WE Connect: Employment, Earnings, and Postsecondary Enrollment of Wyoming High School Students

Part 1: Wyoming High School Students’ Earnings and Postsecondary Enrollment

by: Michael Moore, Editor

Annual Wages of Wyoming High School Students from Class of 2010 by Calendar Year, 2007-2013 (Total N = 7,919)

What happens to students after they leave Wyoming high schools is a question of importance to educators and policymakers alike. Some high school students go on to attend Wyoming community colleges or the University of Wyoming, while others leave the state to obtain a postsecondary education. Some move directly into the labor market, while others drop out of the labor market for a variety of reasons, such as starting a family. This new series of publications from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services offers a snapshot of what students earn during and after high school, where they work, and how many students are enrolled in a postsecondary program in Wyoming and surrounding states.

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Part 2: Opportunity Cost of Pursuing a Postsecondary Education in Wyoming

by: Katelynd Faler, Senior Economist

This article is an introduction to the opportunity cost facing Wyoming high school students who choose to enroll in a Wyoming postsecondary school, and specifically examines students enrolled in the 2013-14 school year. Opportunity cost in this situation refers to the amount of money an individual could have earned if he or she had not enrolled in college.

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Part 3: Graduation and Work Experience for Students with Special Needs

by: Michele Mitchum, Public Relations Specialist

Selected Characteristics of the Wyoming High School Class of 2010

Because students with disabilities comprise a significant portion of the student population, and because labor market participation for adults with disabilities is significantly lower than the rest of the population, this publication focuses on the completion rate and labor market participation rate for high school students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Vocational Rehabilitation Accommodation Plan (504 plan).

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Part 4: Turnover Rate and Labor Market Outcomes for Wyoming High School Students

by: Lynae Mohondro, Senior Research Analyst

Upon graduating high school, students face many decisions that affect their labor market outcomes. This article looks at turnover among students who were high school seniors in the Wyoming high school Class of 2007 and were found working or, if they enrolled in postsecondary education, were enrolled in a college or university in Wyoming or one of the 11 states with which Research & Planning (R&P) has a data sharing agreement (Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah).

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Part 5: Wyoming High School Students’ Postsecondary Enrollment and Awards

by: Lisa Knapp, Senior Research Analyst

Total Number and Percentage of Wyoming High School Students from the Class of 2007 Who Enrolled in a Postsecondary Institution Between 2006 and 2014 by Geographic Location

The purpose of this article is to identify the states in which Wyoming high school students enroll in postsecondary institutions and the states from which they receive postsecondary degrees or certificates, regardless of high school graduation status or college type.

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Methodological Note: Changes to Projections

by: David Bullard, Senior Economist

On October 26, 2015, the long-term substate industry projections were removed from Research & Planning’s (R&P) website. This was done in light of the recent declines in crude oil and natural gas prices and the associated changes in the state’s economy. Additionally, there was a tendency among some data users to take the projections data too literally instead of reflectively. For example, some data users might be tempted to interpret projected future employment levels as certain, rather than as “expected based on current trends.” Informed data users understand that projections represent a point in time estimate of the future direction of the state’s economy rather than a certain and absolute knowledge of future events.

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Wyo. Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 4.0% in September 2015

by: David Bullard, Senior Economist

U.S. and Wyoming Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate

Wyoming’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged from August to September at 4.0%. Wyoming’s unemployment rate has remained within the narrow range of 4.0% to 4.2% in each of the past 10 months and is significantly lower than the current U.S. unemployment rate of 5.1%.

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