Fourteen Utah counties and Ogden, which have high unemployment, have been classified as "labor surplus" for the period Oct. 1, 1989, to Sept. 30, 1990, which means employers in these areas are eligible for preference in bidding on federal contracts.
Luis Sepulveda, Denver, regional administrator for employment and training for the U.S. Department of Labor, said labor surplus areas are classified so that more of the government's procurement dollars go where people need them most.The counties designated by Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole are Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Juab, Morgan, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Summit, Uintah, Wasatch and Wayne.
Due to improvements in the U.S. economy in 1987 and 1988, the qualifying unemployment rate for classification as a labor surplus area has been reduced from 8 to 7.1 percent, Dole said.
The department will add areas to this list under its "exceptional circumstance" criteria. For example, a sudden increase in unemployment that isn't the result of something seasonal or temporary.