"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.
by: David Bullard, Senior Economist
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted1 unemployment rate increased modestly from 3.2% in October to 3.3% in November. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was higher than its November 2023 level of 2.9%, but much lower than the current U.S. rate of 4.2%.
From October to November, most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased. Unemployment rates typically rise in November because of seasonal layoffs in leisure & hospitality and other sectors. The largest unemployment rate increases were found in Teton (up from 2.6% to 4.4%), Sublette (up from 3.5% to 4.5%), Park (up from 2.7% to 3.6%), and Hot Springs (up from 2.7% to 3.4%) counties. Niobrara County was the only area in the state where unemployment did not increase. Its unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.6%.
In November 2024, unemployment rates rose from their year-ago levels in every county around the state. The largest increases occurred in Sublette (up from 3.1% to 4.5%), Teton (up from 3.2% to 4.4%), Carbon (up from 2.6% to 3.7%), and Platte (up from 2.5% to 3.6%) counties.
The highest unemployment rates in November were found in Western Wyoming. Sublette County’s rate was 4.5%, Teton County’s rate was 4.4%, and Uinta County’s rate was 4.0%. The lowest unemployment rates were reported in Niobrara and Converse counties, each at 2.6%.
Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates show that total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 291,400 in November 2023 to 295,100 in November 2024, an increase of 3,700 jobs (1.3%).
R&P's most recent monthly news release is available at https://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/news.htm.
1Seasonal adjustment is 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.
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