Pasadena, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/25/2010 -- Bucking nationwide trends, Utah has emerged as being among the few states that are adding jobs. The state has been able to add 17,200 jobs in the past 12 months, increasing its total workforce to 1.19 million.

Utah’s unemployment rate has remained steady at 7.2 percent in July. The reason is that the three biggest employment sectors – construction, government and manufacturing took a big hit in the recession, with construction alone losing over 4,000 positions. But the sector is expected to pick up by year end. Around 98,000 people are classified as unemployed in Utah. The data is from the Department of Workforce Services.

One of the few bright spots in the state economy was the lodging industry. The occupancy rate went up cheaply while room prices declined slightly. The biggest gain was seen in the Salt Lake County which is also hosting the Usana Health Science’s 18th annual international convention. The convention is expected to contribute $6 million to the local economy.

Adding to this renewed optimism regarding the jobs scenario, Hound, a job search engine was able to find 2,500 jobs in the state, with over 600 jobs in Salt Lake City.