2015) and a master’s degree in professional communications (2018) from Southern Utah University. His hobbies include correcting his children’s spelling on social media, spoiling his grandchildren, camping, spending time outdoors and following local sporting events.
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