SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s October jobs report was released Friday, and while there’s uncertainty about what’s ahead for the national economy, the numbers show the state is still heading in the right direction.

“If you’re looking for a job, Utah is a great place to start a career, raise a family and live that American dream,” said Jared Mendenhall of the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

Mendenhall has been in a positive state of mind following the release of the report. He said with Utah’s diverse economy, it continues to better the national average for job growth with the education, health care and construction job sectors leading the way from October of last year.

“Over that past year, Utah added 32,900 new jobs to its labor force. The labor force stands at just under 1.8 million workers,” he explained.

Overall, the job growth number grew by 1.9 percent from a year ago versus the national average of 1.3 percent.

All thee numbers were released as the Utah Department of Workforce Services gets ready for National Apprenticeship Week, where employers get out the word that they offer a paycheck while you train on the job.

“This is a great opportunity for maybe somebody who doesn’t have the time or money to go to a 4-year program, or just wants to get into the trades or something else,” said Mendenhall.

“These apprenticeships give you some specialized training that makes you a more valuable employee, makes it a little easier to make money and put a career together.”

The Utah Department of Workforce Services is scheduled to host the apprenticeship job fair in Sandy on Tuesday.