A First Look at a New Research & Planning Publication
by: Brad Payne, Senior Statistician

The Wyoming Department of Employment, Research & Planning (R&P) section is currently working on a forthcoming publication outlining the labor and wage trends for each county in Wyoming as well as the state for the time period 1990 through 1999. The following employment data are examples of the labor market information the publication will contain.

Analysis of Employment

Over the past ten years (1990-1999), Natrona County average monthly employment, for jobs covered under Unemployment Insurance (UI), increased by 2,897 jobs or 10.4 percent. The average number of jobs in Natrona County was 27,769 in 1990, rising to 30,664 by 1999.

Natrona County employment grew on average 1.1 percent per year over the ten-year period while statewide employment grew on average 1.7 percent per year over the same time period (see Figure 1). During the 1990's, Natrona County reported only two years with decreased covered employment. In 1992, employment increases in total government (136 jobs) and total services (103 jobs) were more than offset by employment decreases in total goods (928 jobs). In 1996, employment decreases in total government (126 jobs) and total goods (233 jobs) overshadowed employment increases in total services (56 jobs). Of the remaining eight years posting covered employment increases, 1997 and 1999 were the best growth years. In 1997, employment increased by 326 jobs in total goods, by 529 jobs in total services, and by 155 jobs in total government. Likewise, in 1999 employment increases in total services (728 jobs) and total government (155 jobs) outweighed employment decreases in total goods (140 jobs).

With the exception of two industries, the composition of employment throughout Natrona County changed very little over the ten-year period from 1990-1999. The largest changes in employment sectors occurred in Mining and Services (see Figure 2). In 1990, Mining accounted for 9.0 percent (2,443 jobs) of the employment in Natrona County while Services accounted for 22.0 percent (6,087 jobs). By 1999, Mining was down to 6.0 percent (1,796 jobs) of the total employment while Services climbed to 28.0 percent (8,602 jobs). This trend, moving from a goods producing to a service-producing economy, can be seen statewide and nationwide. A number of factors contribute to this statewide trend: closures of coal mines, oil companies leaving the state, and the entrance of new service-producing companies.

Although the composition of the labor market changed little over the decade, employment within sectors of the market changed substantially. Employment increased in Wholesale Trade (12.9%), Local Government (13.6%), Agriculture (14.4%), Construction (16.2%), and Services (41.3%). Employment decreased in Manufacturing (9.4%), Fire, Insurance, & Real Estate (FIRE)-(12.3%), and Mining (26.5%).

Conclusion

The complete publication, planned for release early in 2001, will include further analysis of employment and wages accompanied by informative charts and graphs illustrating the data and the trends.

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