New Hires in Wyoming:
An In-Depth Analysis
While the level of growth in Wyoming's economy is very slow and gradual, there is a tremendous amount of activity underneath. In fourth quarter 2009 and first quarter 2010, Wyoming's employers added 39,902 new hires. Each of these new hires is an employee who had not worked for that particular employer before.
Keep in mind that these 39,902 new hires were added during the lowest point of Wyoming's economic downturn. Ongoing research will be presented online and in a future article in Wyoming Labor Force Trends, showing that substantially more new hires were made in the following quarters.
What types of occupations were filled? The New Hires Survey conducted by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Employment captured direct information from employers about the types of new hires, what they earned, and what level of education employers required. For example, there were 1,336 truck drivers, heavy & tractor trailer, hired during this period; those hired for this occupation earned a median hourly wage of $17.00. Of these truck drivers, 78.9% were still employed one quarter after hire. Also, the 320 registered nurses hired during this period earned a median hourly wage of $23.00.
How did the employer and new hire connect? Technology has changed the way employers and job seekers find one another. Employers are advertising openings on their own websites and are seeking out potential employees through various social media outlets. Likewise, job seekers are able to find out more about their potential employers than ever before.
How many Wyoming firms are involved in energy-efficient activities? R&P's Baseline Survey asked employers whether they were involved in energy-efficient activities; among employers surveyed, 11.5% said their companies were involved in these types of activities.