"Labor Market Information (LMI) is an applied science; it is the systematic collection and analysis of data which describes and predicts the relationship between labor demand and supply."
The States' Labor Market Information Review, ICESA, 1995, p. 7.
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Welcome!
Welcome to the newly redesigned Wyoming Labor Market Information website of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services' Research & Planning section.
Research & Planning (R&P) is an exclusively statistical entity within the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services that collects, analyzes, and publishes timely and accurate labor market information (LMI) meeting established statistical standards.
The goal of our website redesign is to provide Wyoming Labor Market Information in a format that is faster, more user-friendly on all devices and accessible to all. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about the redesign and any ideas about ways to improve our website. You can contact us via e-mail to DWS-RESEARCHPLANNING@wyo.gov, by calling us at (307) 473-3807, or via mail to Research & Planning, PO Box 2760, Casper WY 82602.
NEW! Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims for Wyoming
Initial Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims in Wyoming increased by 621.6% over the year in March 2020 as businesses and schools were shuttered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of initial claims increased from 1,414 in March 2019 to 10,203 in March 2020 (8,789 more claims, or 621.6%).
There were more initial claims in Wyoming in March 2020 than in any other month dating back to 1997, the first year for which comparable data are available (see Figure 1). The 10,203 claims in March 2020 were nearly twice that of the previous high in December 2009 (5,975).
Every industry experienced at least triple-digit percentage increases in initial claims over the year. Leisure & hopsitality showed the greatest over-the-year increase, followed by the unclassified industry, educational & health services, and construction.
t the county level, the greatest increases were seen in Natrona, Teton, and Laramie counties. Natrona and Laramie counties are the two most populous in th estate, and Teton County has a large concentration of jobs in leisure & hospitality, the industry most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in March.
Wyoming Unemployment Unchanged at 3.7% in February 2020
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.7% in February. Wyoming’s unemployment rate has remained between 3.4% and 3.7% in each of the past 16 months. The state’s labor force grew by an estimated 2,682 people (0.9%) from a year earlier.
Note: COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected Wyoming’s economy with numerous layoffs around the state. However, it will likely be some time before its effect will be seen in the economic data. The state unemployment rate is based on responses to the Current Population Survey (CPS), not claims for unemployment insurance. Additionally, the reference period for the CPS is the week of the 12th, so it is unclear how much of the disruption to the economy will be captured in the forthcoming March unemployment rate estimates. Readers should be aware that this report reflects economic conditions in the state as of mid-February, which likely differ significantly from current economic conditions on the day of this release (March 31, 2020).
The Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services conducts the Wyoming Benefits Survey on a quarterly basis. This survey is designed to collect information about the types of benefits Wyoming employers offer their employees.
This publication examines the prevalence of employer-provided benefits such as medical insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave in Wyoming during third quarter 2018. These benefits are analyzed in several ways: by full- and part-time employment status, employer size class, industry, and by Wyoming substate region.
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) in Wyoming
NEW: Statewide, Regional, County, and MSA Data (estimates for Wyoming wages for May 2018 data updated to the September 2019 ECI Employment Cost Index).
See note about wage updating used to calculate estimates.
Wyoming Employment and Payroll in Second Quarter 2019: Continued Growth in Construction
From second quarter 2018 to second quarter 2019, Wyoming employment rose by 5,051 jobs (1.8%) and total payroll
increased by $171.0 million (5.3%). More than half of the job gains in second quarter occurred in the construction
sector, which grew by 2,835 jobs. Job growth was also seen in professional & business services,
wholesale trade, transportation, warehousing & utilities, mining (including oil & gas), manufacturing, and leisure & hospitality. Employment fell in retail trade, information, and
other services.
Converse County added 1,415 jobs (24.3%) and its total payroll rose by $24.3 million (31.3%). The construction
sector gained approximately 800 jobs, and smaller job gains were seen in transportation & warehousing, administrative & waste services, and professional & technical services.
A growing industry is defined as one that shows over-the-year growth in average monthly employment for two consecutive quarters.
In 2019Q3, Research & Planning (R&P)identified 12 growing industries in Wyoming, including electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing, heavy & civil engineering construction, and computer & electronic part manufacturing, among others.
A declining industry is one that shows over-the-year decline in average monthly employment for two consecutive quarters. R&P identified nine declining industries in Wyoming 2019Q3, including air transportation, food manufacturing, and crop production.
The number
of occupational fatalities in Wyoming rose from 20 in 2017 to 31 in 2018 (an increase of 11 deaths, or 55%).
Published December 17, 2019.
New: Licensed Occupation Dashboards
Includes lookup tools by occupation, printable PDFs for each licensed occupation, links to O*Net detailed descriptions, and comparison of wages for the U.S. and Wyoming.
In 2017, Wyoming employers added an estimated 88,561 new hires: individuals who, during a particular quarter, started working for an employer he or she had not worked for since at least 1992, the first year for which R&P has wage records.
The New Hires Survey allows R&P to collect rich survey detail not previously available, such as occupation, rate of compensation, benefits, important job skills, employer satisfaction with a new hire’s skills, retention, and more. By linking New Hires Survey data to existing administrative databases, such as Unemployment Insurance Wage Records and Wyoming Department of Transportation driver’s license files, R&P is also able to identify new hires characteristics such as age and gender.
The Directory of Licensed Occupations in Wyoming 2019, compiled by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, provides detailed information about license requirements and related information for the 97 occupations required to have a license by the state of Wyoming. Forty-five licensing boards oversee the administration and enforcement of these licenses.
Requiring practitioners of some occupations to be licensed results in the assurance that these workers have a minimum level of education and competency, and also generally results in higher wages for workers in those occupations compared to those in many unlicensed occupations.
Demographics and Earnings of Persons Working in Wyoming by County, Industry, Age, & Gender, 2000-2018
Each year, the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services publishes detailed information on earnings and employment by industry and county of employment. The numbers of individuals working in each industry or county are based on employers’ quarterly wage and employment reports to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services; these are referred to as wage records. Any individual who had wages in Wyoming at any time from 2000 to 2017 is included in the summary counts presented in this research. Each individual is counted only once.
By linking the Wage Records database with other administrative databases, such as the driver’s license file from the Wyoming Department of Transportation, R&P is able to identify demographic information for each county and industry, including number of persons working, average annual wages, average number of quarters worked, and average number of employers.
Presented by Tony Glover, Manager, and Michael Moore, Editor, of the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to the Wyoming Interim Joint Labor, Health, & Social Services Committee, June 13-14, 2019, Cheyenne, WY
R&P offers new series of Labor Market Information webinar videos
Hosted by Research & Planning Senior Economist Katelynd Faler, the webinars cover a variety of Labor Market Information topics based on questions we've received from the public. Topics include:
Wyoming is projected to add more than 5,000 jobs from 2018 to 2020, according to the most recent short-term projections from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.
A Study of the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women in Wyoming:
Update 2018
In 2017, the Wyoming joint labor, health, and social services interim and the joint minerals, business, and economic development interim committees requested the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services complete a study on the state’s gender wage gap (House Bill 0209). This report is an update to a similar report published in 2003.
Wyoming Long-Term Industry and Occupational Projections, 2016-2026
The latest long-term projections from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services show growth from 2016-2026. The industry projections suggest that the state will experience a net growth of 25,894 jobs (9.4%) over the 10-year period.
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Wyoming at Work