A Summary of Wyoming Covered Employment and Wages

A Summary of Wyoming Covered Employment and Wages¹ in 2000

by: Valerie A. Davis, Economist and Sara Saulcy, Economist

In 2000, average statewide employment and wages were higher than 1999 levels. However, gains were not evenly distributed by county or region. In this article we cover the highlights of employment and wages from the forthcoming publication, Where Are the Jobs? What Do They Pay? 2000 Annual Covered Employment and Wages.

As shown in Table 1, statewide average employment in 2000 was 230,855, up 2.6 percent from 1999. The Northeast region (see Table 1 and the Map for counties included in each region) led the state in employment increases with an additional 1,471 jobs, up 4.3 percent from 1999 to 2000. The Northwest region had the lowest increase in employment from 1999 to 2000, adding only 225 jobs (0.6%).

Table 1 also shows employment by county. The counties with the largest increases from 1999 to 2000 were Campbell (adding 1,040 jobs or 6.0%), Teton (856 jobs or 5.5%), and Big Horn (177 jobs or 4.6%). The counties with the largest percentage decreases in employment were Niobrara (-4.1 % or 33 jobs), Washakie (-3.4% or 126 jobs), and Sweetwater (-2.0% or 388 jobs).

Statewide, the average weekly wage in 2000 was $516, an increase of $23 per week from the 1999 average weekly wage of $493 (see Table 1). Average weekly wage increases varied from $10 (1.8%) in the Southwest region to $54 (11.2%) in the Central region.

At the county level, Natrona, Sublette, and Weston counties saw the largest increases in average weekly wages (see Table 1). The average weekly wage increased $67 (13.6%) in Natrona County, $51 (11.7%) in Weston County, and $50 (11.9%) in Sublette County. Johnson County experienced the smallest increase in the average weekly wage at $2 (0.6%). Decreases in average weekly wages were seen in Fremont County with a loss of $5 (-1.1%) and Teton County with a loss of $7 (-1.3%).

Table 2 shows average employment by industry.² Mining, Agriculture, and Manufacturing had the largest increases in average employment. Mining saw the largest percentage increase in employment at 7.5 percent (1,197 jobs) over 1999 levels. Employment in Agriculture increased by 3.4 percent (117 jobs), while employment in Manufacturing increased by 3.3 percent (363 jobs). The smallest increases in employment were seen in Wholesale Trade at 1.3 percent (100 jobs), and Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate (FIRE) at 0.2 percent (17 jobs). Transportation, Communications, & Public Utilities (TCPU) was the only industry that lost jobs (-0.8% or -91 jobs).

Average weekly wage by industry is also shown in Table 2. Mining had the largest jump in average weekly wage, up 11.8 percent ($111) from 1999, followed by Agriculture (8.2% or $28), and Manufacturing (5.6% or $35). The only industry with a decrease in average weekly wage was FIRE (-8.0% or $53). Retail Trade and Construction experienced the smallest increases in average weekly wage at 2.1 percent ($6) and 2.8 percent ($16), respectively.

Some of the gains observed in average weekly wage and employment are attributable to unique events in certain industries and counties. First, the increases in the average weekly wage in the Central region, Natrona County, and Mining are largely the result of a bonus paid in the fourth quarter of 2000 to workers in oil and gas extraction. Second, a company in Teton County paid a bonus to workers in FIRE in the third quarter of 1999, inflating average weekly wage for that time period and for 1999 as a whole. Because of the one-time increase in the third quarter of 1999 that was reflected in the yearly total, there is the appearance of a decline in the average weekly wage in FIRE from 1999 to 2000. Lastly, the increase in employment in Manufacturing is due primarily to changes in the industry classification of a number of firms through the refiling process² rather than to real growth in employment. Firms representing about 300 employees were re-coded into Manufacturing in January 2000.

The wages and employment reviewed here represent only a snapshot of the information available. For more detailed information, see the complete Covered Employment & Wages publication online at < http://doe.state.wy.us/LMI/toc_202.htm >. For a hard copy of the publication, please call 307-473-3807.

¹Covered Employment and Wages (also known as the ES-202 program) is a collection of data from firms that are required to pay taxes to the State Unemployment Insurance (UI) fund. Approximately 85 to 90 percent of Wyoming firms submit taxes to UI. Among firms not required to submit taxes (with certain exceptions) are agricultural firms, railroads, and the self-employed. For further information, see Appendix A of Wyoming Department of Employment, Research & Planning, Where Are the Jobs? What Do They Pay? 1999 Annual Covered Employment and Wages, February 2001, p. A-2.

²The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes assigned to Unemployment Insurance (UI) covered reporting firms must be periodically reviewed and updated. The process is referred to as SIC Refiling, or the Annual Refiling Survey (ARS). The ARS is conducted to verify or correct the industry, geographic, and ownership codes assigned to employers who are covered under Wyoming Unemployment Insurance laws. Wyoming, along with all other states, reports the resulting industry and geographic code corrections to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the Code Change Supplement (CCS) file annually. See Wyoming Department of Employment, Research & Planning, Where Are the Jobs? What Do They Pay? 1999 Annual Covered Employment and Wages, February 2001, p. A-1 for further information.

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