Covered Employment and Wages for Fourth Quarter 1998
by: Gayle C. Edlin, Economist tables by: Nancy Brennan, Economist

"Average weekly wages increased ... across all industries, and the statewide total increased by $24 per week [from fourth quarter 1997 to 1998]."

Preliminary Covered Employment and Wages (ES-202) data show that Wyoming's monthly employment for 1998 ranged between a low of 209,695 and a high of 227,917 (see Table 1). In comparison with 1997 data¹, monthly employment was an average of 3,623 higher in 1998 than in 1997. This difference is only slightly higher than the 3,361 increase from 1996 to 1997.

Only three industries experienced decreases in average monthly employment from fourth quarter 1997 to 1998 (see Table 2). The largest of these decreases occurred in Mining (-1,132 or -6.5%). State Government and Wholesale Trade also had declines in average monthly employment over this time (-189 or -1.6% and -82 or -1.0%, respectively). The Services industry had the largest numeric increase in average monthly employment (up 1,501 or 3.3%).

Total payroll was up in every industry except Mining and Wholesale Trade from fourth quarter 1997 to 1998 (-$7,881,521 or -3.7% and -$302,146 or -0.5%, respectively). Average weekly wages increased without exception across all industries, and the statewide total increased by $24 per week. The largest gains were made in the Manufacturing and Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate (FIRE) industries ($59 or 9.6% and $53 or 9.2%, respectively).

Average monthly employment in Wyoming increased by 2,691 or 1.2 percent from fourth quarter 1997 to 1998 (see Table 3). However, a number of Wyoming's counties experienced small numeric declines in average monthly employment (less than 200) over this time. The largest such decrease occurred in Platte County (-162 or -5.0%). Regionally, only the Northwest and Northeast showed slower average monthly employment changes than the state as a whole (295 or 0.9% and 189 or 0.6%, respectively).

Total payroll increased for nearly every county from fourth quarter 1997 to 1998. Crook and Hot Springs Counties were the only exceptions (-$805,764 or -7.2% and -$46,171 or -0.5%, respectively). Statewide, total payroll was up substantially (increasing $85,583,479 or 6.2%). Average weekly wages increased for most counties in Wyoming over this time as well, with only Crook, Park and Lincoln Counties showing decreases (-$19 or -4.2%, -$8 or -1.8% and -$1 or -0.1%, respectively).

1 Research & Planning, Wyoming Annual Covered Employment and Wages, 1997, p. 21.

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These pages designed by Gayle C. Edlin.
Last modified on by Valerie A. Davis.