Three Utah legislators offer their thoughts on what lies ahead in next year’s session 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 1, 2024—NFIB’s last Jobs Report before Tuesday’s Election, November 5, contained no surprises but does offer those winning seats in next year’s session of the Utah Legislature some food for thought on what policy paths to take. The monthly Jobs Report, released yesterday, showed small business owners still having a hard time finding qualified employees despite higher compensation offered. 

Two weeks ago, NFIB Utah State Director Casey Hill hosted a Legislative Roundtable with guests, Sen. Evan Vickers and State Reps. Cory Maloy and Matt MacPherson, that included their take on what the new Legislature will be grappling with when it convenes next year. Click here to listen. 

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg on the Latest Jobs Report 

“On Main Street, the job market remains challenging. Although the labor market appears to be softening overall, small business owners reported little success filling their plentiful vacancies in October.”  

Highlights from the Yesterday’s Jobs Report 

• 35% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in October, up one point from September’s lowest reading since January 2021.  

• Job openings were the highest in the construction, transportation, and wholesale sectors, and the lowest in the agriculture and finance sectors. However, job openings in construction were down four points from last month with 49% having an open position they can’t fill. 

• A seasonally adjusted net 15% of owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, unchanged from September.  

• A net 31% of small business owners reported raising compensation in October, down one point from September and the lowest reading since April 2021.  

• A net 23% (seasonally adjusted) plan to raise compensation in the next three months, unchanged from September. 

Keep up with the latest on Utah small-business news at www.nfib.com/utah. Follow us on Twitter @nfib_ut.    

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For 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.    

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