"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.
2022 Wyoming Workforce Annual Report
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Welcome!
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.
Attention Wyoming Labor Force Trends Subscribers
Research & Planning has moved to an all-electronic format for Wyoming Labor Force Trends. If you would like to receive Trends electronically but are not currently doing so, please contact R&P Research Supervisor Michael Moore at michael.moore@wyo.gov or (307) 473-3814.
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose slightly from 3.0% in July to 3.1% in August. Despite this slight increase, Wyoming’s unemployment rate is much lower than its year-ago level of 4.3% and lower than the current U.S. rate of 3.7%.
From July to August, most county unemployment rates increased slightly. The largest increases occurred in Crook, Carbon, Natrona, and Niobrara counties.
Total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 284,000 in August 2021 to 292,100 in August 2022, an increase of 8,100 jobs (2.9%).
Wyoming Unemployment Insurance Claims Report, August 2022
Initial and continued Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims in Wyoming continued to decline from prior-year levels in August 2022.
There were 980 initial claims in August 2022, down from 1,282 in August 2021 (-302, or -23.6%). This amount is 3.9% higher than pre-pandemic levels of 943 initial claims in August 2019.
The industries with the largest numbers of initial claims included construction; trade, transportation, & utilities; professional & business services; and leisure & hospitality
There were fewer continued claims in August 2022 than any other month dating back to at least 2007.
Total continued weeks claimed decreased from 8,807 in August 2021 to 5,870 in August 2022 (-2,937, or -33.3%).
The number of unique claimants decreased from 2,869 to 1,805.
There were more continued weeks claimed for out-of-state claimants (997) than any single county in Wyoming
Growing and Declining Industries in Wyoming, 2022Q1
Wyoming had 14 growing industries in 2022Q1, which accounted for 18.9% of all industries and 23% of the state's total employment. Growing industries included computer & electronic product manufacturing, motion picture and sound recording industries, plastics & rubber products manufacturing , and support activities for mining.
There were four declining industries in 2022Q1, which made up 5.4% of all industries and 2.9% of the state's total employment. Declining industries included petroleum & coal products manufacturing, private households, nursing & residential care facilities, and national security & international affairs (-5.9%).
Wyoming Employment and Payroll: Job Growth in First Quarter 2022
From first quarter 2021 to first quarter 2022, Wyoming added 6,990 jobs (2.7%) and total payroll rose by $450.6 million (14.3%). Despite the recent job growth, employment has not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels. Total employment in first quarter 2022 was down approximately 6,500 jobs from first quarter 2020.
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) in Wyoming
NEW: Statewide, Regional, County, and MSA Data (estimates for Wyoming wages for May 2020 data updated to the March 2022 ECI Employment Cost Index).
See note about wage updating used to calculate estimates.
Welcome to the 2022 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. Chapters in this report include:
Wyoming's Labor Market Begins
Recovery in 2021
Wyoming Shows Employment and
Wage Growth in 2021
Wyoming Sees Slight Population
Increase from 2020 to 2021
Labor Force, Unemployment Rate
Decline in 2021
UI Benefit Recipients, Payments
Drop Substantially in 2021
Wyoming Job Openings Set a Record
High in 2021
New Research Focuses on Millennials,
Older Workers
Wyoming Trails U.S. in Post-Secondary
Education Degrees
New Short-Term Projections Show Job
Growth for Wyoming
Wyoming Occupations with the Highest
and Lowest Wages
Wyoming Employers Add Almost 80,000
New Hires in 2020
New Research Tracks High School
Seniors into Post-Secondary Education
and the Labor Market
New Report Looks at COVID-19 Effects
on Wyo Workforce
Wyoming Occupational Fatalities
Increase to 35 in 2020
Wyoming’s Nonfatal Occupational Injury
and Illness Incidence Rate for 2020
In 2020, Wyoming employers added an estimated 79,650 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.
Using survey data collected through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey (CPS), this new report from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services looks at how the global pandemic impacted workers in Wyoming and the U.S.
Topics covered in this report include:
The number of individuals who were able to work remotely
How many people were unable to work
Whether employees received pay for hours not worked
If the pandemic prevent individuals from looking for work
The number of occupational fatalities in Wyoming rose from 32 in 2019 to 35 in 2020 (an increase of three deaths, or 9.4%). Across all industries, more than half of 2020 workplace deaths (57.1%) were the result of transportation incidents.
A new publication from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services demonstrates R&P's ability to track Wyoming high school seniors into post-secondary education and the labor market.
The senior cohort for the academic year 2006/07 was used as an example throughout the publication. Key findings showed that 10 years after their senior year:
78.7% had attended either college or a university
39.8% earned a post-secondary award (certificate or degree)
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.
New from R&P: Postsecondary Education Employment Outcomes Interactive Graphics
New postsecondary education employment outcomes data for graduates of Wyoming community colleges and the University of Wyoming are now available online by clicking here.
Wyoming Youth and Populations with Barriers to Employment:
Supporting Tables and Figures for Wyoming’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Annual Performance Report, FY 2019
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.
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.
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.
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
R&P offers new series of Labor Market Information webinar videos
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:
A Study of the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women in Wyoming:
Update 2018
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.
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Wyoming at Work