Market News

According to the Labor Department, Utah added 49,800 non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months, representing a substantial growth rate of 3.4%. For perspective, the U.S growth rate is running at about 1.6%. Monthly employment gains have averaged 4,520 new jobs per month so far in 2018. I am becoming increasingly confident that we will end the year having added 50,000 new jobs...

The Washington State economy added 83,900 new jobs over the past 12 months, representing an annual growth rate of 2.5%. This is a slowdown from last quarter, but employment growth remains well above the national rate of 1.6%. Employment gains continue to be robust in the private sector, which was up by 2.8%. The public sector (government) grew by a more modest 1.1%...

Colorado continues to see very strong job growth, adding 72,800 non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months—an impressive increase of 2.7%. Through the first five months of 2018, the state added an average of 7,300 new jobs per month. I expect this growth to continue through the remainder of the year, resulting in about 80,000 new jobs in 2018. In May, the state unemployment rate was 2.8%...

Employers in the Las Vegas metropolitan area continue to add jobs. A total of 27,800 new positions were added over the past 12 months, representing an annual growth rate of a healthy 2.9%. Interestingly, Las Vegas employment broke the million mark for the very first time in May of this year. Thanks to ongoing job growth, the unemployment rate continues to drop. The seasonally adjusted rate...