Labor Market Pulse

Ogden-Clearfield, UT Metro Edition

Focus: HR

Ogden payrolls shrink while unemployment stays tight at 3.5%.

125,027

Weber County employment

down 1.1% year-over-year, August 2026

3.5%

Ogden-Clearfield unemployment

vs 4.1% national, 3.5% Utah statewide

66.3%

Utah labor force participation

10-year low, July 2026

1,684

Statewide WARN-affected workers 2026

down 11% vs 2025; manufacturing hit hardest

This Month's Takeaways

01

Weber County jobs are shrinking even as unemployment stays low.

Payrolls fell 1.1% year-over-year to 125,027 while unemployment held at 3.5%, a pattern that points to workers exiting the labor force or shifting sectors rather than broad-based hiring strength. Treat low unemployment here as a supply signal, not a demand signal.

02

HR Business Partner pay is diverging from the national market.

Metro HRBP advertised pay dropped to $76,335 while the national median rose to $83,766, widening the gap to roughly 9%. Organizations recruiting HRBP talent against national competitors may need to re-benchmark this role specifically rather than relying on historical local parity.

03

Recruiter and Payroll Specialist pay gains suggest targeted scarcity, not broad wage inflation.

Both roles posted significant local increases (Recruiter to $69,004, Payroll Specialist to $55,848) while HR Coordinator and HRIS Analyst pay fell. Wage pressure is concentrating in roles tied to active hiring and compliance execution, not administrative support functions.

04

Manufacturing contraction is a leading indicator for local WARN activity.

Statewide, manufacturing accounted for 1,137 of 1,684 WARN-affected workers in 2026, including the 723-employee Tyson Fresh Meats notice in Eagle Mountain. Ogden-area employers with manufacturing exposure should monitor whether displaced technical and skilled-trade talent begins surfacing in the local candidate pool.

Local Labor Conditions

Weber County payrolls slipped 1.1% year-over-year to 125,027 jobs in August even as unemployment held at a tight 3.5%, a combination consistent with employers shedding headcount selectively while skilled labor remains scarce enough to keep the jobless rate low. Growth is concentrated in education/health services (+1.7%) and leisure/hospitality (+1.1%), while manufacturing and professional/business services are contracting, reflecting the same bifurcation playing out statewide between secularly stable sectors and cyclically exposed ones.

Leadership & Talent Implications

Falling local headcount alongside stable unemployment suggests Ogden employers are managing through attrition and selective backfill rather than active growth hiring, which shifts the strategic question from acquisition speed to targeted retention in contracting functions like manufacturing and professional services. HR Business Partner advertised pay in the metro fell to $76,335 (moderate decline) even as the national median climbed to $83,766, a gap that may complicate retention of HRBP talent who can see stronger offers advertised outside Utah. Consider reviewing retention and internal mobility plans for mid-career HR and operations roles before assuming Ogden's low unemployment rate reflects demand strength across all functions.

Advertised Pay Indicators

Role	P25	Median	P75	Local Trend	National	Nat. Trend
Compensation Analyst	$72,138	$95,338	$107,244	↑ Significant increase	$101,727	→ Stable
HR Business Partner	$55,787	$76,335	$96,141	↓ Moderate decline	$83,766	↑ Significant increase
Benefits Manager	$57,494	$118,796	$132,202	↑ Significant increase	$117,888	↑ Moderate increase
HRIS Analyst	$78,224	$109,166	$111,337	↓ Significant decline	$97,555	↑ Moderate increase
HR Coordinator	$37,440	$43,628	$49,924	↓ Moderate decline	$50,000	↑ Moderate increase
Recruiter	$51,371	$69,004	$81,045	↑ Significant increase	$68,167	↑ Moderate increase
Payroll Specialist	$47,350	$55,848	$62,711	↑ Significant increase	$59,855	↑ Moderate increase

Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days

Worth watching

Weber County's year-over-year payroll decline (-1.1%) is early and could reverse or deepen; a second consecutive month of contraction would signal broader softening beyond manufacturing and warrant revisiting fourth-quarter headcount plans.

Emerging pressure point

Utah labor force participation sits at a 10-year low of 66.3%, and Ogden's demographic and commuter ties to Salt Lake and Weber counties make it exposed to the same structural supply constraint, particularly for skilled trades and healthcare support roles.

Potential inflection point

National information-sector layoffs (23,000 jobs lost in August) and ongoing WARN activity from large national employers could push displaced tech and corporate talent toward lower-cost metros like Ogden; watch regional job board activity for out-of-state applicant growth.

Expected

Statewide wage growth remains uneven by county, with Weber posting 4.3% weekly wage growth versus Washington County's 7.0%; expect continued pressure in hospitality, food service and construction roles tied to tightening service-sector labor supply.

WageScape Member Benefit

Monitor more markets, industries, and job families.

Your Pulse covers one metro and one function or industry. Add coverage if you want to see the latest intelligence for other markets, industries, or functions.

Pulse Plus

3 metro reports

$149/year

Pulse Pro

10 metro reports

$349/year

Enterprise

10+ markets

Contact us

Scan or click to add coverage

WageTrak · 15% Member Discount

On-demand advertised pay data across thousands of job titles, all metro areas, full percentile coverage, and monthly updates. Use code WAGESCAPE15 at wagetrak.com.

Forwarded This Briefing?

Receive your own personalized monthly briefing, filtered to your local market. Scan to enroll below.