An overview of Wyoming's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and Trust Fund Liability
(Tables and Figures)

by: Sherry Wen, Senior Economist

See Related Article

Figures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Tables: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Table1

Table 1: Annual History Data for UI Trust Fund Balance, Contributions, and Benefits, 1978-2010
Year  Ending Balance   Contributions   Benefits  Net
Contributions		  Ending Balance
Over-the-Year
Change
1978 57,858,914 18,031,550 7,509,371 10,522,180  
1979 67,730,151 14,701,991 8,353,381 6,348,611 17.1%
1980 71,315,840 13,121,429 16,166,205 -3,044,776 5.3%
1981 68,292,165 16,568,541 26,606,654 -10,038,113 -4.2%
1982 41,301,793 26,069,735 62,573,122 -36,503,387 -39.5%
1983 5,461,599 40,005,461 76,116,905 -36,111,445 -86.8%
1984 26,181,897 55,334,331 34,166,767 21,167,564 379.4%
1985 43,560,948 48,377,610 33,924,340 14,453,269 66.4%
1986 34,426,896 48,031,178 61,865,353 -13,834,175 -21.0%
1987 17,160,905 33,338,587 50,813,269 -17,474,683 -50.2%
1988 32,439,077 38,891,647 25,067,419 13,824,228 89.0%
1989 52,539,386 39,913,754 22,373,278 17,540,476 62.0%
1990 80,553,941 41,736,917 18,076,646 23,660,272 53.3%
1991 96,093,278 31,909,492 23,663,189 8,246,304 19.3%
1992 106,970,242 30,686,300 27,783,035 2,903,265 11.3%
1993 124,965,892 32,252,633 22,534,696 9,717,937 16.8%
1994 134,155,922 25,966,576 25,352,175 614,401 7.4%
1995 139,602,411 24,734,888 28,640,195 -3,905,307 4.1%
1996 144,127,596 24,934,159 30,162,239 -5,228,080 3.2%
1997 156,708,102 27,957,658 25,297,320 2,660,339 8.7%
1998 172,105,327 29,343,625 24,711,494 4,632,132 9.8%
1999 185,062,023 28,500,546 26,587,941 1,912,605 7.5%
2000 201,283,924 29,070,324 24,764,048 4,306,276 8.8%
2001 215,645,924 27,428,219 25,455,845 1,972,374 7.1%
2002 209,950,216 20,504,313 38,533,939 -18,029,626 -2.6%
2003 194,367,590 19,382,515 46,523,683 -27,141,168 -7.4%
2004 191,851,552 26,591,680 39,816,356 -13,224,676 -1.3%
2005 204,878,612 35,655,397 32,783,056 2,872,342 6.8%
2006 238,797,780 51,522,114 27,917,448 23,604,666 16.6%
2007 267,882,953 51,796,131 33,901,474 17,894,658 12.2%
2008 283,112,420 53,526,806 49,944,949 3,581,857 5.7%
2009 179,839,606 48,343,577 161,531,961 -113,188,384 -36.5%
2010 155,150,542 85,875,248 119,947,743 -34,072,495 -13.7%

 

Table2

Table 2: Comparison of UI Statistics During Economic Downturn Periods and Normal Years in Wyoming
Average Annual Unemployment Insurance Benefit (Related to State Trust Fund) Average Annual Weekly Benefit Amount c Average Weekly Wage
Wyoming Economic
Downturn Periods		 Total Jobs Losta Nominal
Dollars		 Real Dollars, Based on Consumer Price Indexb  Average Annual Iniital Claims (Related to State Trust Fund) Average Annual Weeks Claimed (Related to State Trust Fund) Average Annual Duration (in Weeks)c Average Annual Exhaustion Ratesc Nominal Dollars Real Dollars, Based on Consumer Price Indexb Nominal Dollars Real Dollars, Based on Consumer Price Indexb
1982-1983 20,618 $69,345,014 $152,975,100 56,069 548,644 15.5 44.50% $132.42 $292.12 348.11 $767.93
1986-1987 22,148 $56,339,311 $109,185,585 51,536 385,753 17.3 34.10% $160.76 $311.55 355.98 $689.88
2002-2003 380 $41,624,659 $48,867,350 26,355 198,096 11.7 28.70% $236.15 $277.24 566.06 $664.55
2009-2010 15,226 $140,739,852 $140,739,852 49,653 461,677 16.9 51.50% $330.66 $330.66 795.13 $795.13
Normal Annual Average $28,155,378 26,831 182,921 13.3 28.20%
 
aAnnual average employment difference between peak year and trough year. Data from 1982 to 1987 are based on the nonfarm wage and salary employment from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Data from 2002 to 2010 are based on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
bU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index. Base period: 1982-1984 = 100. 
cData from 1982-1998 were from ET Handbook NO. 394, Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. Data from 1999 to present were from Unemployment Insurance Data Summary, http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/data.asp. 
dExcludes all economic downturn periods.

 

 

Table3

Table 3: Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Initial Claims, and Continued Claims, 1982-2010
Year    Unemployment
Insurance
Benefit		  Initial
Claims		  Continued
Claims
1982 $62,573,122 58,495 481,330
1983 $76,116,905 53,643 615,958
1984 $34,166,767 31,630 264,612
1985 $33,924,340 42,715 259,258
1986 $61,865,353 60,441 432,925
1987 $50,813,269 42,630 338,581
1988 $25,067,419 33,741 203,656
1989 $22,373,278 30,822 186,926
1990 $18,076,646 28,745 158,244
1991 $23,663,189 32,946 188,662
1992 $27,783,035 32,371 214,676
1993 $22,534,696 25,817 179,502
1994 $25,352,175 25,396 187,530
1995 $28,640,195 26,227 203,859
1996 $30,162,239 28,216 216,834
1997 $25,297,320 24,390 179,304
1998 $24,711,494 24,488 165,804
1999 $26,587,941 22,396 163,650
2000 $24,764,048 20,775 149,235
2001 $25,455,845 19,341 151,345
2002 $38,533,939 27,364 195,186
2003 $46,523,683 27,369 213,251
2004 $39,816,356 24,332 185,852
2005 $32,783,055 21,309 152,989
2006 $27,917,448 17,974 127,639
2007 $33,901,473 20,903 135,978
2008 $49,944,949 26,422 168,710
2009 $161,531,961 54,460 507,461
2010 $119,947,743 44,846 415,892

 

Figure3

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Figure 4

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Figure 5

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Table 4

Table 4: Wyoming Unemployment Insurance (UI) Recipients, January 2006 to July 2011
Regular UI Recipients Over-the-Year Change EUC 08 Recipients Over-the-Year Change Total UI Recipients Over-the-Year Change
Jan.06 4,955 4,955
Feb.06 4,416 4,416
Mar.06 4,731 4,731
Apr.06 3,813 3,813
May.06 3,127 3,127
Jun.06 2,277 2,277
Jul.06 2,103 2,103
Aug.06 2,071 2,071
Sep.06 1,624 1,624
Oct.06 1,919 1,919
Nov.06 3,037 3,037
Dec.06 3,529 3,529
Jan.07 4,739 -4.4% 4,739 -4.4%
Feb.07 4,497 1.8% 4,497 1.8%
Mar.07 4,273 -9.7% 4,273 -9.7%
Apr.07 4,127 8.2% 4,127 8.2%
May.07 3,369 7.7% 3,369 7.7%
Jun.07 2,737 20.2% 2,737 20.2%
Jul.07 2,468 17.4% 2,468 17.4%
Aug.07 2,436 17.6% 2,436 17.6%
Sep.07 1,957 20.5% 1,957 20.5%
Oct.07 2,508 30.7% 2,508 30.7%
Nov.07 3,082 1.5% 3,082 1.5%
Dec.07 4,173 18.2% 4,173 18.2%
Jan.08 5,379 13.5% 5,379 13.5%
Feb.08 5,222 16.1% 5,222 16.1%
Mar.08 4,845 13.4% 4,845 13.4%
Apr.08 4,867 17.9% 4,867 17.9%
May.08 3,451 2.4% 3,451 2.4%
Jun.08 3,151 15.1% 3,151 15.1%
Jul.08 2,963 20.1% 438 3,401 37.8%
Aug.08 2,671 9.6% 664 3,335 36.9%
Sep.08 2,590 32.3% 702 3,292 68.2%
Oct.08 3,468 38.3% 606 4,074 62.4%
Nov.08 4,502 46.1% 404 4,906 59.2%
Dec.08 7,262 74.0% 878 8,140 95.1%
Jan.09 9,241 71.8% 996 10,237 90.3%
Feb.09 10,490 100.9% 771 11,261 115.6%
Mar.09 11,869 145.0% 906 12,775 163.7%
Apr.09 14,945 207.1% 1,105 16,050 229.8%
May.09 13,204 282.6% 1,318 14,522 320.8%
Jun.09 12,459 295.4% 1,576 14,035 345.4%
Jul.09 12,200 311.7% 1,835 14,035 312.7%
Aug.09 10,664 299.3% 2,341 252.6% 13,005 290.0%
Sep.09 10,248 295.7% 2,820 301.7% 13,068 297.0%
Oct.09 10,155 192.8% 4,289 607.8% 14,444 254.5%
Nov.09 11,337 151.8% 5,061 1,152.7% 16,398 234.2%
Dec.09 14,016 93.0% 5,749 554.8% 19,765 142.8%
Jan.10 14,147 53.1% 6,002 502.6% 20,149 96.8%
Feb.10 13,467 28.4% 6,066 686.8% 19,533 73.5%
Mar.10 13,683 15.3% 6,271 592.2% 19,954 56.2%
Apr.10 12,103 -19.0% 6,217 462.6% 18,320 14.1%
May.10 10,348 -21.6% 6,016 356.4% 16,364 12.7%
Jun.10 9,039 -27.5% 5,581 254.1% 14,620 4.2%
Jul.10 7,168 -41.2% 4,162 126.8% 11,330 -19.3%
Aug.10 6,613 -38.0% 4,826 106.2% 11,439 -12.0%
Sep.10 6,382 -37.7% 4,708 67.0% 11,090 -15.1%
Oct.10 6,386 -37.1% 4,412 2.9% 10,798 -25.2%
Nov.10 8,054 -29.0% 4,464 -11.8% 12,518 -23.7%
Dec.10 10,281 -26.6% 4,497 -21.8% 14,778 -25.2%
Jan.11 10,790 -23.7% 4,305 -28.3% 15,095 -25.1%
Feb.11 10,443 -22.5% 4,328 -28.7% 14,771 -24.4%
Mar.11 10,320 -24.6% 4,342 -30.8% 14,662 -26.5%
Apr.11 9,270 -23.4% 4,119 -33.7% 13,389 -26.9%
May.11 7,859 -24.1% 3,943 -34.5% 11,802 -27.9%
Jun.11 7,018 -22.4% 3,637 -34.8% 10,655 -27.1%
Jul.11 5,445 -24.0% 3,098 -25.6% 8,543 -24.6%

 

Figure 6

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Table 5

Table 5: Distribution of Unemployment Insurance (UI) Recipients and Benefits by Industry in 2009
Recipients % of total  UI Benefits % of total
Agriculture  278 0.8% 1,510,886 0.7%
Mining  4,739 13.1% 39,539,324 18.1%
Utilities  59 0.2% 411,617 0.2%
Construction  10,193 28.2% 62,764,892 28.8%
Manufacturing  1,760 4.9% 9,749,383 4.5%
Wholesale Trade  866 2.4% 6,001,455 2.8%
Retail Trade  2,813 7.8% 14,579,391 6.7%
Transportation & Warehousing  1,588 4.4% 10,006,323 4.6%
Information  222 0.6% 1,510,639 0.7%
Finance & Insurance  312 0.9% 1,854,250 0.8%
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing  407 1.1% 2,996,385 1.4%
Professional & Technical Services  995 2.8% 7,306,272 3.3%
Mgmt.of Companies & Enterprises  35 0.1% 400,720 0.2%
Administrative & Waste Services  2,164 6.0% 12,379,176 5.7%
Educational Services  614 1.7% 3,771,915 1.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance  1,677 4.6% 8,769,200 4.0%
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation  361 1.0% 1,807,553 0.8%
Accommodation & Food Services  4,109 11.4% 16,449,599 7.5%
Other Services (except Public Administration)  924 2.6% 5,771,448 2.6%
Public Administration  1,372 3.8% 7,062,691 3.2%
Nonclassified* 672 1.9% 3,530,003 1.6%
Total 36,160 100.0% 218,173,122 100.0%

 

Table 6

Table 6: Ratio of Job Loss and Unemployment Insurance (UI) Recipients by Industry in 2009
Industry 2008
Average Annual Employment		 2009
Average Annual Employment		 Over-the-Year Change
(Job Loss)		 UI Recipients in 2009a Number of UI Recipients per Job Lost
n %
Agriculture  2,447 2,495 48 2.0% 278  N/A
Mining  29,266 25,466 -3,801 -13.0% 4,739 1.2
Utilities  2,668 2,655 -13 -0.5% 59 4.7
Construction  28,163 23,903 -4,260 -15.1% 10,193 2.4
Manufacturing  9,962 9,111 -851 -8.5% 1,760 2.1
Wholesale Trade  9,146 8,751 -395 -4.3% 866 2.2
Retail Trade  32,294 30,818 -1,476 -4.6% 2,813 1.9
Transportation & Warehousing  10,970 10,440 -530 -4.8% 1,588 3
Information  4,695 4,659 -36 -0.8% 222 6.2
Finance & Insurance  7,252 7,148 -104 -1.4% 312 3
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing  4,480 4,160 -320 -7.2% 407 1.3
Professional & Technical Services  10,083 9,480 -603 -6.0% 995 1.6
Mgmt.of Companies & Enterprises  793 745 -48 -6.1% 35 0.7
Administrative & Waste Services  8,102 7,422 -679 -8.4% 2,164 3.2
Educational Services  26,312 27,518 1,206 4.6% 614  N/A
Health Care & Social Assistance  31,381 32,580 1,199 3.8% 1,677  N/A
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation  4,287 4,328 40 0.9% 361  N/A
Accommodation & Food Services  31,682 30,219 -1,463 -4.6% 4,109 2.8
Other Services (exc. Public Admin.)  8,868 8,714 -154 -1.7% 924 6
Public Administration  23,479 24,151 672 2.9% 1,372  N/A
Nonclassified 672  N/A
Total 286,332 274,763 -11,570 -4.0% 36,160 3.1
 
aFrom 1099 data. 
N/A - Not applicable because these industries had no net job losses but still had UI recipients.

 

Table 7

Table 7: Wyoming Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund Liability Studya
Benefits Needed
Scenario 2: If mining lost 53% of its jobs and UI recipients collected an average of 26 weeks of benefits, all others stay at actual 2009 level
Scenario 1: If the five major UI spending industries’ job loss doubled, with average of 17 weeks of UI benefits, and all others stay at actual 2009 level Scenario 2:
Industry Total Benefits in 2009b Average Weekly Benefit Amount Average Duration (Weeks) Number of UI Recipients per Job Lost Total State Trust Fund-Related Benefits (74.0% of Total) UI Trust Fund Balance ending 2008Q4 UI Tax and Trust Fund Collection from 2009Q1 to 2009Q4 1% of 2008 Employment Scenario 1:
Agriculture $1,510,886 $328 17 N/A $1,118,636 --- --- 24.47 $1,118,636 $1,118,636
Mining $39,539,324 $411 20 1.2 $29,274,296 -- -- 292.66 $66,214,911 $206,434,722
Utilities $411,617 $394 18 4.7 $304,755 -- -- 26.68 $304,755 $304,755
Construction $62,764,892 $382 16 2.4 $46,470,143 -- -- 281.63 $132,210,271 $46,470,143
Manufacturing $9,749,383 $346 16 2.1 $7,218,290 -- -- 99.62 $7,218,290 $7,218,290
Wholesale Trade $6,001,455 $375 19 2.2 $4,443,383 -- -- 91.46 $4,443,383 $4,443,383
Retail Trade $14,579,391 $293 18 1.9 $10,794,353 -- -- 322.94 $28,238,317 $10,794,353
Transportation & Warehousing $10,006,323 $373 17 3 $7,408,525 -- -- 109.7 $7,408,525 $7,408,525
Information $1,510,639 $327 21 6.2 $1,118,453 -- -- 46.95 $1,118,453 $1,118,453
Finance & Insurance $1,854,250 $334 18 3 $1,372,858 -- -- 72.52 $1,372,858 $1,372,858
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing $2,996,385 $356 21 1.3 $2,218,477 -- -- 44.8 $2,218,477 $2,218,477
Professional & Technical Services $7,306,272 $377 19 1.6 $5,409,449 -- -- 100.83 $5,409,449 $5,409,449
Mgmt.of Companies & Enterprises $400,720 $382 30 0.7 $296,687 -- -- 7.93 $296,687 $296,687
Administrative & Waste Services $12,379,176 $320 18 3.2 $9,165,348 -- -- 81.02 $23,593,781 $9,165,348
Educational Services $3,771,915 $332 19 N/A $2,792,667 -- -- 263.12 $2,792,667 $2,792,667
Health Care & Social Assistance $8,769,200 $304 17 N/A $6,492,578 -- -- 313.81 $6,492,578 $6,492,578
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation $1,807,553 $299 17 N/A $1,338,284 -- -- 42.87 $1,338,284 $1,338,284
Accommodation & Food Services $16,449,599 $271 15 2.8 $12,179,025 -- -- 316.82 $37,683,040 $12,179,025
Other Services (exc. Public Admin.) $5,771,448 $355 18 6 $4,273,090 -- -- 88.68 $4,273,090 $4,273,090
Public Administration $7,062,691 $340 15 N/A $5,229,106 -- -- 234.79 $5,229,106 $5,229,106
Nonclassified $3,530,003 $351 15 N/A $2,613,559 -- -- 0 $2,613,559 $2,613,559
A. Total $218,173,122 $353 17 3.1 $161,531,961 $283,112,420 $58,952,731 2,863.32 $341,589,116 $338,692,387
B. State Trust Fund-Related Benefits $161,531,961
Ratio of B to A: 74.0%
  Trust fund balance by the end of 2009 would be: $476,035 $3,372,764
 
aBased on 2008 employment level, actual trust fund balance as of 2008, and actual UI tax and trust fund interest collection.
bFrom 1099 data.
N/A - Not applicable because these industries had no net job losses but still had UI recipients. For those industries, the actual benefits of 2009 were used in all scenarios.

 

 

Table 8

 

Table 8: Wyoming Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund Liability Studya
Benefits Needed
Scenario 4: If mining and construction job loses doubled and UI recipients collected an average of 18 weeks of benefits, all others are the same as Scenario 3
Scenario 3: If the 2009 job loss rates continued and UI recipients collected an average week of 17 weeks of benefits from 2011Q1 to 2012Q1 Scenario 4
Industry Average Weekly Benefit Amount Average Duration (in Weeks) in 2009 Number of UI Recipients per Job Lost Average Employment, 2011Q1 1% of
2011Q1 Employment 		Lost same % of Jobs as in 2009 UI Trust
Fund Balance Ending 2011Q1 		Projected Tax and Trust Fund Interest Collections from 2011Q2 to 2012Q1 Jobs that Would be Lost Scenario 3
Agriculture $328 17 N/A 2,194 21.9 2.0% 42.8 $1,118,636 $1,118,636
Mining $411 20 1.2 26,185 261.8 -13.0% -3,400.4 $29,589,538 $62,727,163
Utilities $394 18 4.7 2,648 26.5 -0.5% -12.6 $392,186 $392,186
Construction $382 16 2.4 18,050 180.5 -15.1% -2,730.3 $42,442,165 $89,720,611
Manufacturing $346 16 2.1 8,701 87.0 -8.5% -743.4 $9,049,103 $9,049,103
Wholesale Trade $375 19 2.2 8,626 86.3 -4.3% -372.5 $5,200,510 $5,200,510
Retail Trade $293 18 1.9 28,225 282.2 -4.6% -1,289.8 $12,258,596 $12,258,596
Transportation & Warehousing $373 17 3.0 10,350 103.5 -4.8% -500.4 $9,492,123 $9,492,123
Information $327 21 6.2 4,432 44.3 -0.8% -34.1 $1,164,509 $1,164,509
Finance & Insurance $334 18 3.0 6,765 67.7 -1.4% -97.0 $1,652,547 $1,652,547
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing $356 21 1.3 3,953 39.5 -7.2% -282.7 $2,175,909 $2,175,909
Professional & Technical Services $377 19 1.6 9,199 92.0 -6.0% -550.3 $5,823,303 $5,823,303
Mgmt.of Companies & Enterprises $382 30 0.7 862 8.6 -6.1% -52.5 $247,104 $247,104
Administrative & Waste Services $320 18 3.2 6,658 66.6 -8.4% -558.3 $9,678,252 $9,678,252
Educational Services $332 19 N/A 29,776 297.8 4.6% 1,364.6 $2,792,667 $2,792,667
Health Care & Social Assistance $304 17 N/A 33,356 333.6 3.8% 1,274.3 $6,492,578 $6,492,578
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation $299 17 N/A 3,741 37.4 0.9% 35.3 $1,338,284 $1,338,284
Accommodation & Food Services $271 15 2.8 27,643 276.4 -4.6% -1,276.9 $16,508,336 $16,508,336
Other Services (exc. Public Admin.) $355 18 6.0 8,277 82.8 -1.7% -143.7 $5,207,430 $5,207,430
Public Administration $340 15 N/A 23,738 237.4 2.9% 679.0 $5,229,106 $5,229,106
Nonclassified $351 15 N/A
Total $353 17 3.1 263,378 2,633.8 -4.0% $139,545,757 $113,722,638 -10,642.2 $167,852,881 $248,268,952
 
Trust fund balance by the end of 2009 would be: $85,415,514 $4,999,443
 
aBased on 2011Q1 employment level, actual trust fund balance ending 2011Q1, and actual and projected UI tax and trust fund interest.
N/A - Not applicable because these industries had no net job losses but still had UI recipients. For those industries, the actual benefits of 2009 were used in all scenarios.

 



Last modified by Phil Ellsworth.