Thousands of new jobs in the trades, construction, education and health services helped propel southwestern Utah to the fastest job growth rates in the state in 2016.
Data from the Utah Department of Workforce Services show Washington County adding some 3,700 jobs over the course of the year, representing a 6.4 percent increase over the previous year and more than double the statewide and national averages.
The St. George area maintained what has now been more than seven years of steady growth coming out of the recession. The unemployment rate was 3.6 percent across the state in February, with Washington County at 3.3 percent and Iron County at 4.1 percent.