The ES-202: Where are the Jobs? What do they Pay? 1998 Annual Covered Employment and Wages

This annual publication of the Department of Employment summarizes employing units, employment, and wage data of employers subject to the Wyoming Employment Security Law, (Wyoming Statutes 27-3-101 through 27-3-704) and Federal civilian workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. In 1998, 88 percent of employment in Wyoming was covered by the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Law.

Data on UI covered Employing Units, Employment, and Wages are compiled from Employer's Quarterly Contributions Reports. These reports are supplemented by two reports, the Industry Verification Statement and the Multiple Worksite Report. Together, these three sources of data are referred to as the "ES-202" report. This volume includes statewide information for 1998 annual average employment, total payroll, and average annual wages by division, region, and county; 1998 summary data by quarter; 1998 detail statewide by major division, two- and three-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code; 1998 major industry; technical appendices; and short Standard Industrial Classification codes and titles.

Employment and wage data are classified according to the codes and titles published in the 1987 edition of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual prepared by the Office of Statistical Standards, U. S. Bureau of the Budget, Executive Office of the President. SIC's provide a numerical classification of establishments on the basis of their principal economic activity. The SIC classification system was developed for the purpose of promoting a uniform presentation of statistics by federal agencies, state governments, and private research organizations. A list of SIC titles is included in this publication.

In the next few years, SIC codes will be replaced by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS pronounced Nakes). NAICS is the first economic classification system to be constructed based upon a "production-oriented" system. NAICS recognizes the changing and growing services-based economy of the United States and its North American neighbors. NAICS includes 1,170 industries of which includes 20 sectors and coded to six digits. The SIC has 1,004 industries which includes 10 divisions and coded to four digits. NAICS will be more relevant, internationally comparable, consistent, and adaptable. Beginning this fall, Research & Planning will begin converting employer SIC codes to NAICS codes. This process will take two cycles. Data with completely all NAICS codes will not be available until the first quarter 2000.

The SIC codes assigned to UI covered reporting units must be periodically reviewed and updated. This process is referred to as SIC Refiling or the Annual Refiling Survey (ARS). The ARS is conducted to verify or correct the industry, geographic, and ownership codes assigned to employers who are covered under Wyoming Unemployment Insurance (UI) Laws. Wyoming, along with all other states in the United States, reports the resulting industry and geographic code corrections to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the Code Change Supplement (CCS) file every year.

The Annual Refiling Survey (ARS) is also a primary source for collection of new worksite physical location address information for both single and multi-establishment employers.

The Industry Verification Statement is used as the primary means of identifying employers who have more than one worksite (establishment) with ten or more employees at each worksite. The Multiple Worksite Report is sent quarterly to multi employers, with two or more locations, to collect employment and wage data by worksite.

Nationally, the ES-202 report forms the backbone of such statistical series as Personal Income and Gross National Product.

Data provided to the Department of Employment by employers are held in strict confidence and are used only for specified statistical purposes. To protect the identity of cooperating firms the agency withholds publication of UI covered employment and wage data for any industry level meeting the following criteria:

1. The industry consists of fewer than three reporting units or
2. A single unit accounts for 80 percent or more of the industry's employment.

The Department of Employment has designated five regions for administrative and Labor Market Information purposes. This publication utilizes those regions with the addition of a "Nonclassified" area. Data are geographically coded as Nonclassified if the employer refuses to or cannot identify the location of a reporting unit, foreign locations, out-of-state locations, locations in more than one county, unknown locations, no primary county, or statewide. The "Northwest Region" includes: Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie counties. "Northeast Region" includes: Campbell, Crook, Johnson, Sheridan, and Weston counties. "Southwest Region" includes: Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton and Uinta counties. "Southeast Region" includes: Albany, Goshen, Laramie, Niobrara, and Platte counties. "Central Region" includes: Carbon, Converse, and Natrona counties.

Public Administration data are represented as Federal, State, and Local ownerships with two- and three-digit SIC breakouts. Inclusive two- and three-digit breakouts are strictly in private ownership. Continued this year are two-digit breakouts for all ownerships by statewide, region, and county. Prior to 1989, publications of ES-202 data Covered UI Employment and Wages included only private industry, State, and Local Government.

Unemployment Insurance (UI) coverage under Wyoming Employment Security Law has been expanded twice in the past two decades. On January 1, 1972, coverage was extended to firms employing one or more workers, state institutions of higher learning (i.e. the University of Wyoming and seven junior colleges) and state hospitals. On January 1, 1978, coverage was extended to employees of state and local (city, county) governments, non-profit elementary and secondary schools, certain larger agricultural establishments, and certain domestic workers.

Wyoming law requires that employers provide coverage for employees if the firm: (1) has a payroll of $500 or more in a calendar year, or (2) acquires an organization, business, trade, or substantially all of the assets of an employer which is subject to the law at the time of the acquisition.

The classes of employment exempt from coverage under the Wyoming Employment Security Law are:

1. Agricultural labor unless an employer has a payroll of $20,000 or more in any one quarter or employs ten or more workers for a part of one day for 20 weeks within a calendar year.
2. Domestic help, unless earnings exceed $1,000 in any one quarter.
3. Services performed by an individual while in the employ of city, county, or state government if such individual performed such services as:
   1. an elected official or certain policy making and advisory positions;
   2. member of a legislative body or the judiciary of any political subdivision;
   3. an inmate of a state custodial or penal institution;
   4. member of the state national guard or air national guard;
   5. an emergency employee hired temporarily in case of a disaster.
4. Services performed for churches or conventions or association of churches or religious organizations.
5. Services performed by a student of a school, college, or university in which that individual is enrolled and regularly attending classes, or by the spouse of a student if the spouse is informed at the time of hire by the institution that the employment is provided under a financial assistance program and is not covered by unemployment compensation.
6. Services performed by an individual enrolled in a full-time program of an educational institution combining academic instruction with work experience if the service is an integral part of the program and is certified by the institution to the employer. This does not apply to services performed in a program established for an employer or groups of employers.
7. Services performed by an individual under the age of eighteen in the delivery of newspapers or shopping news. This does not include delivery or distribution to any point for subsequent delivery or distribution.
8. Services performed by an individual in the employ of a son, daughter or spouse and service performed by a child under the age of twenty-one in the employ of a parent. (In general, this exemption applies only to sole proprietorship or a partnership consisting only of his/her parents).
9. Services performed as a licensed real estate broker or salesperson employed on a commission basis only.
10. Services of barbers and beauticians if the barber or beautician is responsible to the shop owner for rent only. If the rent agreement is on a percentage basis the barber or beautician is considered to be an employee.
11. Services performed by a person working in a rehabilitation facility who is receiving rehabilitation or remunerative work.
12. Services performed by a hospital patient employed by the hospital.
13. Services performed for the federal government or any federal agency exempt by federal constitution, except service for those agencies otherwise required by law to contribute to any state unemployment compensation fund.
14. Services performed by an individual receiving wages as part of a work experience or workfare program assisted or financed by the federal government or any state or local government, except for those on-the-job training employees that are wholly or partially paid by the employer.
15. Self-employed individuals.
16. Workers in the railroad industry.
17. A nonprofit organization paying wages of less than four individuals for less than 20 weeks in the preceding year.
18. Services performed as casual labor. "Casual labor" means service of less than two (2) consecutive weeks and not within the normal course of business.
19. Services performed by a private duty nurse employed by a private party.
20. By an individual who is the owner and operator of a motor vehicle which is leased or contracted with driver to a for-hire common or contract carrier. The owner-operator shall not be an employee if he performs the service pursuant to a contract which provides that the owner-operator shall not be treated as an employee for purposes of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, the Social Security Act, the Federal Unemployment Tax Act and income tax withholding at source.
21. By a member of a limited liability company, unless the limited liability company elects coverage for a period of not less than two years with written approval.

Employing Unit is the economic unit for which data are submitted on the employer's contribution report, or on a Multiple Worksite Report, or on an employment and wages report of a government entity or of a nonprofit organization. It is typically at a single physical location and engaged in one, or predominantly one, type of economic activity for which a single industrial classification may be applied. Occasionally, a single physical location encompasses two or more distinct and significant activities. Also, an employing unit may represent several locations, establishments, etc. The average employing units is the average of reported quarterly employing units for the entire year.

Employment represents the total number of employees on the payroll of establishments subject to the UCFE programs and state UI laws who worked full- or part-time or received pay for any part of the pay period that is included in the 12th of each month. This includes salaried officers of corporations, executives, and persons on vacation or sick leave.

Total Payroll includes all wages paid to covered employees including commissions, bonuses, cash, the reasonable cash value of board and meals, housing, payment in kind, and all payments in any medium other than cash received by a person from his/her employer.

Annual Average Weekly Wage per employee is derived by dividing the total annual payroll for any given industry by the average annual employment by 52 weeks in the year. The payroll data have the characteristics and restrictions of any gross payroll data. Payroll covers full-time as well as part-time workers and includes remuneration for overtime, extra shift work, vacation, and holiday pay. The average weekly wage is a summary statistic combining all wage and salary levels and all grades and classes of labor.

Average Quarterly Wage per employee is derived by dividing the quarterly total payroll for any given industry by the average quarterly monthly employment.

Annual Wage per Employee is derived by dividing total annual payroll for any given industry by the average annual employment. Annual pay data only approximate annual earnings because an employee may not be employed by the same employer all year or may work for more than one employer.

This publication is intended for use in the administration of employment and training programs and to facilitate local planning and economic development efforts. Letters and comments about this and other Research & Planning publications should be addressed to:

Department of Employment
Employment Resources Division
Research & Planning
P. O. Box 2760
Casper, Wyoming 82602

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