Unemployment Insurance Claims Data Shed Light on the Local Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southwest Utah

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses lost revenues and workers lost jobs. But because of the time it takes to collect and collate data, economists have been left without much information to quantify the economic impacts at the local level.

But there is one ray of data illumination. Claims for unemployment benefits are promptly available and provide information about a large cross section of the economy. This post will outline what light unemployment claims data sheds on the state of southwest Utah’s economy.

While not all workers are protected by unemployment insurance laws, roughly 95% of jobs are covered. This makes claims data an exceptional source of information about the economy. Not included under unemployment insurance laws are most self-employed workers, about half of agricultural employment, unpaid family workers, railroad personnel (covered separately) and many nonprofit organizations (such as churches). Also, some out-of-work employees may not have worked a sufficient work history to qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, but may file anyway. Fortunately, in this time of economic distress, the social safety nets of the unemployment insurance program, special national COVID-19 funding and social programs are working together to keep workers’ income and well-being stable.

Unemployment claimants and the unemployed; they aren’t the same

Also, keep in mind that, in addition to individuals drawing unemployment benefits, the unemployment rate includes those entering and re-entering the workforce and noncovered groups without current employment. This means the number of “unemployed” will be greater than the number of claimants. In “normal” times, only about 40% of the “unemployed” are claiming benefits. The generally reported unemployment rate also has a work-search requirement. If you haven’t made any minimal attempts to find work, you aren’t counted as “unemployed.”

Watch this Space

While this analysis won’t be updated regularly, new data will be added to the data visualization on a weekly basis allowing readers to check back for the latest information.

An Unprecedented Event

Not surprisingly, first-time claims for unemployment benefits soared in Utah and across the nation as the pandemic swept across the country. This increase is unprecedented since the creation of unemployment insurance coverage during the Great Depression. Week 12 (beginning March 16) marks the start of this unparalleled surge in claims. On a positive note, while new claims for unemployment benefits have skyrocketed in Utah, the state currently shows one of the lowest claims rates in the nation.

For most southwest Utah counties, initial claims peaked during week 13 (starting March 23) and have since tapered downward. During the peak week 13, initial claims filed totaled 2,364 in southwest Utah. In all of 2019, only 3,803 claims were filed in the region. By week 19, claims measured considerably lower but continued to run substantially greater than in previous years — even during the Great Recession.

Here’s another example of the tremendous flood of new claims. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, counties in southwest Utah averaged a total of 82 first-time claims per week. This time period in early 2020 included seasonally high claims weeks in January. In the weeks after, an average of 1,343 claims were filed for an almost unbelievable increase of 1,538%.

Who took the hardest hit?

Counties with a high-dependence on tourism have felt the greatest economic and employment shocks. In Garfield County, with the highest share of tourism-related employment in the state, roughly 20% of individuals covered by unemployment insurance have filed a claim — twice the rate of the state (10%) Moreover, many seasonal Garfield County workers were already drawing unemployment before the pandemic hit. In contrast, in Beaver County, only 4% of covered workers filed a claim during the pandemic. Iron (9%), Kane (10%) and Washington (11%) also felt the repercussions of upswing in furloughs and job loss.

Tourism and COVID-19

Especially in the early stages of the pandemic, this is a story of tourism-dependent industries. Almost 23% of post-COVID-19 initial claims filed in southwest Utah represented workers previously employed in accommodations and food services. In addition, the true effect of the pandemic on this industry is masked by a large number of claims classified as industry “unknown” in the early days of the claims flood. Undoubtedly, many of these claims would rightfully be classified in accommodations/food services if the appropriate information were available.

Other high-claims industries included retail trade, healthcare/social assistance (reflecting the cessation of elective procedures and visits) and administrative support/waste management/remediation (the home to temporary employment agencies). Many of these high-claim industries reflect their high share of total employment in general. In addition, they often serve the public face to face or encountered damage due to the decline in demand for travel.

The Industry Flow

While most of the high-claim industries felt the pain of the pandemic early on, other industries surged in later weeks. As the economic effects of other closures worked their way through the economy both manufacturing and transportation/warehousing proved relative latecomers to the layoffs in southwest Utah.

The High and the Low

Although accommodations/food services has generated the largest number of southwest Utah initial claims in the COVID-19 pandemic time period, in percentage terms, other industries have actually suffered more. For example, in the extremely small management of companies industry, roughly 50% of workers have filed for claims. The administrative support/waste management/remediation industries, which includes temporary employment firms, shows a first-time claims rate of 27%.

Because of its job-to-job nature, the construction industry typically accounts for 15-20% of first-time claims. However, although construction’s new claims have also increased, they have increased at a much slower-than-average rate. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, construction contributed only about 5% of first-time claims. Ease of social-distancing and good weather have helped construction maintain employment levels. New claims measured just 3% of covered construction employment.

Only a portion of agricultural employment is covered by unemployment insurance laws. However, as companies work to keep America fed, agribusiness has laid off few employees. In Iron and Beaver counties, covered agriculture plays a notable role in the economy. However, only 1% of southwest Utah’s covered agricultural workers have filed a claim during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public administration, educational services (including public and higher education), finance/insurance and utilities have also managed to keep a higher percentage of their workforces employed.

County by County

Beaver County

• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Beaver County averaged 2 unemployment claims per week compared to 16 new claims afterward, an increase of 834%.
• Because of its relatively small share of hard-hit tourism-dependent employment and higher-than-average share of lightly-hit covered agricultural employment, Beaver County has shown a smaller increase in claims due to the pandemic.
• New claims as a percent of covered employment measured just 4% — one of the lowest rates in the state.
• As in many other areas, accommodations/food services produced the highest number of new claims, with few claims in healthcare/social assistance.
• Unusually, arts/entertainment/recreation also contributed a high number of new claims.
• Beaver County accounted for 2% of the Southwest Region’s new claims prior to the pandemic, but only 1% of claims afterward.

Garfield County

• Despite having the highest percentage of leisure/hospitality employment in the state, Garfield County ranked third for the percentage of initial claims filed as a share of covered employment (20%) after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This is likely because many seasonal workers were already drawing unemployment insurance payments when the pandemic began.
• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garfield County averaged six first-time claims per week, compared to an average of 53 claims per week afterwards. This change represents an increase of 856%.
• Nearly 70% of claims were filed from workers furloughed from the accommodations/food service industry. A large share of claims from the “unknown” industry category most likely originated from this industry as well.
• Apart from retail trade, other industries contributed few new claims.
• Seasonal claims from the colder months meant Garfield County’s initial claims actually accounted for a larger share (6%) of the Southwest Region’s figure before the pandemic than after (4%).

Iron County

• In the weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic, Iron County averaged 16 initial claims per week. After the pandemic hit, an average of 236 claims were filed per week, marking an increase of 1,390%.
• In Iron County, first-time claims during the pandemic measured 9% of covered employment. That places Iron County in the bottom half of a county-by-county ranking.
• As in many counties, Iron County’s accommodations/food service industry accounted for the highest number of new claims during the COVID-19 slowdown.
• Healthcare/social assistance and retail trade ranked second and third respectively for new claims.
• First-time claims from the manufacturing spiked in late April.

Kane County

• Despite having a high percentage of tourism-related employment, the county showed a middle-of-the-pack ranking for new claims as a share of covered employment (10%). As in Garfield County, many seasonal employees were already drawing unemployment benefits prior to the pandemic.
• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kane County averaged a nominal two first-time claims per week compared with 44 claims after the pandemic struck. This increase of 1,708% ranked as the largest in the region.
• Accommodations/food services, retail trade and arts/entertainment/recreation generated the highest number of initial claims during the pandemic.
• Roughly 44% of Kane County’s post-directive initial claims originated in the accommodations/food services industry.
• Kane County’s regional share of new claims held steady before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington County

• Not surprisingly, the county with the largest employment in southwest Utah also generated the largest number of COVID-19-related first-time claims. However, its share of claims increased from 69% prior to the pandemic to 74% during.
• Before the COVID-19 pandemic, an average of 56 initial claims were being filed in Washington County compared to an average of 994 claims in the following weeks. The pre-to-post-pandemic increase registered 1,668%
• Initial claims for unemployment benefits filed during the pandemic as a percent of covered employment measured 11%, near the middle of a ranking of all Utah counties.
• Although it has a higher-than-average share of employment in accommodations/food services industry, Washington County’s economy is more diverse than many less-populated counties in the state. This industry’s share of claims in Washington County measured only 19% compared to 69% in Garfield County and 44% in Kane County.
• Here too, accommodations/food services was the source of the largest number of new claims followed by retail trade, administration support/waste management/remediation (which includes temporary employment agencies) and healthcare/social assistance.
• Claims originating from both manufacturing and transportation surged towards the end of the pandemic time period.

Where Have All the Young Workers Gone?

Young workers in Utah and the U.S. comprise a smaller share of the labor force

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

 

"We should be trying to reach the young workers because that’s when you’re most idealistic and have least fear."  John Lennon

 

One of the most striking labor market changes of the last decade and a half is the declining participation of teenagers in the labor force. Nationally, teenage participation topped out at almost 59 percent in the late 1970s, and today stands at roughly 36 percent. While the trend isn’t as pronounced in Utah as it is nationwide; here, too, young people are less likely to be employed or looking for work than they were as the century began. The reasons for this phenomena are not clear. However, more after-school activities and increased borrowing to pay for post-secondary education (rather than earning while learning) may factor into this decline.

 

On the other hand, some characteristics of youth workers have changed little. Utah teens still show some of the highest labor force participation rates in the nation. Also, young people continue to show the highest unemployment rates, the lowest wages and the top turnover rates of any age group.

 

New GDP figures will add to the local economic-analysis tool box

New GDP figures will add to the local economic-analysis tool box

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“We will find neither national purpose nor personal satisfaction in a mere continuation of economic progress, in an endless amassing of worldly goods. We cannot measure national spirit by the Dow Jones Average, nor national achievement by the Gross National Product.”  Robert Kennedy

As a regional economist, I’m routinely asked for gross domestic product (GDP) figures for Utah’s counties. After all, nationally, GDP is routinely tracked as an economic indicator. “Sorry,” I say, “the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) doesn’t produce GDP statistics for counties (unless they are a metropolitan statistical area). But data-lovers, “the times, they are a-changin’.”

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has just released proto-type county GDP statistics for 2012 to 2015. You can explore the data in the visualization that follows.

Yes, the proto-type information is dated. However, data-users can take a first-look at the series and assist BEA by providing feedback and comments on the prototype data via e-mail at gdpbycounty@bea.gov. Official statistics are scheduled for release in December 2019.

When the official data is released, this new data will add to our ability to analyze Utah’s local economies.

What do the proto-type figures reveal? Here are a few highlights:

In 2015, eight Utah counties experienced a decline in GDP following a trend similar to 2013 and 2014.

• Less-populated counties were most likely to experience a bout of declining GDP.
• Daggett County, one of Utah’s smallest in both geographic size and population, showed the highest GDP growth rate in 2015 with Washington County showing the highest rate of expansion among more-populated counties.
• It wasn’t uncommon for Utah counties to experience at least one year of GDP contraction between 2013 and 2015.
• Not surprisingly, the vast majority of GDP is generated along the Wasatch Front.

State homeless report shows increase in ‘unsheltered’ individuals in Southern Utah

An annual overnight count of Utah’s homeless population in January shows the amount of individuals experiencing homelessness increased in Washington County and areas in and around Iron County, according to a report released last week. The overnight count of the state’s homeless, known as the point-in-time count, was conducted Jan. 24. The results were published Aug. 8 in a report from the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

Washington County experienced an increase of 98 unsheltered individuals this year over last, making for a total of 154, according to the report. The total number of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals in Washington County is 245, according to the report, which is up from 2017’s count of 133.

For the area of Iron County – which also includes counts from Beaver, Garfield and Kane counties – the total amount of homeless individuals was 42, with 10 counted as unsheltered. This is an increase from 29 persons and no reported unsheltered in 2017. St George News

BLM seeks comments on proposal for solar energy development in Utah

The BLM’s Cedar City Field Office released a draft environmental assessment for proposed parcels within the Milford Flats South Solar Energy Zone. This draft environmental assessment analyzes the environmental consequences of competitively leasing four parcels of public lands, comprising approximately 5,564 acres, for solar energy development and initiates a 30-day public comment period.

If the Milford Flats Solar Energy Zone in Beaver County is fully developed, it is anticipated that construction will provide at least 216 jobs and $11.2 million in income to those employed, with operations providing at least 15 jobs and $400,000 in income. St George News

Utah's Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for all Utah counties have been posted online here.

Each month, these rates are posted the Monday following the Unemployment Rate Update for Utah.

For more information about seasonally adjusted rates, read a DWS analysis here.

Next update scheduled for March 26th.

Ten Years Later. . .

The Recovery Following the Great Recession

By Mark Knold, Supervising Economist and Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“The term 'business cycle' is imprecise. Economic fluctuations affect everyone, not just businesses, and they are, unlike astral cycles, anything but regular.” Kevin Hassett

Overview

December 2017 marked 10 years since the Great Recession first cast its long shadow across the American economy. The recession officially lasted 18 months, but its consequences can still be seen across the country without having to look very hard. We have not had another recession since.

Utah was hit hard at the time, losing a larger share of jobs than the national average; but, we were fortunate to be one of the most resilient states in terms of economic rebound. There are plenty of states where the Great Recession continues to weigh upon them. Employment levels in 14 states are still not back to their pre-recession peak, and another 29 states have only grown 5.0 percent or less. As the working-age population has grown by more than 5.0 percent, the job gains nationally have not been enough to fully employ working-age labor.

Utah lost 7.0 percent employment during the recession. Since that low, employment has recovered by 18 percent. That is the second best rebound in the nation. From Utah’s pre-recession employment peak to now, Utah’s employment has increased by 9.5 percent, third best in the nation. Yet, Utah’s job growth has not been enough to absorb all of the labor force growth during that time. Utah’s unemployment rate is low, but the percent of the working-age population in the labor force is several percentage points below the pre-recession norm — telling us that potential labor is still not as fully engaged with the job market as before the recession.

As a whole, Utah has had a notable recession rebound, but those gains have not been shared equally across all regions. Just like the national profile, some areas have bounced back strong while others are still lagging behind. The state’s metropolitan areas have grown well, but many of Utah’s rural areas cannot say the same. Nine counties have employment levels below their pre-recession peaks.

In this issue of Local Insights, we profile Utah’s regional and county economies in light of the 10-year span since the Great Recession.

Southwest Utah and the Recovery

The five counties in Southwest Utah — Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington — each experienced the Great Recession and the ensuing recovery in their own way. Unfortunately, this corner of Utah generally took longer to pull out of the downturn than did Utah or the nation.

Washington County

Washington County was an uninhibited participant in the housing bubble that was the precursor to the Great Recession. Not surprisingly, its crash was longer and deeper than other less-involved counties. For almost three years prior to the economic collapse, Washington County showed 10-percent job growth as construction industry employment exploded. In this case, what went up definitely came down. The worst job-loss month in Utah registered a 6.2-percent decline (year-to-year), while the nation’s worst comparable loss measured 5.0 percent. Washington County’s loss imitated its prerecession gains at 9.7 percent. Moreover, Washington County just kept losing jobs at this rate while the state and the nation bounced back.

Profiling Utahns with Disabilities

For complete post and narrative, click here.

Beaver sees spike in home building from FLDS

Building permits have more than quadrupled in Beaver in the past year. Sheriff Cameron Noel said many of the new residents are from the Hildale and Colorado communities in Washington County, an area known for polygamy. Deseret News

High Economic Value of Quiet Recreation in Southern Utah

Non-motorized (quiet) recreation activities like camping, hiking, hunting, mountain biking and wildlife viewing on public lands are a significant economic driver in local communities near where the recreation activities take place according to a new report by the independent firm ECONorthwest.

The report titled “Quiet Recreation on BLM-Managed Lands in Southwest Utah” shows that in 2015 the 364,000 quiet recreation visits to SW Utah BLM lands generated $17.4 million in direct spending within 50 miles of the recreation sites. The study shows 204 Utah jobs are supported locally as a result of quiet recreation visits to BLM Land.

The report comes as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is updating their resource management plan for the Cedar City Region. The BLM’s Cedar City Field Office in Southern Utah oversees 2.1 million acres of public land within Iron and Beaver counties. This report is the first ever to quantify both the amount of quiet recreation and the spending associated with quiet recreation specifically on BLM lands in this region of Southern Utah. Utah Business Magazine

“New and Improved?” A look at the Retail Trade Industry in Southwest Utah

By Mark Knold, Supervising Economist and Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“Almost no one wants to admit the genius of Jeff Bezos and Amazon. Apparently, many have failed to see that Amazon has become the world's biggest retail company.” Hubert Burda

Consumer spending makes up around 68 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Consumer spending is individuals and families purchasing groceries, clothing, recreation, stocks, insurance, education and much more. The transactions cover a broad swath of economic activity.

Much of the nation’s consumer spending is captured via retail trade. A useful retail trade definition is “the re-sale (sale without transformation) of new and used goods to the general public, for personal or household consumption or utilization.” Not all consumer spending is captured through retail trade transactions, but a large share is.

Broad-category examples of retail trade sectors are motor vehicle sales, furniture stores, electronic stores, building material stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, clothing stores and department stores, among others.

Then there is the relatively new and emerging part of the retail trade sphere — non-store retailers. These are establishments that sell products on the internet. Examples include Amazon, Zappos, Overstock.com, or eBay. These types of retailers have grown rapidly in the past 15 years and their presence is reshaping the retail trade landscape.

Whereas in the past nearly all retail transactions were done through traditional brick-and-mortar stores, now a significant and growing segment is diverted to internet sales. The consumer shops online and goods are delivered to the customer’s doorstep. One can see that the number of brick-and-mortar stores and the level of local sales across the country are being endangered by this economic evolution.

The brick-and-mortar reduction is beginning to show its economic presence in the United States employment numbers. While the U.S. economy is finally expanding at a healthy pace this side of the Great Recession, one of the few industries not rising with this tide is retail trade. While overall retail sales are increasing, employment is not.

Traditionally, as a population increases, retail trade employment grows simultaneously, since population growth and consumer spending volume is an integrated dynamic. If studied deeply, a certain ratio of retail trade employment growth spawned from population growth would emerge. Before the internet, the vast majority of all consumer sales occurred in the immediate community or region. But now, the internet is diverting these sales away from the local community — and with internet sales growing, its market share will increase.

We do not yet know how much brick-and-mortar erosion will eventually occur. And will such a phenomenon hit some areas more than others (e.g., urban vs. rural, or local vs. tourist spending)? These are touch points that economist will be watching as this Internet sales phenomenon continues to grow within the national and Utah economies.

In light of this change, in this quarter’s Local Insights we are profiling retail trade employment throughout Utah’s local regions. This can offer a profile of where retail trade is now in a local economy, and possibly how much of the sector could become vulnerable to the internet-sales phenomenon.

All regions can be viewed through the Local Insights web portal. The following is a retail trade profile for the Southwest region:

Trending Upward

Just how important is retail trade employment in the southwest corner of Utah? In 2016, roughly 12,400 Southwest Utah workers were employed in retail trade representing 14 percent of total nonfarm employment in the region. That’s slightly higher than the statewide retail average of 12 percent. The current employment level represents a regional high point. Moreover, despite the revolution in online buying, employment in retail trade has trended upward in Southwest Utah — although it has ebbed and flowed during boom, recession and recovery. Of course, the region’s population growth provides a major factor in retail trade employment expansion in Southwest Utah.

In most Southwest Utah counties, growth rates swelled in the mid-2000s, toppled during the recession and surged back as the recovery took hold. Yes, retail trade is certainly susceptible to the business cycle. During the recovery, Garfield County led the pack with early retail trade gains only to experience job losses when other counties picked up speed. In contrast, both Kane and Iron counties were slow to add retail jobs in the recovery period. Retail trade employment in both counties just barely returned to the pre-recession peak levels.

Tis the Season

Retail trade employment can be very seasonal in nature. In both the Garfield and Kane economies, a strong tourism and recreation component produces a significant seasonal pattern with employment peaking in the summer months and bottoming out in January or February. In Garfield County, retail trade jobs can double between trough and peak. While tourism isn’t as profound in Beaver County, retail employment also peaks in summer as the industry services travelers along the I-15 corridor. Washington and Iron counties experience less seasonality, but also see their lowest retail employment levels as the year begins. However, in these two counties, holiday shopping creates a slight seasonal peak in December. This pattern follows the statewide lead.

Dependency

Some counties in Southwest Utah are more dependent on retail trade employment than others. Statewide, retail trade employment accounts for about 12 percent of total nonfarm jobs. Beaver (17 percent), Washington (15 percent) and Iron (14 percent) counties all show higher percentages of retail trade employment than the state. Iron and Washington are self-contained, regional shopping centers which probably accounts for their higher-than-average retail shares.

Despite their tourism-dependent economies, Kane and Garfield counties show smaller percentages of retail trade employment overall. This is partially due to the high levels of leisure/hospitality employment in these counties. In addition, tourism’s contribution to retail trade employment typically lasts only half the year.

Location quotients (LQ) provide a different way of looking at the importance of an industry. These ratios compare an area’s industry employment share to that of the nation. A retail trade LQ of 1 indicates the area’s industry employment makes up the same share of employment as that industry does nationwide. A location quotient greater than 1 means the area’s industry has a greater employment share than the United States. Utah’s retail trade location quotient measures just higher than 1. However, Beaver, Iron and Washington counties all have retail trade location quotients of 1.3 or higher, attesting to the magnitude of retail employment in these areas. On the other hand, Kane’s LQ is exactly 1 while Garfield County shows an LQ of 0.78. In other words, retail employment is far less important in Garfield County than in other Southwest Utah counties, the state and the nation.

Over time, the share of retail trade employment has remained fairly steady in the most populated Southwest counties. On the other hand, in Beaver and Garfield counties, retail trade has taken on a more important employment role in the post-recession years.

Relationships

Population per retail worker also provides insights into the retail trade industry’s local importance. Statewide there are roughly 16 residents per retail trade job. Despite being the most tourism-dependent county in Utah, Garfield County shows 24 residents per retail trade worker, the highest in the region. On the other hand, Washington County’s population per retail trade job measures less than 15, which seems to reflect its importance as a regional shopping destination. In general, the ratio of population to retail trade employment has trended downward, which seems to reflect the incursion of online shopping.

Down to Subsectors

In Southwest Utah, general merchandise stores (e.g., Wal-Mart, Target, Dillards, JC Penny) account for the largest subsector share of retail trade workers — 20 percent. Food and beverage stores ran neck-and-neck with these stores with just less than 19 percent of total employment. Motor vehicle/parts dealers (13 percent), building materials/garden stores (12 percent) and gasoline stations (10 percent) are also major employment players in retail trade.

The job shares of retail trade subsectors vary between Southwest Utah and the state overall. Southwest Utah shows higher employment shares in building material and garden stores, food and beverage stores and gasoline stations than Utah. In contrast, the region shows smaller employment percentages in clothing stores, electronics stores and especially non-store retailers. In other words, Southwest Utah employment does not appear to be benefitting from online sales.

A Fair Share?

Since 2000, general merchandise stores have slowly eked out a higher share of retail trade employment. In 2000, roughly 16 percent of Southwest Utah retail employment was at general merchandise stores. Since that time, general merchandise stores have increased their share by 3 percentage points. Building material and garden stores have also seen employment shares increase as several big box retailers entered the area.

On the other hand, food and beverage stores’ share of retail trade employment has decreased slightly. The inclusion of groceries at some big-box stores has probably tapped into some of the food and beverage store employment. On the other hand, many traditional grocery stores now also carry non-grocery items.

Wages

Retail trade is not known for its excessive wages. In 2016, only private education services, and leisure/hospitality services showed lower average monthly wages in Southwest Utah. Not only are retail trade hourly wages lower than average — many jobs are part-time, which contributes to its lower-than-average standing.

Statewide, the average monthly wage for a retail trade worker measures less than $2,600. Not surprisingly, the average retail trade wage measured even lower in all Southwest Utah counties. Nevertheless, a wide disparity in wages exists even within the region. In Washington County, the 2016 average monthly retail trade wage registered at about $2,200, while in Garfield County, the average was a mere $1,400. Iron County’s wage ($2,100) measured slightly below the Washington figure. Beaver ($1,600) and Kane ($1,600) landed closer to the Garfield County wage.

Interestingly, during the pre-recession years when Washington County experienced rapid employment growth and short-term labor shortages, its average monthly retail wage actually surpassed the statewide figure. (It was that whole supply and demand thing at work.) Of course, once recession hit, wages returned to a more historical relationship.

The Same, but Different

Retail trade wages also show a notable variety in relationship to the average county wage. Statewide the retail trade industry wage measures 70 percent of average. In both Iron (84 percent) and Washington (80 percent) counties, retail trade wages compare more favorably to the overall county average. In Beaver and Garfield counties the retail wage measures about 56 percent of average; Kane County’s figure is slightly higher at about 65 percent.

Between 2001 and 2016, the gap between the retail trade industry wage and the average wage widened in all counties — and the state. This suggests that wages in other industries have increased faster than those in retail trade.

Within the retail trade industry in Southwest Utah, jobs at motor vehicle/parts dealers show the highest average wage followed by building materials and garden stores. On the low end of the scale, clothing stores paid the lowest wages.

Is Your Town Growing?

U.S. Census Bureau releases 2016 City Population Estimates

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“A city is more than a place in space, it is a drama in time” –Patrick Geddes

Most of Utah’s cities and towns grew in 2017, according to population estimates recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Lehi even ranked 11th among the nation’s fastest-growing large cities. However, not all Utah’s cities and towns experienced growth.

Use the visualization and bullet points below to explore population trends for individual townships.

• The old Geneva Steel Mill site continues to be fertile ground for population expansion. Vineyard was once again the fastest growing city in Utah. However its rate of growth has slowed dramatically since 2015. In addition, Vineyard remains relatively small in size.

• Herriman added the highest number of new residents of any city in Utah (4,550) followed by Orem, Lehi and South Jordan. All showed higher population gains than Salt Lake City — Utah’s most populous city. Herriman also showed the second-fastest rate of expansion in 2016.

• St. George was the only city outside the Wasatch Front to increase its population by more than 2,000 residents.

• The top four population-gaining cities in Utah are all located in southern Salt Lake County or northern Utah County, as the metropolitan population continued to spread outward from the large city centers. Fastest-growing larger communities also tended to be located near the Salt Lake County/Utah County border.

• Due to the nature of percent-change mathematics, several small towns (such as Monticello, Mantua, Francis, Interlaken and Hideout) showed high growth rates although their new-resident counts measured relatively low.

• The Census Bureau estimates that most of the cities and towns showing population declines were located in the Uintah Basin, Carbon County and Emery County. Declines in resource-based employment have spearheaded these population declines.

• In addition, Millard, Piute, Garfield and Wayne counties displayed a significant number of contracting townships.

• Salt Lake County remains home to five of the 10 largest cities in the state. Utah County accounts for another two in the top 10. St. George is the only city in the top-10 ranking located outside the Wasatch Front.

Census Bureau Tool Provides Labor-Force Insight for Utah

By Mark Knold and Lecia Langston

Across the United States, jobs are quantified through each state’s unemployment insurance program. Those programs provide the potential for laid-off workers to receive unemployment benefits — the goal being to bridge the gap between workers’ lost jobs and their next jobs. An eligible recipient’s weekly benefit amount is based upon their earnings from recent work. This begs the question, how does Utah’s unemployment insurance program know how much an individual recently earned while working?

That answer is supplied by all businesses that hire workers, as they must report their employees and pay as mandated by the unemployment insurance laws. Companies identify their individual workers and those workers’ monetary earnings for a calendar quarter. As businesses are identified by their industrial activity and geographic location, it is through the unemployment insurance program that aggregate employment counts by industry and location are calculated.

Yet each state’s profiling of individuals is quite minimal in the unemployment insurance program. The U.S. Census Bureau can bring more light to the overall labor force by supplementing said information with gender, age, race/ethnicity and educational attainment (imputed from American Community Survey responses) for Utah’s labor force.

The Census Bureau packages this information through their Local Employment Dynamics program and makes available said data on its website. Here at the Department of Workforce Services, we recently downloaded and packaged Utah-specific data from said website and summarized it in the attached visualization.

Various data “tabs” are available, presenting Utah’s economy from different angles, ranging from industry shares within the economy to the age-group distributions of the labor force, to gender and race distributions. These labor variables can be viewed for the state as a whole, or by each individual county.

Health Insurance: Who’s covered in Utah?

Census Bureau Estimates Provide Answers about Utah Health Insurance Coverage

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“Most Americans want health insurance.” Jacob Lew

The U.S. Census Bureau just published its Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) for counties and states while the national discussion on health care laws receives renewed attention. Is this a coincidence? Yes, but a timely one. This post examines how health insurance coverage for Utahns has changed and also the demographics of who has coverage and who does not.

Tracking Utahns Under 65 Years of Age

Small Area Health Insurance Estimates cover the population under 65 years of age. Of course, virtually all residents 65 and older are covered by government-provided Medicare. Because the estimates date back to 2008, two years before the signing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the available figures provide an indication of the effect of the ACA on health insurance coverage in Utah and its counties.

More Utahns have Health Insurance

Between 2008 and 2015, the number of Utahns under 65 years old covered by health insurance increased by 284,000. Not only did the actual covered increase, but the share of non-senior population with health insurance also gained ground expanding from less than 84 percent to more than 88 percent — an increase of 4.7 percentage points.

Only Millard County experienced a very slight 0.3 percentage point decline in health insurance coverage although the actual number of persons covered increased by 113. Daggett, Rich, Kane and Grand counties showed the highest growth in under-65 coverage; each showed increases of at least 9 percentage points.

In 2015, counties in northern Utah generally showed the highest level of non-senior health insurance coverage. In Morgan, Davis, Box Elder, Tooele and Cache counties, health insurance rates top 90 percent. On the other end of the scale, rural counties in central and southern Utah display the lowest coverage. In San Juan, Millard, Duchesne and Wayne counties, health insurance rates for those under 65 measured 83 percent or less.

Those under 19 saw the greatest gains. Coverage rates for these young people increased from 87 percent in 2008 to 93 percent in 2015. Utah males experienced a larger gain in coverage between 2008 and 2015 (5 percentage points) than did females (4 percentage points), although females were more likely than men to carry health insurance in both years. Health insurance rates for those with the lowest incomes showed the most improvement (10.4 percentage points). However, their coverage shares remain roughly 10 points below average.

Wait, There’s More…

What's Your County's Population?

U.S. Census Bureau releases 2016 county population estimates.

By Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

“In a region with a growing population, if you’re doing nothing, you’re losing ground.” Stewart Udall

The Census Bureau just released population estimates for counties and metropolitan statistical areas across the United States. Yes, it was just a few months ago that Utah made headlines as the fastest-growing state in the nation. So, it should come as no surprise that several Utah sub-areas also appeared on the fastest-growing lists.

San Juan County ranked as the fastest growing county in the nation with a 2016 growth estimate of 7.6 percent. Keep in mind that less than 17,000 people live in the county. In other words, a small numeric change in this less-populated county can result in a large percent change.

In addition, three Utah regions ranked among the top 20 fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the country. The St. George, Utah MSA (sixth), Provo-Orem, Utah MSA (seventh) and the Logan, Utah-Idaho MSA (20th) all attained top-20 status. See additional information on the estimates after the “jump.”

Pick a Number, Any Number

Because the Census Bureau actually counts the population only once every decade, these figures are estimates. Plus, they aren’t the only estimates in town. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has recently assembled the Utah Population Committee (UPC) to reinstitute the population-estimates work previously conducted by the Utah Population Estimates Committee (UPEC). The estimates can be found here.

Census Bureau estimates use the same methodology in producing population figures for every county in the nation. Therefore, for nationwide comparisons, Census Bureau estimates may have the advantage. On the other hand, UPC population estimates have the benefit of local-analyst expertise and additional data sources.

Interior Department approves major transmission lines through Utah

The U.S. Interior Department has announced their approval of the TransWest Express transmission line. The TransWest Express Project is a high-voltage, direct current electric transmission system that will deliver wind energy from Wyoming along a 730-mile route with potential grid interconnections in California, Nevada and Arizona. About 60 percent of its route — which crosses Utah — impacts Bureau of Land Management land and follows previously established utility corridors where possible. The project, which will take three years to build, adds 3,000 megawatts of "backbone" transmission capacity between the Desert Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions, or enough energy to power 1.8 million homes. Deseret News

Beaver County Economic Update

Beaver County’s recent economic indicators are dominated by layoffs in mining. The notable decline in the county’s nonfarm job totals can be traced primarily to mining contraction. In addition, these layoffs have driven up the area’s unemployment rate by roughly 2 percentage points. Claims for unemployment insurance have returned to more customary levels. In addition, construction permitting is off dramatically from last year. The brightest spot in this otherwise gray portrayal was a healthy increase in gross taxable sales.

• Beaver County’s nonfarm employment dropped by roughly 140 jobs between June 2015 and June 2016, representing a year-to-year decrease of almost 6 percent. 
• Layoffs in mining constituted the majority of lost employment. Leisure/hospitality services, construction and retail trade all added notable numbers of new jobs, but the gains did not prove sufficient to counteract mining’s declines. 
• Most other major industries each shed a few jobs. 
• Beaver County's unemployment rate shot up to 5.7 percent in August 2016 reflecting the significant layoffs in mining. 
• The jobless rate is up nearly 2 percentage points from last year. 
• Mining layoffs also drove up first-time claims for unemployment insurance in May and June, but claims have returned to a more normal level in the autumn months. 
• Mining and construction have accounted for the vast majority of unemployment claims so far this year. 
• Beaver County’s average monthly wage continued to slowly increase with a healthy 4-percent gain between second quarter 2015 and second quarter 2016. 
• Construction permitting for the first eight months of 2016 pales in comparison with 2015 because of the large utility projects authorized in that year. 
• However, residential building seems to have slowed dramatically as well. 
• Beaver County’s second quarter 2016 gross taxable sales showed a healthy 3-percent year-over increase. 
• Sales in retail trade, in particular at building/garden stores, contributed much of the expansion. 
• Even a significant dip in manufacturing investment expenditures couldn’t offset the strong retail gain.

Show Me the Economy

New Occupational Projections Available

Mark Knold, Supervising Economist
 
 “The government knows everything about everyone.” 

 Fortunately, that statement is not true. Yet society still looks to the government to provide answers to comprehensive and complex questions that have their foundation within individual decisions and activities. One subject frequently directed toward the government is individual-level information about the economy — particularly, what occupations are in demand, what occupations pay well and have lucrative outlooks, and ultimately, what occupation(s) should I build my career upon?

It takes the accumulation of a wide array of individual information to answer these questions. Employers provide the foundation information about the occupations they employ. Jobs are held by individuals, but employers provide the profile information about the job itself, not any particular individual.

Since society desires to profile such a broad spectrum of the economy — occupational profiles and the occupational distribution within the economy — only government is in the unique position to collect, analyze and provide answers for said desire. Yet, no government program or regulatory agency mandates any comprehensive occupational reporting from individuals or businesses. Therefore, government attempts to fill the void with an ongoing, robust and voluntary survey of employers — a survey where employers are asked to provide details about their various occupations, including descriptions, quantities, wages/salaries and location. Through this survey emerges an occupational portrait of an economy.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) structures and funds the survey, yet the individual states conduct the survey. Under BLS administration, all states use the same methodology; therefore, occupational profiles are comparable across states.

Through this survey, analysts discover how industries are populated with various occupations. Accountant is an occupation, yet accountants can be found across many different industries. Other occupations may be more exclusive to certain industries; for example, doctors are largely found only in the healthcare industry. One of the survey’s products is that industries can be profiled with their general mix of occupations. This is called an industry’s occupational staffing pattern.

This brings us back to the original questions: what occupations are in demand, what occupations pay well and have lucrative outlooks, and ultimately, what occupation(s) should I build my career upon? The foundation is to make informed forecasts about how industries will expand/contract over the next 10 years. By applying existing occupational staffing patterns to each industry’s projected change, a trained economic analyst can then make an extrapolation about how occupations will correspondingly increase/decrease. Knowledgeable analyst judgment further refines the occupational expectations, such as knowing an occupation will grow faster than in the past, with the result being a set of occupational projections that accumulate to profile a state or regional economy.

A new set of occupational projections are done every two years to keep the information fresh even though economies do not change dramatically in short order. Because of slow change, updated occupational projects generally continue the overall message of preceding occupational projections. But economies do modify with time, and therefore, subtle changes will arise with each new set of occupational projections.

Utah’s most recent occupational projections are found here: http://www.jobs.utah.gov/wi/pubs/outlooks/state/index.html. These projections look forward to the year 2024.

The occupational profile is structured from the general to the detailed, mimicking the structure of a family tree. First, broad occupational categories are defined, such as management or healthcare occupations; then, subcategories are defined; and finally, individual occupations are defined. Individual occupations are the heart of the occupational projections. But overall patterns and characteristics do emerge when observing the broader categories.

While a Utah statewide profile leads the way, Utah’s local economies are not homogenous; therefore, nine Utah subregions are also profiled. Due to confidentiality restraints and statistical reliability, the amount of occupations available will diminish the smaller a subregion; but, occupations comprising the backbone of a regional economy will be available.

Washington County and the Southwest Region 

Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

Due to its status as a Metropolitan Statistical Area, Washington County gets its own set of survey-supported occupational projections. We also prepare a job outlook as a group for the remaining four counties in Southwest Utah (Beaver, Garfield, Iron and Kane).

Washington County

Washington County takes top honors as the projected fastest-growing area in the state. Between 2014 and 2024, Washington County employment is expected to expand at an annual average rate of 3.9 percent, notably higher than the statewide average of 2.7 percent. That expansion should result in almost 3,600 job openings a year. Growth plays a major role in future openings with 62 percent occurring from business expansion. Replacement needs constitute the remaining 38 percent of openings. Statewide, only 54 percent of new openings are expected to arise from growth.

With its large employment base and high replacement needs, food preparation and serving occupations are projected to create the highest number of Washington County openings. Likewise, the large employment groups of office and administrative support (e.g., clerical) and sales occupations should also generate large numbers of positions.

On the other hand, the smaller computer/mathematical occupational group, with an annual average growth rate of 5.7 percent, is expected to show the most rapid expansion. Nevertheless, food preparation and serving jobs aren’t far behind, with a 5.2-percent annual rate of increase. In addition, both the healthcare practitioners/technical (4.9 percent) and healthcare support (4.7 percent) groups should see strong expansion as well.

Not surprisingly, occupational groups with current low levels of employment are also expected to add fewer jobs to the economy than their much large peers. In Washington County, architecture/engineering and legal occupations will supply the smallest number of openings. The slowest growth rates are expected for architecture/engineering and sales. However, even these occupational groups show faster growth rates than the statewide average. Moreover, openings for sales occupations are high due to the large size of the occupational group and its high replacement status.

Because many jobs in the Washington County economy currently require little education and many of these positions also have high replacement needs, jobs requiring a high school education or less are expected to account for more than 70 percent of total openings between 2014 and 2024. However, in general, jobs requiring more education are expected to expand at a faster-than-average rate.

The individual occupations adding the highest number of openings usually belong to the major occupational groups providing the highest number of openings. In Washington County, fast food workers, retail salespersons and waiters/waitresses are expected to add the highest number of new openings. These are typically lower-paying positions. However, not all high-opening occupations in Washington County are considered low paying. General/operations managers and registered nurses are among the occupations with the highest volume of projected openings.

In an attempt to help provide career guidance, the Department of Workforce Services has attached star ratings to most occupations. These ratings take into account both employment outlook (openings and growth rate) and wages. Among occupations with the best five-star rating, 70 percent of projected openings typically require a bachelor’s degree or higher. For more information about star ratings and detailed occupational information, see the links in the data visualization.

 

The Other Southwest Counties 

In contrast to Washington County, the remaining Southwest Utah counties are projected to grow at a slower annual average rate of 2.0 percent, notably below the statewide average of 2.7 percent. Slower projected expansion is not uncommon among Utah’s less-populated regions. Southwest Utah should generate almost 1,200 job openings each year between 2014 and 2024. Replacement needs are expected to outpace growth somewhat, providing 55 percent of total openings.

In a pattern similar to Washington County, food preparation/serving, office/administrative support (e.g., clerical) and sales occupations are expected to provide the largest number of openings over the 10-year period. These occupational groups also maintain the highest levels of current employment.

However, when it comes to growth rates, the four Southwest Utah counties diverge from Washington County. In Southwest Utah, the fastest growing occupational group is expected to be construction and extraction, with an annual average expansion rate of 3.7 percent. Nevertheless, both healthcare practitioners and healthcare support (2.6 percent and 3.0 percent respectively) show up among the fastest growing occupational clusters. Iron County’s heavy manufacturing presence is also reflected in strong (2.6 percent) expansion in production occupations.

Occupational groups projected to provide few openings in Southwest Utah include computer/mathematical and architecture/engineering occupations. Life/physical/social science positions are expected to decline slightly (although replacement needs will still generate openings). Despite contributing many job openings, sales and administrative support occupations are expected to show some of the lowest growth rates along with protective services.

Like the statewide profile, jobs with the highest current employment tend to require less education. Their large employment base coupled with high replacement needs means roughly 82 percent of employment openings between 2014 and 2024 in Southwest Utah are expected to require a high school degree or less. While growth rates by educational requirements fall in a fairly tight range, jobs typically requiring a postsecondary non-degree award should show the fastest growth while providing relatively few openings.

As in Washington County, individual occupations in Southwest Utah projected to generate the largest number of openings are generally categorized in the occupational groups with the highest current employment. Cashiers, fast food workers, retail salespersons and waiters/waitresses are expected to show the highest number of openings in Southwest Utah. Of course, many of these positions pay lower-than-average wages. However, general/operations managers and carpenters will also provide a high level of openings.

In Southwest Utah, five-star jobs with the best employment outlook and wages run the gamut from supervisors and managers to truck drivers and accountants. For more information about star ratings detailed occupational projections, remember to check out the links in the data visualization.

Beaver County Economic Update

Following strong-to-moderate employment growth in 2015, Beaver County’s labor market expansion stalled in early 2016 as several industries (in particular mining) took job hits. In addition, unemployment insurance claims data activity suggests the county suffered outright employment contraction in second quarter. These job losses will most likely continue to bump up Beaver County’s currently low unemployment rate. So far in 2016, construction activity appears relatively low especially compared with 2015 which was a banner year for both nonresidential and residential building. Strong gains in gross taxable sales provide the best current economic news. Overall, the county’s economy will be tested as 2016 continues.

Between March 2015 and March 2016, Beaver County’s nonfarm jobs increased but just barely. 

Nonagricultural employment expanded a mere 17 jobs for a year-over gain of less than 1 percent. 

Not included in the nonfarm totals are an additional 43 positions in covered agriculture. 

Employment declines in mining, transportation/warehousing and professional business services dragged down overall growth. 

On the nonfarm side, only retail trade created a significant number of new jobs. 

On the horizon, construction job counts should improve in upcoming months as the large solar projects progress. 

However, based on claims activity, layoffs in mining will continue to temper the numbers. 

Beaver County's unemployment rate shot up to 5.5 percent in June 2016 and reflects significant layoffs in mining. 

First-time claims for unemployment insurance skyrocketed in May and June primarily due to those mining layoffs. 

With its project-to-project nature, construction has also generated a substantial amount of unemployment insurance claims thus far in 2016. 

Increases in Beaver County’s average monthly wage decelerated in recent months although continuing to trend upward. 

Beaver County’s first quarter 2016 average nonfarm wage of roughly $2,700 measured noticeably below the statewide average ($3,600). 

In the first few months of 2016, Beaver County construction permitting seems off to a slow start. 

Few dwelling-unit permits have been issued and new nonresidential values pale in comparison to the huge solar projects authorized in 2015. 

Between the first quarters of 2015 and 2016, Beaver County’s gross taxable sales increased by a whopping 20 percent. 

Strong sales at building material/garden stores coupled with substantial business investment expenditures generated a large portion of the first-quarter gain.

The Infrastructure Labor Market

By Mark Knold, Supervising Economist, and Lecia Parks Langston, Senior Economist

The labor force is made up of people. People vary in every conceivable way. One person is artistic while another can only draw stick people. One person might be able to disassemble and reassemble a car engine while another might not know what an alternator is. We are different. We have different aptitudes and abilities.

Parallel to this variability, jobs are different. High levels of education do make it possible to work in high-skill occupations that return high incomes. But not everyone is cut out for higher education or has the means to obtain higher education. Therefore, they might end up in “lesser” or “unimportant” jobs.

But is that accurate? Are their job options inferior and unimportant? A recent Brookings Institution report brings to light a segment of the economy that is highly important yet is dependent upon the labor force that may not be built for, have the economic means, or desire to attain a college degree or higher.

Brookings identifies a niche they call the infrastructure economy. As Brookings notes, “Infrastructure helps facilitate the exchange of information, drive production, and deliver resources, spanning multiple sectors of the economy and serving as a foundation to long-term growth.” It goes further to note that “Infrastructure jobs depend on a steady stream of talent to construct, operate, design, and govern the country’s major physical assets.”

Brookings also documents why these infrastructure jobs can appeal to the individual. “Infrastructure occupations also boast competitive wages with relatively low barriers to entry, frequently paying up to 30 percent more to workers with a high school diploma or less compared to those in all other occupations. Plumbers, truck mechanics, and power line installers are among the numerous infrastructure occupations that fall into this category, which tend to emphasize on-the-job training rather than higher levels of formal education.”

Brookings identified 95 occupations that support the infrastructure foundation. Their work was well founded and designed. This intrigued us to develop a profile of said infrastructure configuration for the Utah economy. We could not replicate the Brookings work in terms of finalizing upon infrastructure industries, but we could place our focus instead upon all infrastructure occupations.

Infrastructure occupations do not have to be found in only infrastructure industries. A helicopter pilot, an infrastructure occupation, may fly a medical helicopter for a hospital, even though said hospital is not categorized as an infrastructure industry.

What is important is that there are occupations that Brookings has identified as key occupations that help to keep the economy operating, growing, designed, and governed. And a practical appeal is that many of these jobs offer low barriers to entry while supplying competitive wages.

Across the nation, these occupations number 11.9 million, or 8.8 percent of all occupational employment. In Utah, these jobs number around 121,400, also 8.8 percent of all occupational employment. Again, the appeal of these jobs is not just that they fundamentally support so many other jobs and industries in the economy, but that these jobs don’t require a high level of education or formalized training for entry. Oftentimes these occupations emphasize only on-the-job training. Yet, these jobs pay on average 22 percent higher in Utah than other occupations that are willing to accept only a high school diploma or less.

Utah does have its unique structuring across its different geographic regions, and this will include the possibility of a different profile of the infrastructure economy in each local region. The following is an infrastructure profile for the Southwest Utah region.

Southwest Utah 

The southwest corner of Utah is home to approximately 7,100 infrastructure jobs, about 9 percent of total employment. Infrastructure employment plays an important role in both Washington County and the other counties of Southwest Utah (Beaver, Garfield, Iron and Kane counties). However, while Washington County accounts for two-thirds of these infrastructure jobs, these jobs play a more important role in the smaller counties than in Washington County itself.

The location quotient for infrastructure occupations in Washington County measures 0.9 compared to a location quotient of 1.0 for the rest of Southwest Utah. Location quotients quantify regional concentration of this occupational group compared to the national average. In Washington County, infrastructure jobs account for a 10-percent smaller share of total jobs than the United States. In contrast, in the remainder of Southwest Utah, infrastructure employment accounts for the same share of employment as in the nation. This dissimilarity occurs despite a strong construction presence in Washington County. However, in both areas, heavy/tractor-trailer truck drivers account for a notable share of infrastructure employment.

Pay 

In Washington County, infrastructure jobs requiring less than a Bachelor’s degree pay roughly 26 percent more than similar jobs in the overall economy. Similarly, in the remaining Southwest Utah counties, infrastructure jobs pay 27 percent higher than other jobs with the same educational requirements. Many of the highest-paying infrastructure occupations in both areas necessitate just a high school education (plus on-the-job training).

Education and Training 

About 97 percent of Southwest Utah’s infrastructure jobs typically require less than a Bachelor’s degree. Most infrastructure jobs also require little on-the-job training. About 65 percent of these positions show the need for a high school education or less. Three-fourths of the jobs are in occupations calling for on-the-job training of a month or less. About 75 percent of infrastructure employment is involved in operating activities. Construction-related activities account for the next largest share at 15 percent.

Looking Forward 

Over the next decade (2014-2024), infrastructure employment in Washington County is projected to grow at about the same rate (40 percent) as overall employment (39 percent). However, in the other Southwest counties, infrastructure employment is expected to expand more slowly (16 percent) than all jobs (20 percent). Growth should create more infrastructure openings in Washington County while replacement needs are expected to dominate openings in the other Southwest Utah counties.