This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A study on job vacancies has found that the hiring environment in Utah has improved substantially since 2009, the state Department of Workforce Services says.
The study, conducted during the second quarter of 2012, measured the quality and characteristics of job openings in Utah by six geographic areas: statewide, metropolitan, northern, southwestern, non-metropolitan, and the Uintah Basin.
Among the highlights of the study:
• Approximately 27,600 jobs were open in Utah at any time during the quarter. The average wage of those openings was $14.10 per hour.
• Computer software developers and registered nurses were among the most-in-demand occupations requiring post-secondary training.
• Production-related occupations led all major occupational groups in the northern region, with 187 openings.
• Roughly 46 percent of the openings in non-metropolitan Utah were seasonal or temporary, compared to 12.4 percent statewide.
• Openings filled fastest in the southwestern region, with 80 percent open less than 60 days.
• Major occupational groups associated with natural resource extraction activities accounted for one-third of all job openings in the Uintah Basin.
The study is available at http://1.usa.gov/S2zbXs.