Utah jobs going unfilled causing frustration among small employers and pushing average wages higher

More jobs are going unfilled across Utah as a booming economy increases demand for positions ranging from laborers and truck drivers to civil engineers and pharmacists.

According to a study released Wednesday by the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the job vacancy rate for metropolitan Utah increased to 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005, up from 2.1 percent in the same quarter in 2004.

That means for every 100 jobs, nearly three jobs went unfilled in metropolitan Utah, a nine-county area that includes Salt Lake, Utah, Weber, Davis, Morgan, Tooele, Wasatch, Summit and Juab counties.

Nate Talley, a research analyst with the department who conducted the study, said the increased job vacancies are causing frustration among small employers and pushing average wages higher.

By Dave Anderton
Deseret Morning News

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