"Labor Market Information (LMI) is an applied science; it is the systematic collection and analysis of data which describes and predicts the relationship between labor demand and supply." The States' Labor Market Information Review, ICESA, 1995, p. 7.
Welcome to the newly redesigned Wyoming Labor Market Information website of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services' Research & Planning section.
Research & Planning (R&P) is an exclusively statistical entity within the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services that collects, analyzes, and publishes timely and accurate labor market information (LMI) meeting established statistical standards.
The goal of our website redesign is to provide Wyoming Labor Market Information in a format that is faster, more user-friendly on all devices and accessible to all. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about the redesign and any ideas about ways to improve our website. You can contact us via e-mail to DWS-RESEARCHPLANNING@wyo.gov, by calling us at (307) 473-3807, or via mail to Research & Planning, PO Box 2760, Casper WY 82602.
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 5.1% in November to 4.8% in December. Wyoming’s unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing since its peak of 9.6% in April and is currently much lower than the U.S. rate of 6.7%.
Initial Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims in Wyoming decreased by 7.7% over the month, while total continued weeks claimed decreased by 1.1%.
The over-the-month decrease in continued weeks claimed was the smallest for any month during the COVID-19 pandemic and followed six months of much greater decreases.
Wyoming had 4,739 initial claims in December, down 7.7% from November. Leisure & hospitality had the greatest over-the-month decrease in initial claims (-323, or -34.9%).
There were 32,057 continued weeks claimed (-1.1%) and 8,895 total unique claimants (-15.8%).
December 2020 UI Claims Report
Weekly UI Claims Data Table of Contents
Editor's note: Beginning with the December 2020 issue of Wyoming Labor Force Trends, each issue will be available online by the end of that month, in order to provide subscribers with the timeliest information possible. Barring any issues with printing or shipping, print copies will be delivered to subscribers by the following month.
In order to make these necessary changes, the October, November, and December issues of Trends will not be mailed to subscribers, but are all available electronically at https://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/trends.htm. The January 2021 issue of Trends will be the next issue mailed to subscribers.
If you have any questions, please contact Research & Planning Editor Michael Moore at (307) 473-3814 or Michael.Moore@wyo.gov.
News Release | 2019 Tables and Figures | CFOI Main Page
The number of occupational fatalities in Wyoming rose slightly from 31 in 2018 to 32 in 2019 (an increase of one death, or 3.2%). From 1992 to 2019, Wyoming averaged 33 occupational fatalities each year, making the 32 deaths that occurred in 2019 slightly lower than average.
In 2018, Wyoming employers added an estimated 94,074 new hires: individuals who, during a particular quarter, started working for an employer he or she had not worked for since at least 1992, the first year for which R&P has wage records.
The New Hires Survey allows R&P to collect rich survey detail not previously available, such as occupation, rate of compensation, benefits, important job skills, employer satisfaction with a new hire’s skills, retention, and more. By linking New Hires Survey data to existing administrative databases, such as Unemployment Insurance Wage Records and Wyoming Department of Transportation driver’s license files, R&P is also able to identify new hires characteristics such as age and gender.
Selected quarterly turnover tables and figures for Wyoming.
New postsecondary education employment outcomes data for graduates of Wyoming community colleges and the University of Wyoming are now available online by clicking here.
For more information on how to navigate these interactive Tableau graphics, please see this article in Wyoming Labor Force Trends.
This report focuses on employment and wage growth in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic and related
restrictions affected Wyoming’s economy. Job growth weakened considerably in first quarter 2020, mostly because
of large job losses in the mining sector (including oil & gas). Even before the pandemic struck Wyoming,
the state was experiencing very slow job growth.
From first quarter 2019 to first quarter 2020, Wyoming added 270 jobs (0.1%) and its total payroll increased by $25.8 million (0.8%).
2020Q1 Employment and Wage Tables
In second quarter 2020, Wyoming had just three growing industries, which accounted for 4.7% of all industries and 2.6% of total employment. In comparison, there were 17 declining industries 2020Q2, which made up 20.0% of all industries and 6.3% of the state's total employment.
This report, prepared by the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, serves as supporting documentation for Wyoming’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Annual Report for Program Year 2019. The primary focus of this report is Wyoming youth, which is defined for these purposes as individuals ages 15-24, and other populations with barriers to employment, such as homeless, English language learners, veterans, and others.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for Wyoming
NEW: Statewide, Regional, County, and MSA Data (estimates for Wyoming wages for May 2019 data updated to the March 2020 ECI Employment Cost Index). See note about wage updating used to calculate estimates.
Occupational staffing levels and wage rates for other states and the nation can be found HERE.
The newest long-term industry and occupational projections from Research & Planning indicate that Wyoming will add approximately 20,000 new jobs over the next 10 years, an increase of about 7%.
2018-2028 Projections Main Page
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Wyoming Workforce Annual Report, produced by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services in partnership with the Wyoming Workforce Development Council. This report provides an overview of Wyoming’s economy and workforce. Topics covered in this report include:
by: Patrick Manning, Principal Economist, and Michael Moore, Editor
The Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services conducts the Wyoming Benefits Survey on a quarterly basis. This survey is designed to collect information about the types of benefits Wyoming employers offer their employees.
This publication examines the prevalence of employer-provided benefits such as medical insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave in Wyoming during third quarter 2018. These benefits are analyzed in several ways: by full- and part-time employment status, employer size class, industry, and by Wyoming substate region.
PDF (2.8 MB)
This publication is intended to introduce the reader to the data available for Wyoming from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
Includes lookup tools by occupation, printable PDFs for each licensed occupation, links to O*Net detailed descriptions, and comparison of wages for the U.S. and Wyoming.
Wyoming Licensed Occupation Dashboards
The Directory of Licensed Occupations in Wyoming 2019, compiled by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, provides detailed information about license requirements and related information for the 97 occupations required to have a license by the state of Wyoming. Forty-five licensing boards oversee the administration and enforcement of these licenses.
Requiring practitioners of some occupations to be licensed results in the assurance that these workers have a minimum level of education and competency, and also generally results in higher wages for workers in those occupations compared to those in many unlicensed occupations.
PDF (1.4 MB)
Presentation: Health Care Workforce Needs in Wyoming (PowerPoint)
Presented by Tony Glover, Manager, and Michael Moore, Editor, of the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to the Wyoming Interim Joint Labor, Health, & Social Services Committee, June 13-14, 2019, Cheyenne, WY
Presentation Handout (PDF)
Hosted by Research & Planning Senior Economist Katelynd Faler, the webinars cover a variety of Labor Market Information topics based on questions we've received from the public. Topics include:
In 2017, the Wyoming joint labor, health, and social services interim and the joint minerals, business, and economic development interim committees requested the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services complete a study on the state’s gender wage gap (House Bill 0209). This report is an update to a similar report published in 2003.
Presentation: PowerPoint | PDF
Published October 5, 2018. Revised December 3, 2018.
Nearly one in four (22.5%) persons working in Wyoming in 2018Q1 commuted from another county or state.
Published December 2018.
The following are some of the specific locations on our website that may have useful information for you as you consider your employment options: