Wyoming Unemployment Rate Decreases to 6.7% in July 2010
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Employment has reported that the state's seasonally adjusted1 unemployment rate decreased from 6.8% in June to 6.7% in July. It remained significantly lower than the U.S. unemployment rate of 9.5% and slightly lower than its July 2009 level of 6.8%. Wyoming saw its first over-the-year job gain in 17 months, as employment increased by 1,000 jobs, or 0.3% from a year earlier.
Over the year, employment increased by 1,000 jobs, or 0.3%. Natural resources & mining (including oil & gas) posted the largest job gains (1,700 jobs, or 6.9%) followed by government (including public schools, colleges, and hospitals (1,600 jobs, or 2.4%). Smaller job gains were seen in many sectors, such as transportation & utilities (400 jobs, or 2.8%), educational & health services (400 jobs, or 1.6%), manufacturing (300 jobs, or 3.3%), wholesale trade (300 jobs, or 3.4%), professional & business services (300 jobs, or 1.7%), and leisure & hospitality (300 jobs, or 0.8%). Job losses continued in construction (-2,600 jobs, or -10.1%), other services (-700 jobs, or -5.8%), and retail trade (-600 jobs, or -1.9%).
From June to July, Wyoming employment fell by 2,500 jobs, or 0.9%. This level of decrease is consistent with normal seasonal patterns. Seasonal job gains in leisure & hospitality (1,700 jobs, or 4.6%), construction (1,400 jobs, or 6.4%), natural resources & mining (700 jobs, or 2.7%), and other services (400 jobs, or 3.6%) were more than offset by job losses in government (-6,700 jobs, or -9.0%). Much of the decrease in government employment was related to the summer break at public schools.
Across Wyoming's 23 counties most unemployment rates decreased slightly from June to July. Sublette County posted the lowest unemployment (3.9%) followed by Crook County (4.8%). Unemployment rates decreased from July 2009 to July 2010 in 13 counties.
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.