Major Employers Guide: a portrait of growth in a strong and vibrant economy.

• Author: Szkolar, Dorotea

Utah continues to grow as a major hub of commerce and business, evidenced by the more than 700 major employers listed in this publication. The growing number of major employers in a wide range of industries should come as no surprise, given that Utah is consistently ranked as one of the best places for business in the country. Overall, in 2011 the state ranked No. 1 on Forbes' Best States for Business and No. 6 on Forbes' Best States for Jobs lists.

Several of Utah's metropolitan areas also come out on top. In Forbes' 2012 Best Places for Business & Careers list, Provo ranked No. 1, Ogden ranked No. 6 and Salt Lake City ranked No. 26. Additionally, the 2012 U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Enterprising States Report ranked Utah No. 2 in Top Export States and No. 2 in Future Boom States. In fact, the fastest-growing industries in Utah from 2010 to 2012 included construction, professional and business services, healthcare, admin and support services, education, real estate, and finance and insurance.

Utah also enjoys unemployment rates lower than that of the national average. As of September 2012, Utah's unemployment rate was 5.4 percent, compared to the national unemployment rate of 7.8 percent. According to the Governor's Office of Planning...