Natural Resources & Mining Adds 900 Jobs in June 2010
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Employment has reported that for the first time in 16 months, the natural resources & mining sector added jobs in over-the-year comparisons (900 jobs, or 3.6%). The state's seasonally adjusted1 unemployment rate continued to decrease, falling from 7.0% in May to 6.8% in June.
Over the year, Wyoming employment decreased by 1,800 jobs (-0.6%). Sizable job losses continued in construction (-3,700 jobs, or -14.6%), other services (-1,200 jobs, or -9.8%), and leisure & hospitality (-500 jobs, or -1.4%). Job gains were seen in government (including public schools, colleges, and hospitals; 1,400 jobs, or 1.9%), natural resources & mining (900 jobs, or 3.6%), educational & health services (700 jobs, or 2.7%), manufacturing (600 jobs, or 6.7%), professional & business services (500 jobs, or 2.8%), and transportation & utilities (200 jobs, or 1.4%). Employment in wholesale trade was unchanged from a year earlier.
From May to June, Wyoming added 7,400 jobs (2.6%). This level of increase is consistent with normal seasonal patterns. Large seasonal job gains were seen in leisure & hospitality (5,000 jobs, or 16.0%), professional & business services (1,100 jobs, or 6.4%), natural resources & mining (800 jobs, or 3.2%), and retail trade (600 jobs, or 2.0%). Employment decreased in government (-800 jobs, or -1.1%) and construction (-400 jobs, or -1.8%).
Most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and decreased from May to June. The highest rates were found in Lincoln (8.5%), Johnson (7.9%), and Fremont (7.8%) counties. Sublette County posted the lowest unemployment rate (4.2%) followed by Niobrara County (5.2%).
1Seasonal adjustment is a statistical procedure to remove the impact of normal regularly recurring events (such as weather, major holidays, and the opening and closing of schools) from economic time series in order to obtain a better understanding of changes in economic conditions from month to month.