| Show q Basin Business Trend Told r By Local Loc Employment Office By Wm J. J Kremin Jr manager Vernal office Utah Dept of Employment Se As we come t to the end of calendar year 1972 it seems appropriate to assess the past twelve months This has been an election year with its it's accompanying accompany ing frustration and guarded optimism or pessimism depending upon wl which ch side of the fence you might happen to be sit ting This has been a year of continued inflation in spite of wage arid and price con trois It has also been a year of strong economic growth in Duchesne and Uintah Uintah Uin tah counties YOU DO not have to go very far farto farto farto to see or hear about the growth that thatis is taking place in the area Citizens in Roosevelt and Vernal have been concerned concerned con con- about the establishment of new shopping centers and the parking problems problems problems lems near shopping areas Several communities com are having problems with growing demands on various public utilities ut ute Rental units are getting more difficult lt to find and property values are continuing to rise Retail merchants are setting better and better sales records every day Some have already passed last years records by wide margins with Christmas and year end sales to go A 1972 Utah Foundation r report b ort on sales tax made madea a of f 1965 1985 and 1971 It showed showed show show- ed gains of 45 percent in Duchesne and percent in Uintah County Indications Indications Indications Indica Indica- are that 1972 will be even better JUST HOW much growth has taken place since the oil boom started in October October Oct Oct- ober 1969 in Duchesne County The 1970 census reported persons lived in the three county area area During 1972 an estimate was compiled by Clinton Harrison of the Uintah Basin Association Association Association tion of Governments He estimated over persons now live in the three county area This is a gain of approximately approximately approximately persons or percent in two years Most of this gain can be attributed to the influx of workers moving here to work in the oil related occupations Some of this gain cart can be attributed to persons moving here just because they like it here and they want to get away from heavily urbanized areas i 1 e c. c Los As- As geles A REVIEW of employment data prior to the beginning of the oil activity in Duchesne County proves interesting One can see by examining table A Monthly Month ly Average of Non Agricultural Wage and Salaried Workers the number of workers in the three county area has grown each year from in 1965 to toan toan toan an estimated in 1972 This is an increase of workers equal to percent The workers represented represented re re- re presented in this table are arc only those covered by unemployment insurance This office does not have a accurate curate data concerning those persons not covered by unemployment insurance THE GREATEST increase in workers has been in trade service i i. i e e. e maids waitresses cooks and mining oil and oil service occupations Manufacturing picked up a moderate amount Some decline took place lace in government and heavy construction For some time a paradox existed As the population the number of jobs and the number of workers grew so did the number of unemployed grow It seems a turn around has and the number of unemployed is on the de de- de crease An estimated persons were out of work each month during this year in the Uintah Basin TABLE B Monthly Average of Unemployed Unemployed Unemployed Un Un- employed Workers shows fewer out of work each month in 1972 than thanin thanin thanin in 1971 Table C Monthly Rate of Unemployed W Workers shows a peak of 79 percent recorded for 1970 with declines in 1971 or 1972 The final rate I for 1972 is not available and will not be until the year has actually ended Because of three county area exper ment in past years each county has been eligible for federal grants and loans This will soon cease to be the case As the counties are no longer considered considered considered con con- to have substantial or unemployment federal aid will be more difficult to obtain THE PAYMENT of Insurance insurance insurance in In- is seldom thought of as a payroll payroll payroll pay pay- roll in a community but that is what it is intended to replace When a payroll payroll payroll pay pay- roll stops dollars cease to flow in the econ economy economy my and this in turn brings the eco eco- omy to a slower pace Insurance for the unemployed is intended intended intended in in- tended to help prime the pump and keep the economy moving by maintaining maintain maintain- ing ones one's purchasing power During 1971 Daggett County received Duchesne Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- chesne County received and Uintah County received in unemployment insurance payroll Tl This s made a total of or one third of a dollars that flowed into the Uintah Basin In terms of a weekly average it came to Stated another another another an- an other way an average of persons drew an average of about per week each week during 1971 EVEN THOUGH we may have fewer persons filing weekly unemployment insurance insurance insurance in in- claims during 1972 the total dollar amount mount will probably exceed the 1971 total This will be as a result of the increase in weekly benefit amount The maximum weekly benefit amount during fiscal 1971 was during fiscal 1972 it is With the rapid growth taking place in the labor market the most frustrating frustrating frustrating ing problem experienced by this office is the constant demand for skilled work work- ers Tl This s has no doubt been equally frustrating for employers MANY COMPANIES find their operations operations operations opera opera- curtailed or limited when they can not find qualified journeymen to care for their needs This problem seems seems to toto to be growing be-growing diminishing Construction companies find es unable to bid additional work trucking trucking truck truck- ing companies turn lurn down requests for shipments Our local garment factory has to limit the activities of 80 employees ees for lack Inck of one journeyman mechanic and on and andon andon andon on the story goes THE GREATEST need at this time is not for college graduates or while white collar workers The greatest need is for craftsmen journeymen cooks waitresses ses maids for those who can provide skill ski skill and service I It is the hope of or this agency that trade schools businessmen and apprentice program will start meeting meet ing the need through on the job training along with institutional training |
