Wyoming Employment Decreases by 18,200 Jobs in November
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Employment has reported that total nonagricultural employment decreased by 18,200 jobs, or 6.1% from November 2008 to November 2009. Over-the-year job losses have become widespread in recent months and were seen in all but three sectors. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 7.4% in October to 7.2% in November. It remained significantly lower than the U.S. rate of 10.0%.
Over the year, the largest job losses occurred in natural resources & mining (including oil & gas; -5,900 jobs, or -19.6%) and construction (-5,200 jobs, or -17.9%). Job losses were also seen in retail trade (-2,000 jobs, or -6.1%), leisure & hospitality (-1,900 jobs, or -6.1%), professional & business services (-1,100 jobs, or -6.0%), and other services (-800 jobs, or -6.6%). Employment increased by 400 jobs, or 1.6% in educational & health services and 900 jobs, or 1.3% in government (including public schools, colleges, and hospitals). The number of jobs in the information sector was unchanged from a year earlier.
From October to November employment decreased by 4,500 jobs (-1.6%). This is larger than the normal seasonal decrease of 3,000 jobs (-1.1%). Seasonal job losses were seen in construction (-900 jobs, or -3.6%), manufacturing (-300 jobs, or -3.1%), wholesale trade (-300 jobs, or -3.4%), professional & business services (-600 jobs, or -3.4%), leisure & hospitality (-2,600 jobs, or -8.2%), and other services (-300 jobs, or -2.6%). Government employment (including public schools, colleges, and hospitals) increased by 700 jobs, or 1.0%.
Most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased from October to November. Teton County had the highest unemployment rate (11.7%), followed by Big Horn (8.4%) and Lincoln (8.1%) counties. Unemployment typically increases in November in Teton County as the summer tourist season has ended and the ski season has not started. The lowest unemployment rates were found in Albany (4.1%), Sublette (5.0%), and Goshen (5.1%) counties.
1 Seasonal 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 in order to obtain a better understanding of changes in economic conditions from month to month.