DAVIS COUNTY — The monthly gauge of business in Utah is on the decline, again.

According to the Utah Business Conditions index, which measures business activities ranging from growth to sales numbers, Utah’s index from the month of December fell to 38.4.

That number is much lower than it was in November, when it was reported at 44.4.

“Manufacturers in the state, both durable and non-durable, reported pullbacks in business activity for the month,” said Ernie Goss, director for the institute, in a press release. “Over the past six months, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has jumped by almost 0.5 percent.

“I expect Utah’s jobless rate will climb another half a percent before the end of the first quarter this year.”

The same can be said for Davis County, as reports from the Department of Workforce Services show a continued decline in the number of jobs available in the manufacturing, construction, and mining industries.

“Jobs that were on the decline during the final months of 2008 are still on the decline in 2009,” said Jim Robison of the Department of Workforce Services. “Practically all of the construction industry is on the decline, and companies are starting to see a downturn in the number of buildings being planned.”

And Utah isn’t the only state on the decline. Colorado’s index reported at 41.5 for December, down significantly from its 47.4 in November and 51.1 in October.

“For the second straight month, the index dipped below growth-neutral,” said Goss. “These readings are consistent with a significant economic downturn. This is stacking up to be the worst economic recession since the 1980s, when the national unemployment rate was above 10 percent.

“While I expect the downturn for the mountain states to be a bit less steep than for the U.S., it will nonetheless be deeper than that for 2001.”

However, some remain optimistic. Robison stated that with the new year comes new optimism, and residents in Davis County and elsewhere should be upbeat.

“We were told that the state was in a recession since December 2007,” he said. “So the state should be in recovery mode relatively soon.”

sgillet@davisclipper.com