The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 3.3% in November to 3.5% in December. Wyoming’s unemployment rate has been gradually trending upward for the past few months. It is higher than its December 2023 level of 2.9%, but still remains lower than the current U.S. rate of 4.1%.
From November to December, most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased. Jobless rates often rise in December as colder weather brings seasonal job losses in construction and other sectors. The largest unemployment rate increases occurred in Niobrara (up from 2.6% to 3.6%), Big Horn (up from 3.8% to 4.4%), and Sweetwater (up from 3.7% to 4.3%) counties. Teton County’s unemployment rate fell from 4.3% in November to 3.0% in December as the winter tourist season ramped up. Johnson County’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.3%.
From December 2023 to December 2024, unemployment rates rose in every county. The largest increases were found in Hot Springs (up from 2.3% to 3.9%), Sublette (up from 3.1% to 4.7%), and Sweetwater (up from 2.9% to 4.3%) counties.
Converse, Teton, and Weston counties tied for the lowest unemployment rate in December, each at 3.0%. The highest unemployment rates were reported in Sublette County at 4.7%, Big Horn County at 4.4%, and Sweetwater County at 4.3%.
Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates show that total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 290,800 in December 2023 to 295,900 in December 2024, an increase of 5,100 jobs (1.8%).
January unemployment data will be published on March 18, 2025.
Wyoming Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Labor Force Estimates
Change
Month Year
December-24 November-24 December-23 absolute percent absolute percent
Total Civilian Labor Force 296,115 295,711 294,841 404 0.1% 1,274 0.4%
Employed 285,827 285,814 286,417 13 0.0% -590 -0.2%
Unemployed 10,288 9,897 8,424 391 4.0% 1,864 22.1%
Unemployment Rate 3.5 3.3 2.9
| Definitions: | |
| Employed | All persons who, during the reference week, did any work at all as paid employees, worked in their own business, profession, or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family business. |
| Unemployed | All persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. |
| Labor Force | All persons who meet the criteria given above as either employed or unemployed. |
| Unemployment Rate | The number of unemployed as a percent of the labor force. |
| Seasonal Adjustment | 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 to better understand changes in economic conditions from month to month. |
Not seasonally adjusted data reflect the actual economic conditions in a given area for a given time period. These data show the normal seasonal changes that occur in the economy. Most county unemployment rates are higher in the winter months because of seasonal job losses in construction, leisure & hospitality, and many other sectors. Similarly, most county unemployment rates are lower in the summer months as employment increases across the economy. Data users should use caution when comparing not seasonally adjusted data for different months, as at least part of the difference between months may reflect normal seasonal patterns.
In contrast, seasonally adjusted data have been subjected to a statistical procedure to remove the effects of normal changes that occur in the economy each year, such as seasonal hiring in the construction sector, the opening and closing of schools, and holiday hiring by retail trade establishments. There is no expectation that seasonally adjusted unemployment rates will be higher or lower in any particular month, except as the economy expands or contracts. The value of seasonally adjusted data is that it is easy to identify longer-term trends in the data and valid comparisons can be made between any two months in the series.
Research & Planning works in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop and publish unemployment rates for each county in Wyoming. However, these data are not seasonally adjusted and therefore reflect seasonal changes each month.
Table 1: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment
rates ranked from lowest to highest for December 2024
County Rate*
Converse County, WY 3.0
Teton County, WY 3.0
Weston County, WY 3.0
Albany County, WY 3.1
Crook County, WY 3.2
Johnson County, WY 3.3
Sheridan County, WY 3.4
Campbell County, WY 3.5
Goshen County, WY 3.5
Lincoln County, WY 3.5
Niobrara County, WY 3.6
Laramie County, WY 3.7
Wyoming 3.7
Hot Springs County, WY 3.9
Natrona County, WY 3.9
Park County, WY 3.9
Carbon County, WY 4.0
Platte County, WY 4.0
Washakie County, WY 4.0
Fremont County, WY 4.2
Uinta County, WY 4.2
Sweetwater County, WY 4.3
Big Horn County, WY 4.4
Sublette County, WY 4.7
*preliminary
Table 2: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-month rate
changes ranked from lowest to highest for December 2024
Month ago Over-the-Month
County rate Rate* Rate Change
Teton County, WY 4.3 3.0 -1.3
Johnson County, WY 3.3 3.3 0.0
Uinta County, WY 4.1 4.2 0.1
Albany County, WY 2.9 3.1 0.2
Goshen County, WY 3.3 3.5 0.2
Laramie County, WY 3.5 3.7 0.2
Lincoln County, WY 3.3 3.5 0.2
Natrona County, WY 3.7 3.9 0.2
Sheridan County, WY 3.2 3.4 0.2
Sublette County, WY 4.5 4.7 0.2
Weston County, WY 2.8 3.0 0.2
Wyoming 3.5 3.7 0.2
Campbell County, WY 3.2 3.5 0.3
Carbon County, WY 3.7 4.0 0.3
Park County, WY 3.6 3.9 0.3
Converse County, WY 2.6 3.0 0.4
Crook County, WY 2.8 3.2 0.4
Fremont County, WY 3.8 4.2 0.4
Platte County, WY 3.6 4.0 0.4
Hot Springs County, WY 3.4 3.9 0.5
Washakie County, WY 3.5 4.0 0.5
Big Horn County, WY 3.8 4.4 0.6
Sweetwater County, WY 3.7 4.3 0.6
Niobrara County, WY 2.6 3.6 1.0
*preliminary
Table 3: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-year
changes ranked from lowest to highest for December 2024
Year ago Over-the-Year
County Rate Rate* Rate Change
Johnson County, WY 2.6 3.3 0.7
Converse County, WY 2.2 3.0 0.8
Crook County, WY 2.4 3.2 0.8
Lincoln County, WY 2.7 3.5 0.8
Albany County, WY 2.2 3.1 0.9
Weston County, WY 2.1 3.0 0.9
Big Horn County, WY 3.4 4.4 1.0
Laramie County, WY 2.7 3.7 1.0
Sheridan County, WY 2.4 3.4 1.0
Teton County, WY 2.0 3.0 1.0
Campbell County, WY 2.4 3.5 1.1
Natrona County, WY 2.8 3.9 1.1
Park County, WY 2.8 3.9 1.1
Wyoming 2.6 3.7 1.1
Carbon County, WY 2.8 4.0 1.2
Fremont County, WY 3.0 4.2 1.2
Goshen County, WY 2.3 3.5 1.2
Niobrara County, WY 2.3 3.6 1.3
Platte County, WY 2.7 4.0 1.3
Uinta County, WY 2.9 4.2 1.3
Washakie County, WY 2.7 4.0 1.3
Sweetwater County, WY 2.9 4.3 1.4
Hot Springs County, WY 2.3 3.9 1.6
Sublette County, WY 3.1 4.7 1.6
*preliminary
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Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Research & Planning January 29, 2025 Contacts: David Bullard, Senior Economist, 307-473-3810 Carola Cowan, BLS Programs Supervisor, 307-473-3804 |