The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged upward from 3.1% in September to 3.2% in October. Despite its recent increases, Wyoming’s unemployment rate remains much lower than the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.1%.
From September to October, county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased. Unemployment rates often rise in October as cooler weather brings seasonal job losses in leisure & hospitality, construction, and professional & business services. The largest unemployment rate increases occurred in Teton (up from 1.6% to 2.6%), Niobrara (up from 2.0% to 2.6%), Carbon (up from 2.7% to 3.2%), and Sublette (up from 3.0% to 3.5%) counties.
From October 2023 to October 2024, jobless rates rose in all 23 of Wyoming’s counties. These increases, while modest, suggest a somewhat greater supply of labor around the state. The largest increases in unemployment were reported in Big Horn (up from 2.4% to 3.4%), Carbon (up from 2.2% to 3.2%), Uinta (up from 2.6% to 3.5%), and Weston (up from 1.6% to 2.5%) counties.
The lowest unemployment rates in October were found in Crook County at 2.3%, Albany County at 2.4%, and Converse County at 2.4%. Sublette County and Uinta County tied for the highest unemployment rate at 3.5%.
Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates show that total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 295,100 in October 2023 to 298,200 in October 2024, an increase of 3,100 jobs (1.1%).
November unemployment data will be published on December 23, 2024.
Wyoming Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Labor Force Estimates
Change
Month Year
October-24 September-24 October-23 absolute percent absolute percent
Total Civilian Labor Force 295,502 295,186 294,953 316 0.1% 549 0.2%
Employed 285,983 285,987 286,472 -4 0.0% -489 -0.2%
Unemployed 9,519 9,199 8,481 320 3.5% 1,038 12.2%
Unemployment Rate 3.2 3.1 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 October 2024
County Rate*
Crook County, WY 2.3
Albany County, WY 2.4
Converse County, WY 2.4
Weston County, WY 2.5
Niobrara County, WY 2.6
Teton County, WY 2.6
Lincoln County, WY 2.7
Park County, WY 2.7
Hot Springs County, WY 2.8
Johnson County, WY 2.8
Sheridan County, WY 2.8
Campbell County, WY 2.9
Goshen County, WY 2.9
Wyoming 3.0
Platte County, WY 3.1
Carbon County, WY 3.2
Laramie County, WY 3.2
Washakie County, WY 3.2
Fremont County, WY 3.3
Natrona County, WY 3.3
Big Horn County, WY 3.4
Sweetwater County, WY 3.4
Sublette County, WY 3.5
Uinta County, WY 3.5
*preliminary
Table 2: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-month rate
changes ranked from lowest to highest for October 2024
Month ago Over-the-Month
County rate Rate* Rate Change
Albany County, WY 2.3 2.4 0.1
Campbell County, WY 2.7 2.9 0.2
Converse County, WY 2.2 2.4 0.2
Crook County, WY 2.0 2.3 0.3
Goshen County, WY 2.6 2.9 0.3
Hot Springs County, WY 2.5 2.8 0.3
Lincoln County, WY 2.4 2.7 0.3
Washakie County, WY 2.9 3.2 0.3
Weston County, WY 2.2 2.5 0.3
Big Horn County, WY 3.0 3.4 0.4
Fremont County, WY 2.9 3.3 0.4
Johnson County, WY 2.4 2.8 0.4
Laramie County, WY 2.8 3.2 0.4
Natrona County, WY 2.9 3.3 0.4
Park County, WY 2.3 2.7 0.4
Platte County, WY 2.7 3.1 0.4
Sheridan County, WY 2.4 2.8 0.4
Sweetwater County, WY 3.0 3.4 0.4
Uinta County, WY 3.1 3.5 0.4
Wyoming 2.6 3.0 0.4
Carbon County, WY 2.7 3.2 0.5
Sublette County, WY 3.0 3.5 0.5
Niobrara County, WY 2.0 2.6 0.6
Teton County, WY 1.6 2.6 1.0
*preliminary
Table 3: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-year
changes ranked from lowest to highest for October 2024
Year ago Over-the-Year
County Rate Rate* Rate Change
Albany County, WY 2.1 2.4 0.3
Converse County, WY 2.0 2.4 0.4
Crook County, WY 1.9 2.3 0.4
Lincoln County, WY 2.3 2.7 0.4
Johnson County, WY 2.3 2.8 0.5
Park County, WY 2.2 2.7 0.5
Hot Springs County, WY 2.2 2.8 0.6
Laramie County, WY 2.6 3.2 0.6
Natrona County, WY 2.7 3.3 0.6
Niobrara County, WY 2.0 2.6 0.6
Wyoming 2.4 3.0 0.6
Campbell County, WY 2.2 2.9 0.7
Goshen County, WY 2.2 2.9 0.7
Sheridan County, WY 2.1 2.8 0.7
Sweetwater County, WY 2.7 3.4 0.7
Teton County, WY 1.9 2.6 0.7
Fremont County, WY 2.5 3.3 0.8
Platte County, WY 2.3 3.1 0.8
Sublette County, WY 2.7 3.5 0.8
Washakie County, WY 2.4 3.2 0.8
Uinta County, WY 2.6 3.5 0.9
Weston County, WY 1.6 2.5 0.9
Big Horn County, WY 2.4 3.4 1.0
Carbon County, WY 2.2 3.2 1.0
*preliminary
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Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Research & Planning November 20, 2024 Contacts: David Bullard, Senior Economist, 307-473-3810 Carola Cowan, BLS Programs Supervisor, 307-473-3804 |