The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 3.5% in December 2025 to 3.6% in January 2026. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was higher than its year-earlier level of 3.2%, but considerably lower than the January 2026 U.S. unemployment rate of 4.3%.
From December to January, unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and rose in every county. Unemployment rates usually increase in January as the end of the holiday shopping season and winter weather bring seasonal job losses in construction, retail trade, and many other sectors. The largest increases occurred in Big Horn (up from 4.4% to 5.9%), Fremont (up from 4.4% to 5.7%), and Niobrara (up from 4.6% to 5.9%) counties.
From January 2025 to January 2026, jobless rates increased in all 23 counties. The largest increases were seen in Big Horn (up from 4.9% to 5.9%), Sweetwater (up from 4.5% to 5.5%), and Hot Springs (up from 3.7% to 4.5%) counties.
In January 2026, the highest unemployment rates were found in Big Horn County and Niobrara County, each at 5.9%. The lowest unemployment rates were reported in Teton County at 3.0%, Albany County at 3.8%, and Converse County at 4.0%.
Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates show that total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 286,300 in January 2025 to 286,500 in January 2026, an increase of 200 jobs (0.1%).
February unemployment data will be published on April 23, 2026.
Wyoming Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Labor Force Estimates
Change
Month Year
January-26 December-25 January-25 absolute percent absolute percent
Total Civilian Labor Force 288,453 288,499 290,644 -46 0.0% -2,191 -0.8%
Employed 278,209 278,492 281,204 -283 -0.1% -2,995 -1.1%
Unemployed 10,244 10,007 9,440 237 2.4% 804 8.5%
Unemployment Rate 3.6 3.5 3.2
| 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 January 2026
County Rate*
Teton County, WY 3.0
Albany County, WY 3.8
Converse County, WY 4.0
Campbell County, WY 4.1
Crook County, WY 4.2
Goshen County, WY 4.2
Johnson County, WY 4.3
Lincoln County, WY 4.3
Sheridan County, WY 4.3
Uinta County, WY 4.4
Hot Springs County, WY 4.5
Laramie County, WY 4.5
Natrona County, WY 4.5
Washakie County, WY 4.5
Weston County, WY 4.5
Wyoming 4.5
Sublette County, WY 4.9
Park County, WY 5.3
Carbon County, WY 5.4
Platte County, WY 5.5
Sweetwater County, WY 5.5
Fremont County, WY 5.7
Big Horn County, WY 5.9
Niobrara County, WY 5.9
*preliminary
Table 2: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-month
rate changes ranked from lowest to highest January 2026
Month ago Over-the-Month
County Rate Rate* Rate Change
Teton County, WY 2.7 3.0 0.3
Uinta County, WY 3.8 4.4 0.6
Converse County, WY 3.3 4.0 0.7
Goshen County, WY 3.5 4.2 0.7
Hot Springs County, WY 3.8 4.5 0.7
Campbell County, WY 3.3 4.1 0.8
Carbon County, WY 4.6 5.4 0.8
Crook County, WY 3.4 4.2 0.8
Laramie County, WY 3.7 4.5 0.8
Natrona County, WY 3.7 4.5 0.8
Washakie County, WY 3.7 4.5 0.8
Weston County, WY 3.7 4.5 0.8
Platte County, WY 4.6 5.5 0.9
Wyoming 3.6 4.5 0.9
Albany County, WY 2.8 3.8 1.0
Johnson County, WY 3.3 4.3 1.0
Sheridan County, WY 3.3 4.3 1.0
Park County, WY 4.2 5.3 1.1
Sublette County, WY 3.8 4.9 1.1
Lincoln County, WY 3.1 4.3 1.2
Sweetwater County, WY 4.3 5.5 1.2
Fremont County, WY 4.4 5.7 1.3
Niobrara County, WY 4.6 5.9 1.3
Big Horn County, WY 4.4 5.9 1.5
*preliminary
Table 3: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-year
changes ranked from lowest to highest for January 2026
Year ago Over-the-Year
County Rate Rate* Rate Change
Niobrara County, WY 5.8 5.9 0.1
Crook County, WY 4.0 4.2 0.2
Sheridan County, WY 4.1 4.3 0.2
Albany County, WY 3.5 3.8 0.3
Converse County, WY 3.7 4.0 0.3
Goshen County, WY 3.9 4.2 0.3
Uinta County, WY 4.1 4.4 0.3
Campbell County, WY 3.7 4.1 0.4
Laramie County, WY 4.1 4.5 0.4
Park County, WY 4.9 5.3 0.4
Platte County, WY 5.1 5.5 0.4
Teton County, WY 2.6 3.0 0.4
Johnson County, WY 3.8 4.3 0.5
Lincoln County, WY 3.8 4.3 0.5
Natrona County, WY 4.0 4.5 0.5
Sublette County, WY 4.4 4.9 0.5
Wyoming 4.0 4.5 0.5
Carbon County, WY 4.8 5.4 0.6
Fremont County, WY 5.1 5.7 0.6
Washakie County, WY 3.8 4.5 0.7
Weston County, WY 3.8 4.5 0.7
Hot Springs County, WY 3.7 4.5 0.8
Big Horn County, WY 4.9 5.9 1.0
Sweetwater County, WY 4.5 5.5 1.0
*preliminary
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Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Research & Planning April 9, 2026 Contacts: David Bullard, Senior Economist, 307-473-3810 Carola Cowan, BLS Programs Supervisor, 307-473-3804 |