The number of people in the state of Utah in the US in employment last December was significantly higher than in the year before, as it showed an impressive performance.

Latest statistics released by the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS) have said that the number of people who were employed in Utah in December was three per cent higher than a year earlier at the same time.

The figures showed that there were 36,300 new positions created during the month, rising the overall employment in the state to 1.23 million people.

DWS chief economist Mark Knold told Deseret News: "People leaving the labor force is a factor within the unemployment rate decline."

Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the number of people in the US who were out of jobs had dropped significantly, with the rate dropping from 8.6 per cent to 8.5 per cent in December.

Posted by Fiona Summers