68% of Utah voters are concerned by the shortage of jobs

A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll that was conducted earlier this month revealed that 68% of Utah voters are concerned by the shortage of jobs. 27% said they were them as not being concerned regarding the issue. The results come from a survey from 764 registered Utah voters with a 3.54 percentage margin of error.

The current unemployment rate in Utah of 2.4 percent has remained at the no. 2 position in the United States just behind Nebraska's 2% rate for this month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A low unemployment rate is among the top indicators of economic health, however it can also be an indicator of how challenging it could be for an average company to recruit the needed employees, especially in the lead-up to seasonally-driven surges, like going into the Christmas shopping season.

The respondents had a mixed response when asked about who has the responsibility for implementing measures to solve the state's shortage of labor; however 44% of them believed it's an issue that the private sector has to address.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he shares the worries of a majority of Utahns evident in the most recent Deseret News polling, and is studying all aspects of Utah's recovery from the most severe effects of the pandemic.

"While we're delighted by Utah's 2.4 percent employment rate, our team is worried about the shortage of labor which is affecting all sectors of each community of Utah," Cox said. "We're now working closely with economists and experts to understand the changes in the participation of workers and expectations due to the epidemic."

"While the markets are continuing to change, officials from the government must be attentive to make sure we do not encourage work that isn't truly needed."

Although Utah is currently awash with more jobs than before the outbreak of COVID-19 with more than 53,000 new jobs created since September of 2019, the state's job-related participation remains below levels prior to the pandemic. The most recent available data indicates that July's 131,000 job openings were far more than the 79,000 hired in July.

"The Utah economy is still growing strongly throughout the larger outbreak," said Mark Knold Chief Economist at the Department of Workforce Services in an accompanying statement to the monthly jobs report of the agency this week. "Utah's economy is generating increased employment than it did prior to outbreak, and this speaks about the strength of Utah's economy. There's still some room for improvement since the percentage of people who are employed is lower than it was prior to the pandemic. For some, there is a lingering fear regarding re-engagement in the workplace, i.e., public interaction. We consider this to be natural and temporary not a new normal."

Although Utah businesses that are looking to establish their own workforces are faced with an intense competition in Utah's present labor market, the current conditions are extremely beneficial for those looking for work on the other side of the equation. Salt Lake Chamber President/CEO Derek Miller stated that Utah businesses in a variety of sectors struggle to fill crucial posts. "We are unable to overstate the scale or impact of the issue," Miller said. "I visited St. George last week and visited an Ice cream shop. Three teenage girls were working the entire shop, trying to handle the demand. They were trying their best and making excuses to customers, while they also informed people that there would be a 45 minute waiting time. That's the situation wherever you visit in the US right now."

Miller is also concerned that the forthcoming introduction of President Joe Biden's vaccination requirements for large private companies will further increase problems with staffing for employers, as certain workers leave to protest the forced vaccination obligations.

"I am concerned regarding the shortage of labor that is caused by the federal mandate that could create more stress," Miller said. "I do not know how this will turn out, but I'm trying to keep an eye on the horizon."

In a Deseret News interview, Utah Department of Workforce Services senior economist Michael Jeanfreau said the state's current job market is an excellent opportunity for people trying to secure an entry-level job, as well as those who want to boost their income by moving to a different job. The latter, he added, is especially true for jobs that require less education.

"What we're experiencing at the moment is worse situations from the perspective of employers, but more favorable conditions to employees" Jeanfreau stated. "If Amazon is hiring 250 new drivers at the moment and I'm employed at a gas station, that sounds like a wonderful chance."

Jeanfreau noted that the labor market competition that drives rises in pay is one factor that improves the living standards for salaried workers everywhere and results in Utah becoming an ever desirable place to live for those in every sector.

"When the bottom is rising, everyone else goes up, too," Jeanfreau said. "From an economic standpoint it's all connected. Upward economic mobility benefits all of us."