SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show Utah's unemployment rate rose from 6.8 percent to 7.1 percent from January to February.
The Utah Department of Workforce Services also says the state has lost about 27,700 jobs over the past year, leaving total employment at just under 1.17 million. The department issued the February figures on Thursday.
Although there was still an increase in unemployment, the Department of Workforce Services says a trend of moderating jobs losses and slow improvement in the Utah economy is continuing.
The department says about 95,300 Utahns were considered unemployed in February, compared to 83,800 in February 2009. Last February the unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.
Utah's unemployment rate for February remained well below the national figure of 9.7 percent.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
