The Utah Department of Workforce Services has just released county-level unemployment rate estimates for December. Most counties are following the statewide trend of declining joblessness. Between December 2010 and December 2011, the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate decreased by 1.5 percentage points. Eight counties--Juab, Beaver, Duchesne, Uintah, Daggett, Box Elder, Wasatch, and Sanpete--experienced rate declines of 2.0 points or better. Only two counties showed increasing levels of unemployment--Wayne and Garfield counties. Wayne County's current unemployment woes can be traced primarily to the closure of the county's largest employer--Aspen Education Group.
Currently, the areas with the highest jobless rates include San Juan, Wayne, Garfield, Grand, and Washington counties--all located in the southern part of the state. Counties with the lowest unemployment rates include Unitah, Cache, Daggett, Millard, and Rich counties--nearly all of which are located either in the Uintah Basin or in the northern part of the state. As you can see from the map, with a few exceptions this geographic unemployment divide holds true.
You can download the December rates from the graphic or access them in pdf format by clicking here.
