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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, June 20-23, 2020 A-3 The Park Record City Beat CITY EDITOR: JAY HAMBURGER 649–9014 EXT. 15711 | Citynews@parkrecord.com A jobs recovery anticipated Comeback will not be complete V-shape, though JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record The unemployment rate in Summit County jumped to a stunning 20.3% in April, the highest in decades. The explanation was immediately apparent. The spread of the novel coronavirus forced an early end to the ski season, in midMarch rather than in April, sending ripples through a large swath of the Park City-area economy. Layoffs quickly mounted as health officials put restrictions on everyday activities. People who worked at the mountain resorts, retailers, restaurants and in the lodging industry were suddenly let go, leading large numbers of them to file unemployment claims. “The whole package was told to take a hiatus,” said Mark Knold, the chief economist for the state Department of Workforce Services and a figure who has long tracked unemployment numbers in Utah. In a typical year, the mountain resorts would stop running the lifts in April, but the rest of the economy largely remains open with only scattered short-term closures that are traditional at the end of the ski season. Knold, though, said important sectors of the Park City economy were closed alongside the mountain resorts, leading to the increase to the 20.3% unemployment rate from 2.9% in March and 2.6% in April of 2019. “That doesn’t mean the hotels also close ... or the restaurants shut down,” he said about a typical end of the ski season, adding, “Usually, it’s just the ski resorts themselves.” The job losses were instant and to support encourages you ce an lli A ity C rk economy. The Historic Pa e small business th t or pp su to as we work . LOCAL FIRST e list of offerings om for a complet .c ah ut ty ci rk Visit historicpa DRIVE THRU AVAILABLE JAY HAMBURGER/PARK RECORD The state Department of Workforce Services operates an office in Prospector. The unemployment rate in Summit County jumped in April, but a state economist predicts the number will drop from April’s 20.3% even as it remains elevated. dramatic in the Park City area, he said. Knold said the statewide employment reductions in crucial Park City industries were heavy in April. Employment across Utah in the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors crashed by 65% while restaurant employment fell 40%. Lodging employment was cut by 34%. The industries critical to the Park City economy, and those that were especially hurt in April, account for approximately 12% of employment on a statewide basis. But those industries make up a much larger bloc — upward of 38% — of the jobs in Summit County, according to the Division of Workforce Services. “Those are the hardest hit areas,” he said, explaining the importance of those industries to the Park City-area economy. The statewide unemployment rate dropped to a preliminary 8.5% in May from an upwardly revised 10.4% in April, the Department of Workforce Services reported on Friday. The May unemployment rates in Utah counties are scheduled to be published on Monday. It seems almost certain there will be job Please see Recovery, A-4 1723 UTE BLVD., PARK CITY, UT ©2020 Del Taco LLC DTL-20570 PRICE AND PARTICIPATION MAY VARY. PUBLIC NOTICE REGARDING THE JUNE 30, 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION Public Notice is hereby given that the Summit County June 30, 2020 Primary Election will be an all by-mail election. There will be NO election day in-person vote centers as passed by the Utah Legislature. Public Notice is hereby given that there will be NO early voting for registered voters of Summit County for the 2020 June Primary Election as passed by the Utah Legislature. All registered voters will receive a ballot at their mailing address to be returned by mail and post marked or placed in a drop box on or before June 30, 2020, Election Day. Registered Republicans will receive a Republican Ballot. Registered Democrats will receive a Democrat Ballot. Unaffiliated voters may request a Democrat Ballot by contacting the office either by email at elections@summitcounty.org or calling the County Clerk at 435 615 3204. You cannot change party affiliation after June 19, 2020. Individuals needing special accommodations pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act can contact the Summit County Clerk’s Office at 435 336 3203. Published in the Summit County News: June 12, 2020, June 19, 2020, June 26, 2020 Published in the Park Record: June 13, 2020, June 20, 2020, June 27, 2020 |