Workforce services anticipates moderate job growth in county

By Sun Advocate

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Total employment in Utah will increase from 1,353,800 positions in 2000 to about 1,508,310 jobs in 2005.
At the local level, the southeastern region encompassing Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties will experience an annual 1.9 percent employment expansion rate during the designated five-year projection period.
At the state level, overall employment will increase by 11 percent, with a growth rate averaging 2.3 percent per year. Utah’s expected employment expansion exceeds the 1.3 percent job creation rate projected nationwide.
All of the new job opportunities and 80 percent of total employment in Utah during the five-year period will be in service producing sectors. The sectors include transportation, communication and utilities; trade, finance, insurance and real estate; services; and government.
Mining, construction and manufacturing – the state’s goods producing industries – will experience 5 percent employment decreases. Less than 20 percent of all jobs statewide will be in goods producing sectors, pointed out the workforce services department.
Nine of Utah’s 12 major industry divisions will post growth rates below the state’s 2.3 percent per year average. In addition to mining, manufacturing and construction, the divisions include transportation, communications, utilities, trade, finance and agriculture along with federal and state governments.
Services, local governments and self-employed Utahns will enjoy growth rates exceeding the state average.
The fastest growing employment sectors will be business, agricultural, health and miscellaneous repair services.
Industries generating the majority of Utah’s employment opportunities will be business and health services, local governments and eating-drinking establishments.
Nearly half of the jobs will occur in the sector, with business services accounting for 30 percent of the 74,800 positions.
The workforce services department weighed data from the state’s eight major occupational categories to present summary information on jobs in Utah.
During the five-year projection period, 16,010 new employment positions will swell the ranks of the state’s largest occupational category – the production, operating and maintenance sector, predicted the workforce department.
The jobs represent a growth rate of 0.9 percent per year, less than one-half of the 2.3 percent growth rate projected for all occupations in Utah.
The professional group claims the next largest portion of total employment in Utah with an annual 3.5 percent job expansion rate. Clerical and administrative support account for about 203,100 employment opportunities statewide.
Clerical occupations will add 17,620 positions to reach the 220,720 level by 2005.
Service occupation jobs, currently numbering 174,480, will increase at 2.9 percent per year.
Sales will realize 3 percent annual employment growth, adding 29,680 jobs by 2005.
The technical occupational category will post a 3.6 percent growth rate and create 9,310 new positions to reach the 60,540 job level by 2005.
Roughly 7.3 percent or 98,940 Utahns are employed in management and administrative occupations.
By 2005, the workforce department predicts that the category will develop 12,140 new positions for a 2.5 percent expansion rate.
Employment in agricultural occupations will continue to claim the smallest number of jobs at 40,320. Increases occurring in the category will focus on satisfying the mounting demand for lawn and garden services statewide.
The projection period will yield an average of 63,850 job openings annually.
Slightly less than one-half or 30,890 employment opportunities will originate from growth in Utah’s economy.
Approximately 32,960 job openings will occur as employees switch occupations or exit the state’s labor force.
Professional-related occupations will account for 20 percent of total job openings or 12,570 positions. Sales will account for 12,070 or 19 percent of the job openings.
The production, operating and maintenance along with the service categories will account for more than 11,000 or 17 percent of the annual vacancies statewide.
Clerical occupations will contribute about 7,750 job openings.
Managerial will add approximately 3,970 positions, with the technical category contributing about 3,000 employment opportunities.
Agriculture will account for 1,920 job openings per year in the state.
By 2005, approximately 22 percent of all employment opportunities in Utah will require at least a bachelor’s degree, based on the method of assigning training levels to occupations derived from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The federal agency’s classification system, combined with the DWS’ occupational projections, indicates Utahns attempting to enter the labor market will encounter several training or educational requirements in 2005.
The projected occupational requirements include the following:
•An associate’s degree – 4 percent of the employment opportunities statewide.
•Post-secondary vocational training – 4 percent of the job openings at locations throughout Utah.
•Work-related experience – 9 percent of the positions.
•Long-term, one or more years on-the-job training – 8 percent of the employment opportunities.
•Moderate term or one month to one year on-the-job training -16 percent of the openings.
•Short-term or less than one month informal on-the-job training – 37 percent of the employment positions.