SALT LAKE CITY — Utah often prides itself on a strong economy with strong job growth and expansion.
But just last month, the announcement of 700 jobs lost at the Tyson Plant in Eagle Mountain left many families uncertain.
Just days ago, the University of Utah announced they could lay off up to 855 employees over the next year.
With thousands looking for work, FOX 13 wanted to ask the experts will those workers find other jobs? If so, what jobs are available?
“You’ve asked an important question and what I’d like to see happen is our elected officials and policymakers partner more strongly with the private sector and ask the question, what can we do to jumpstart the economy?” said Salt Lake Chamber president Derek Miller.
There’s no one right or easy answer to the “jobs” question, according to Miller.
“Historically, Utah has added each year about 50,000 jobs; that's sort of like adding the size of the city of Ogden to our job roles, but the last couple of years it’s only been about half that and so this ought to concern us,” said Miller.
Department of Workforce Services's Chief Economist Ben Crabb also believes many employers are hesitant to fill positions.
“There are a fair number of job openings. Employers have been a little slow in their hiring rates," said Crabb. "So while there are openings, they’re kind of waiting for just the right candidate to fill those positions.”
The most up-to-date Utah jobs report from the Department of Workforce Services doesn’t come out until next week, which would be reflective of August’s numbers.
“We usually measure this in terms of 10 different private sector industrial sectors and of those, eight had expansions in the last 12 months. We did see contractions in a few, most notably the information sector. That’s home to a lot of tech companies," said Crabb. "Utah's economy is really diverse and we have a strong array of industries, so there’s cross-pollination between that information sector and professional business services. For example, professional business services have really been a driver in the last 12 months and had the biggest gains we saw.”
Both the Chamber of Commerce and Workforce Services agree – this is a time workers may have to pivot.
“There needs to be a focus on retraining. We have excellent technical colleges in Utah. It doesn’t require a four-year degree. It doesn’t even require a two-year degree in most cases. It requires a credential or a certificate,” said Miller.
“Those folks out of a job, they can come to the Department of Workforce Services and we can help them with their job search and skills,” said Crabb.
