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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's job market continues to be among the best in the country, according to new numbers released Friday.
While the jobs report is statewide, many residents in rural Utah know how tough the job market can be — especially now with the tourism season winding down.
In Daggett County, a new position has many residents hoping for an increase in visitation that will ultimately create new jobs.
Colton Christenson moved to Manila from Coalville nearly four years ago. His wife, Calisha, grew up in Daggett County.
“I love it up here,” he said. “I wanted to be here. The rural feel, the place, the quality of life. I love it.”
The Christensons run a fishing tackle company named Lake Shore Tackle Company out of a small shop next to their home, which means they can raise their children together at home.
“It’s nice being able to stay home, kind of like a stay-at-home family,” said Calisha Christenson. “It gives us the lifestyle we really want.”
Of course, the Christensons also know they’re fortunate. Daggett County is known for being very rural and with few people and fewer jobs, there’s very little government money for opportunities to earn a living.
“It’s tough to find jobs and good-paying jobs out here,” Colton Christenson said. “A lot of people have to drive more than an hour to find work.”
Ryan Kelly, a photographer and fishing guide, lives in Flaming Gorge. He wears several hats to try to make a living in the area.
“We’re only about 1,100-1,200 people in the whole county,” Kelly said. “Ninety percent public land. The tax base is really, really small.”
Kelly recently became the first president of the newly formed Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce — a position residents have wanted in the county for some time but never had the funding to do it right, he said.
“We felt if we’re going to compete with the Mighty 5, Escalate, the Grand Staircase, some of those areas, we need to get more out there. We needed somebody dedicated to just doing that,” he said.
Kelly is also excited about the “Governor's Rural Jobs Tour,” whose goal is to create 25,000 jobs in Utah's 25 rural counties by the year 2020.
"I'm excited about it because it's brought a lot of knowledge to the job tour of the challenges we have,” he said. "When we talk about 25,000 new jobs, I can see it happening for the state, but what we really lack here in Daggett is mentors."
Kelly hopes with some mentoring, residents can start small businesses. He believes many residents don’t because the process can be intimating and often times they don’t know what to do.
“I have had to go so far as to explain what a hashtag is,” he said. “To help them target market on what they’re trying to do. Many of them have their roots in agriculture and ranching and maybe they can start a lodge on their land, but they’re afraid to lose their lifestyle and livelihood.”
Kelly also thinks the rural jobs tour can help with starting some type of business education program in the county.
“In the 20 years I’ve been here, there hasn’t been one student who came back and started a business,” he said. “We really need that entrepreneurship here. That’s who you start a business and have it grow.”
The Christenson Lake Shore Tackle Company is a great example of that. Colton Christenson turned a hobby into a career and is now looking to hire a few employees to expand.
"Business has been really well,” he said. “This has been our best year, and we're looking at a better year already next year.”
