Wyoming's Labor Market in 1999
by: Mike Evans, BLS Program Supervisor
"Wyoming's employment growth rate (1.8%) is gradually catching up to the nation's growth rate (2.2%)."
Total Nonagricultural employment grew by 4,200 jobs or 1.8 percent in 1999 compared to 1.7 percent growth in 1998.1 Wyoming’s employment growth rate is gradually catching up to the nation’s growth rate of 2.2 percent (see the Figure), due mainly to the Services and Construction sectors (see Table 1). Construction grew by 1,200 jobs (7.5%) over the previous year. This increase appears to be related to federal expenditure on highway construction with an increase of $26 million over the 1998 levels.2 Heavy construction made up 700 of the new jobs. The Services sector is the second largest employing sector (54,100 jobs) in Wyoming’s economy and had the second fastest growth rate (6.3%) in 1999. Large increases occurred in Business Services, 1,200 jobs (17.7%); Social Services, 500 jobs (9.3%); and Hotels & Other Lodging Places, 500 jobs (5.4%). As a result of the higher growth in the Services sector and the declining Mining sector (-1,100 jobs or -6.6%), the state is changing from a goods-producing to a service-producing economy. Laramie and Natrona County's annual average employment for 1999 were 31,100 and 35,700, respectively (see Tables 2 and 3).
Despite faster job growth, Wyoming’s 1999 annual average unemployment rate increased to 4.9 percent (see Table 4), slightly above the 1998 annual average of 4.8 percent.3 The labor force4 grew by 1.9 percent to 262,069 persons in 1999, although the rate of growth was slower than in 1998 (2.4%). The number of persons employed grew by 1.8 percent in 1999, while the rate of growth was 2.7 percent in 1998. At least two factors help explain the increase in labor force: population and participation rates.5 Population decreased 0.1 percent in 1999, while net migration continued at a negative level contributing to slower labor force and population growth.6 Participation rates were at 71.3 percent in 1999, up from 70.3 percent in 1998.
Teton and Campbell Counties continued their fast paced labor force growth with 602 (5.5%) and 609 (3.2%) more individuals in 1999 (see Table 4). Employment also increased by 571 (5.3%) and 518 (2.8%) more persons employed in Teton and Campbell Counties. Fremont County, which traditionally has the highest unemployment rate in the state, performed surprisingly well in 1999. Employment grew by 659 individuals or 4.1 percent and the unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percent to 7.6 percent. Albany, Park and Natrona Counties continued to grow in labor force during 1999 with 421 (2.5%), 466 (3.1%) and 456 (1.4%) more individuals, respectively. The number of employed persons in those counties increased by 451 (2.7%), 453 (3.1%) and 410 (1.3%).
Sweetwater County continued to lose labor force (-356 individuals, -1.7%) in 1999, along with the number of employed (-510 individuals, -2.6%). This drop corresponds with the loss of jobs in the Mining sector statewide, along with the corresponding out-migration of individuals from the state. Mining jobs dominate the county’s employment distribution. Sweetwater also had a 0.8 percent increase in the unemployment rate, but Uinta County had the highest increase in unemployment rates overall (1.2%) to 6.9 percent, while losing 67 individuals from employment figures.
1 Gregg Detweiler, "1998 Wyoming Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment", Wyoming Labor Force Trends, March 1999.
2 Research & Planning, Wyoming Department of Employment and Economic Analysis, Wyoming Department of Administration & Information, Outlook 2000: Joint Economic & Demographic Forecast to 2008.
3 David Bullard, "January News", Wyoming Labor Force Trends, March 2000.
4 Labor force is the sum of the number of employed and unemployed persons.
5 Research & Planning, Wyoming Department of Employment and Economic Analysis, Wyoming Department of Administration & Information, Outlook 2000: Joint Economic & Demographic Forecast to 2008.
6 The number of people who leave the state is greater than the number of people who move into Wyoming.
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