Bucking horse and rider

Wyoming Department of Workforce Services

Research & Planning
444 W. Collins Dr.
Suite 3100
Casper, WY 82601
(307) 473-3807

Email link

"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.

2022 Wyoming Workforce Annual Report

The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for federal purposes: i) the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a subgrant or contract under the grant or subgrant; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the recipient, subrecipient or a contractor purchases ownership under an award (including but not limited to curricula, training models, technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute such products worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise. Federal funds may not be used to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where the Department has a license or rights of free use in such work, although they may be used to pay costs for obtaining a copy which is limited to the developer/seller costs of copying and shipping. If revenues are generated through selling products developed with grant funds, including intellectual property, these revenues are program income. Program income must be used in accordance with the provisions of this grant award and 2 CFR 200.307.

Wyoming Labor Force Trends

April 2023 | Volume 60, No. 4


Click Here for PDF

Return to Table of Contents

Wyoming Unemployment Falls to 3.8% in February 2023

by: David Bullard, Senior Economist

The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 3.9% in January to 3.8% in February. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was slightly higher than the current U.S. rate of 3.6% and higher than its February 2022 level of 3.4%. From January to February, seasonally adjusted employment of Wyoming residents rose by 1,180 people (0.4%) suggesting that people were going back to work.

From January to February, unemployment rates fell in every county. Unemployment often decreases in February, as seasonal job gains occur in various sectors. Large decreases in unemployment were seen in Sweetwater (down from 5.3% to 4.7%), Platte (down from 4.5% to 4.0%), Albany (down from 3.8% to 3.4%), Big Horn (down from 5.2% to 4.8%), Campbell (down from 4.0% to 3.6%), Carbon (down from 4.8% to 4.4%), and Converse (down from 3.3% to 2.9%) counties.

From February 2022 to February 2023, unemployment rates rose in 15 counties, fell in five counties, and remained unchanged in three counties. The largest increases occurred in Niobrara (up from 2.7% to 4.7%), Lincoln (up from 3.5% to 4.1%), and Fremont (up from 4.4% to 5.0%) counties. Notable declines in unemployment were seen in Converse (down from 3.5% to 2.9%) and Campbell (down from 4.0% to 3.6%) counties.

Fremont County had the highest unemployment rate in February at 5.0%. It was followed by Sublette County and Big Horn County, each at 4.8%. The lowest unemployment rates were found in Teton County at 2.5%, Weston County at 2.8%, and Converse County at 2.9%.

Total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 276,000 in February 2022 to 283,000 in February 2023, an increase of 7,000 jobs (2.5%).

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.