Counties with the highest unemployment in Utah
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Utah using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Utah.
#29. Morgan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 6,178 people (121 unemployed)
#28. Summit County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,128 people (617 unemployed)
#27. Millard County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,908 people (155 unemployed)
#26. Cache County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,624 people (1,577 unemployed)
#25. Beaver County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,220 people (74 unemployed)
#24. Wasatch County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,800 people (430 unemployed)
#23. Box Elder County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 29,078 people (735 unemployed)
#22. Iron County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,569 people (757 unemployed)
#21. Davis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 191,095 people (4,747 unemployed)
#20. Juab County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,635 people (172 unemployed)
#19. Washington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 92,669 people (2,470 unemployed)
#18. Utah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 356,863 people (9,642 unemployed)
#17. Salt Lake County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 692,971 people (19,684 unemployed)
#16. Kane County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,107 people (121 unemployed)
#15. Sanpete County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,551 people (422 unemployed)
#14. Weber County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 140,678 people (4,205 unemployed)
#13. Tooele County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,057 people (1,213 unemployed)
#12. Emery County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 4,782 people (152 unemployed)
#11. Uintah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,128 people (493 unemployed)
#10. Duchesne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,707 people (295 unemployed)
#9. Sevier County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,860 people (368 unemployed)
#8. Rich County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,184 people (42 unemployed)
#7. Carbon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,545 people (300 unemployed)
#6. Grand County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 4.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,039 people (282 unemployed)
#5. San Juan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 5,895 people (240 unemployed)
#4. Daggett County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 380 people (17 unemployed)
#3. Wayne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 3.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,586 people (86 unemployed)
#2. Piute County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 543 people (32 unemployed)
#1. Garfield County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 4.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,647 people (248 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
