UTAH EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

WRITTEN BY: UTAH DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES

Looking at employment trends in 2021, it’s impossible to ignore the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the first eight months of the pandemic in the United States, more than 340,000 Utahns applied for unemployment benefits, more than all of 2008 and 2009 during the great recession. While the pandemic naturally created many challenges and hardships, it also created opportunities for change and improvement in employment and workforce. REMOTE WORK

After years of making small steps towards telecommuting, thousands of employers suddenly made a huge leap into the world of remote work at the beginning of the pandemic. With the proliferation of video conferencing software like Zoom and Google Meet, many organizations found the transition easier than anticipated, although still with its own learning curve. Younique, a Lehi-based cosmetics and skincare company, sent most of its 300 corporate employees home to work in March 2020. Working from home, Younique content writer Christa Woodall finds it easier to create a quiet, peaceful environment to focus. “I love the autonomy; I love the flexibility; I focus better,” said Woodall. She also appreciates the efforts made by her team to meet regularly via video conference and to gather periodically in person to retain valuable face-to-face interactions. Like many Utah employers, Younique executives are looking at this experience as a learning opportunity and considering what telecommuting options they may want to maintain after the pandemic has subsided. “The benefits and challenges of remote work can be quite individual,” said Younique Chief Legal Officer Jamon Jarvis. Some individuals and teams have seen increased efficiency and improved work-life balance, according to Jarvis, but “it can be difficult to replicate the benefits of in-person work and collaboration through any virtual platform.” They are also looking at how remote work allows the company to expand its talent pool beyond geographic limitations. UTAH’S HOT JOBS

While the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted some industries, especially those related to leisure and hospitality, other industries continue to grow and are actively hiring new employees. To help unemployed workers connect with those opportunities, the Utah Department of Workforce Services launched an online tool that compiles the top industry-selected jobs for seven of the state’s fastest-growing industries at jobs.utah.gov/ hotjobs. Utah’s hottest jobs can be found in: • Advanced Manufacturing: Utah has one of the highest concentrations of advanced materials and advanced manufacturing companies in the nation, employing more than 10,000 workers. • Construction: The construction industry has an average employment growth rate of 7% over the last five years with an increase in wages of 4% year over year. • Finance and Banking: Utah employs more than 82,100 people in the financial industry, which has had employment growth of more than 20% over the last five years. • Health: Health and human services jobs account for 12% of Utah’s workforce, with continued growth projected nationally.

• Information Technology: Utah's tech sector has been referred to as the next "Silicon Valley," ranking second in the nation in fastest-growing states for tech jobs at an increase of almost 6%. • LifeSciences: Utah is one of the top states in the nation for life science employment at approximately 42,000 jobs, and 70% of the arterial and vascular access medical devices used worldwide are produced in the state. • Manufacturing: In 2019, Utah had more than $16 billion in manufactured goods exports, supported by 138,000 manufacturing employees in the state. RETRAINING FOR A NEW CAREER

Salt Lake City resident Timeal Galvin had spent her career working in the corporate office world, but lost her job as part of a major layoff at the beginning of the pandemic. As a single mom of two young children, Timeal wanted to have additional job flexibility to spend more time with her family. After the layoff, she took the time to meet with an employment counselor at the Department of Workforce Services and look at all of her options, rather than simply trying to get rehired in her previous field. Timeal decided to pursue dental assisting, where hours are generally flexible and employers are often small, family-run businesses. She enrolled in a 10-week dental assisting program that only required one or two days of class per week. Despite starting at a lower wage than her previous job, Timeal prefers the lifestyle that her new field allows, with more time for her children and the athome schooling needed during the pandemic. As Timeal discovered, re-training does not necessarily require a full-time school commitment. There are training opportunities that are part-time, online or on-the-job. Short-term training is available for a wide range of careers, like cyber security, software development, pharmacy technician, diesel mechanic, medical assistant and many more. Another training option is apprenticeships, which include both classroom learning and hands-on experience in the field, all while getting paid. Typically associated with the construction industry, apprenticeships are also available in manufacturing and IT and are expanding to new fields. While economically uncertain times can be frightening, they can also present opportunities to make individual career changes as well as large scale adjustments to the workforce that can have positive longterm impacts. Utah employers and employees alike are working to sustain healthy families and businesses during the pandemic and grow and improve in the future.

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