"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.
2021 Wyoming Workforce Annual Report
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Welcome!
Welcome to the newly redesigned Wyoming Labor Market Information website of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services' Research & Planning section.
Research & Planning (R&P) is an exclusively statistical entity within the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services that collects, analyzes, and publishes timely and accurate labor market information (LMI) meeting established statistical standards.
The goal of our website redesign is to provide Wyoming Labor Market Information in a format that is faster, more user-friendly on all devices and accessible to all. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about the redesign and any ideas about ways to improve our website. You can contact us via e-mail to DWS-RESEARCHPLANNING@wyo.gov, by calling us at (307) 473-3807, or via mail to Research & Planning, PO Box 2760, Casper WY 82602.
A new publication from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services demonstrates R&P's ability to track Wyoming high school seniors into post-secondary education and the labor market.
The senior cohort for the academic year 2006/07 was used as an example throughout the publication. Key findings showed that 10 years after their senior year:
78.7% had attended either college or a university
39.8% earned a post-secondary award (certificate or degree)
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 5.2% in July to 4.9% in August. Available data suggests that the August decrease in unemployment was related to individuals dropping out of the labor force. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was slightly lower than the current U.S. unemployment rate of 5.2% and much lower than its August 2020 level of 6.2%.
August 2021: Initial Claims Decline for Sixth Straight Month
The number of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims in Wyoming continued to decline from prior-year levels in August.
August 2021 marked the sixth consecutive month of over-the-year decreases in initial UI claims in Wyoming. There were 1,282 initial claims in August 2021, down from 5,138 in August 2020 (-3,856, or -75%). This amount is getting closer to pre-pandemic levels of 943 initial claims in August 2019.
The number of initial claims declined from the prior year in all industries, with substantial decreases were seen in natural resources & mining, construction, leisure & hospitality, and professional & business services, among others.
There were 8,807 continued weeks claimed in August, down 84.7% over the year. The 2,869 unique claimants marked an 83.3% decrease from a year prior. There were 7,837 total continued weeks claimed in August 2019, so current levels are still higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Continued claims declined in all industries over the year, including mining, leisure & hospitality, and construction. Continued claims also fell in every county, with the greatest decreases seen in Natrona, Campbell, Laramie, and Sweetwater counties.
Wyoming Employment and Payroll: Job Losses Continue in Fourth Quarter
Wyoming’s economy continued to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in fourth quarter 2020. From fourth quarter 2019 to fourth quarter 2020, Wyoming lost 16,273 jobs (-5.9%) and total payroll fell by $58.4 million (-1.6%). The largest job losses occurred in mining (including oil & gas), leisure & hospitality, and construction.
Welcome to the 2021 edition of the Wyoming Workforce Annual Report, produced by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services in partnership with the Wyoming Workforce Development Council. This report provides an overview of Wyoming’s economy and workforce. Chapters in this report include:
Wyoming's Labor Market in 2020:
Pandemic, Declining Energy Prices
Force Historic Job Losses
Substantial Job Losses Seen in Mining,
Leisure & Hospitality
Wyoming Population Grows from 2010
to 2020
Unemployment Rate Increases in All
Wyoming Counties
UI Benefit Recipients, Payments Reach
Historic High in 2020
Weekly Trends in UI Claims in Wyoming
During the Pandemic
Identifying Occupations with the Most
UI Claims in 2020
Number of Persons Working in Wyoming
Drops 6.4% in 2020
Short-Term Projections Show Job Losses
for Wyoming
Does Wyoming Reward a Postsecondary Education?
Wyoming Employers Add Nearly 100,000
New Hires in 2019
Wyoming Occupational Fatalities Increase
to 32 in 2019
Wyoming’s Nonfatal Occupational Injury
and Illness Incidence Rate for 2019
The Directory of Licensed Occupations in Wyoming 2019, compiled by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, provides detailed information about license requirements and related information for the 97 occupations required to have a license by the state of Wyoming. Forty-five licensing boards oversee the administration and enforcement of these licenses.
Requiring practitioners of some occupations to be licensed results in the assurance that these workers have a minimum level of education and competency, and also generally results in higher wages for workers in those occupations compared to those in many unlicensed occupations.
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) in Wyoming
NEW: Statewide, Regional, County, and MSA Data (estimates for Wyoming wages for May 2020 data updated to the March 2021 ECI Employment Cost Index).
See note about wage updating used to calculate estimates.
The number
of occupational fatalities in Wyoming rose slightly from 31 in 2018 to 32 in 2019 (an increase of one death, or 3.2%). From 1992 to 2019, Wyoming averaged 33 occupational fatalities each year, making the 32 deaths that occurred in 2019 slightly lower than average.
In 2018, Wyoming employers added an estimated 94,074 new hires: individuals who, during a particular quarter, started working for an employer he or she had not worked for since at least 1992, the first year for which R&P has wage records.
The New Hires Survey allows R&P to collect rich survey detail not previously available, such as occupation, rate of compensation, benefits, important job skills, employer satisfaction with a new hire’s skills, retention, and more. By linking New Hires Survey data to existing administrative databases, such as Unemployment Insurance Wage Records and Wyoming Department of Transportation driver’s license files, R&P is also able to identify new hires characteristics such as age and gender.
New from R&P: Postsecondary Education Employment Outcomes Interactive Graphics
New postsecondary education employment outcomes data for graduates of Wyoming community colleges and the University of Wyoming are now available online by clicking here.
Wyoming Youth and Populations with Barriers to Employment:
Supporting Tables and Figures for Wyoming’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Annual Performance Report, FY 2019
This report, prepared by the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, serves as supporting documentation for Wyoming’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Annual Report for Program Year 2019. The primary focus of this report is Wyoming youth, which is defined for these purposes as individuals ages 15-24, and other populations with barriers to employment, such as homeless, English language learners, veterans, and others.
The Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services conducts the Wyoming Benefits Survey on a quarterly basis. This survey is designed to collect information about the types of benefits Wyoming employers offer their employees.
This publication examines the prevalence of employer-provided benefits such as medical insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave in Wyoming during third quarter 2018. These benefits are analyzed in several ways: by full- and part-time employment status, employer size class, industry, and by Wyoming substate region.
Includes lookup tools by occupation, printable PDFs for each licensed occupation, links to O*Net detailed descriptions, and comparison of wages for the U.S. and Wyoming.
Presented by Tony Glover, Manager, and Michael Moore, Editor, of the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to the Wyoming Interim Joint Labor, Health, & Social Services Committee, June 13-14, 2019, Cheyenne, WY
R&P offers new series of Labor Market Information webinar videos
Hosted by Research & Planning Senior Economist Katelynd Faler, the webinars cover a variety of Labor Market Information topics based on questions we've received from the public. Topics include:
A Study of the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women in Wyoming:
Update 2018
In 2017, the Wyoming joint labor, health, and social services interim and the joint minerals, business, and economic development interim committees requested the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services complete a study on the state’s gender wage gap (House Bill 0209). This report is an update to a similar report published in 2003.
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Wyoming at Work