- Utah's Employment Summary: May 2026

SALT LAKE CITY (June 19, 2026) — Utah’s nonfarm payroll employment for May 2026 increased an estimated 1.0% across the past 12 months, with the state’s economy adding a cumulative 16,900 jobs since May 2025. Utah’s current job count stands at 1,790,100. 

May’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is estimated at 3.7%, down a tenth of a percentage point from its level in April. Approximately 67,900 Utahns are unemployed. The May national unemployment rate is estimated at 4.3%, unchanged from its level in April.

“The latest data confirms Utah’s economic foundation remains secure, with broad sectoral growth,” said Ben Crabb, chief economist with the Department of Workforce Services. “While the unemployment rate remains low, a declining labor force participation rate and an increase in underemployment suggest not all labor resources are being fully utilized.” 

Utah’s May private sector employment recorded a year-over-year expansion of 1.2%, or a 17,800-job increase. Seven of the 10 major private-sector industry groups posted net year-over-year job gains. The overall gains are led by professional and business services (7,100 jobs), education and health services (6,800 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (2,400 jobs). Information (-1,100 jobs), manufacturing (-1,000 jobs), and natural resources (-500 jobs) experienced the largest year-over-year job losses. 

• Additional analysis and tables at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/ update/index.html
• County unemployment rates for May will post on or shortly after June 22, 2026, at https://jobs.utah.gov/wi/ update/une/season.pdf
• Statistics generated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C., modeled from monthly employer (employment) and household (unemployment) surveys.
• Listen to Chief Economist Ben Crabb’s analysis of the May 2026 employment report here:

soundcloud.com/utahdws/utah- employment-report-may-2026.

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