WYOMING LABOR FORCE TRENDS

Vol. 42 No. 12

Jobs Worked in Wyoming Rises by 7,000 in 2005

by: David Bullard, Valerie Davis, Sherry Wen, and Phil Ellsworth

Table 1 contains annual average data for the Current Population Survey (CPS) population, labor force, jobs worked, unemployed individuals, and annual Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipients. The percentage changes for the period 2004 to 2005 indicate that total unemployed workers in Wyoming decreased by 3.3% and total UI recipients decreased by 13.8%. The number of jobs worked increased by 7,000 jobs or 2.7%, which is larger than the 2003 to 2004 increase of 5,400 jobs (2.2%).

In first quarter 2005, Wyoming covered employment grew by 6,338 jobs or 2.7% (see Table 2). Second quarter over-the-year employment growth remained fairly stable with an increase of 6,953 jobs or 2.8%. Total wages for first quarter showed an over-the-year increase of 6.6%, lower than the second quarter increase of 8.1%. The Map identifies over-the-year changes in unemployment rates from November 2004 to November 2005. States with the darkest shading had unemployment rate increases. As a whole, the U.S. experienced a decrease in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates from 2004 (5.4%) to 2005 (5.0%).

The unemployment rates in the hurricane-ravaged southern states of Louisiana and Mississippi continued to lead the nation. In Louisiana, the unemployment rate was 12.4% for November 2005, compared to 5.8% a year earlier. In Mississippi, the November 2005 rate was 9.5%, up from 6.9% in November 2004.

Wyoming’s unemployment rate remained constant at 3.9% from November 2004 to November 2005, the 8th lowest rate among the states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Alabama and Oregon led states with the steepest declines in unemployment rates over the same period. Alabama’s rate dropped from 5.4% to 3.6%, while Oregon’s rate declined from 7.2% to 5.8%.

Of Wyoming’s neighboring states, South Dakota saw the greatest increase in its unemployment rate, from 3.5% in November 2004 to 4.0% in November 2005. Nebraska’s rate increased slightly, while Utah saw the second largest decline in its rate, from 5.1% to 4.0%, followed by Idaho (4.5% to 3.7%).

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