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© Copyright 1998 by the Wyoming Department of Employment, Research & Planning

In 1997, average annual monthly employment of 217,060 in Wyoming showed a 1.6 percent increase (3,362 jobs) when compared to 213,699 in 1996 (see Table). Wyoming’s employment has had steady growth from a low of 178,077 jobs during the 1987 "bust" to the high of 217,060 jobs in 1997--surpassing the all-time employment high of 216,075 jobs during the 1981 "boom." The 1997 average annual wage of $23,681 increased 4.3 percent ($991) from $22,870 in 1996, and exceeded the 1997 inflation rate of 2.3 percent. In the 1996-97 time period, the average annual wage increase of 4.3 percent tied with the 1989-90 time period as being the greatest percentage wage increase this decade.

Annual Wages

In 1997, eight major industrial divisions were above the $23,681 statewide annual wage including: Mining, $47,053; Federal Government, $37,156; Transportation, Communications, & Public Utilities (TCPU), $33,283; Manufacturing, $30,798; Wholesale Trade, $29,133; Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate (FIRE), $28,954; State Government, $26,828; and Construction, $25,509. Four industrial divisions were below the statewide annual wage in 1997, including: Local Government, $22,467; Services, $18,712; Agriculture, $16,161; and Retail Trade, $12,884.

Detailed 2- & 3-Digit Industry Annual Wages

This section will list industry annual wages by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code; in either 2- or 3-digit detail. The 1997 twenty highest detailed industry average annual wages in Wyoming included:

1. Holding offices (SIC 671, FIRE), $90,786
2. Security & commodity brokers (SIC 62, FIRE), $81,807
3. Fire, marine, & casualty insurance (SIC 633, FIRE), $73,015
4. International affairs (SIC 972, Public Administration-PA)-federal government, $69,858
5. Regulation of miscellaneous commercial sectors (SIC 965, PA)-federal government, $68,570
6. Administration of educational programs (SIC 941, PA)-federal government, $67,005
7. Bituminous coal & lignite mining (SIC 122, Mining), $59,355
8. Chemical & fertilizer minerals (SIC 147, Mining), $59,077
9. Regulation & administration of transportation (SIC 962, PA)-federal government, $58,018
10. Natural gas liquids (SIC 132, Mining), $54,689
11. Management & public relations (SIC 874, Services), $54,502
12. Services, not elsewhere classified (SIC 899, Services), $54,060
13. Justice, public order, & safety (SIC 92, PA)-federal government, $53,822
14. Central reserve depositories (SIC 601, FIRE)-federal government, $51,883
15. Pipelines, except natural gas (SIC 461, TCPU), $51,338
16. Chemicals & allied products (SIC 28, Manufacturing), $50,993
17. Miscellaneous metal ores (SIC 109, Mining), $50,452
18. Petroleum & coal products (SIC 29, Manufacturing), $48,190
19. Finance, taxation, & monetary policy (SIC 931, PA)-federal government, $47,026
20. Offices & clinics of medical doctors (SIC 801, Services), $47,026

Comparably, the following are the 1997 twenty lowest detailed industry average annual wages in Wyoming:

1. Children’s & infant’s wear stores (SIC 564, Retail Trade), $4,481
2. Regulation of agricultural marketing (SIC 964, PA)-local government, $6,836
3. Women’s accessory & specialty stores (SIC 563, Retail Trade), $7,791
4. Eating & drinking places (SIC 581, Retail Trade), $8,142
5. Rooming & boarding houses (SIC 702, Services)-federal government, $8,217
6. Women’s clothing stores (SIC 562, Retail Trade), $8,451
7. Civic & social associations (SIC 864, Services)-federal government, $8,677
8. Services to buildings (SIC 734, Services), $9,018
9. Variety stores (SIC 533, Retail Trade), $9,066
10. Retail nurseries & garden stores (SIC 526, Retail Trade), $9,182
11. Animal services, except veterinary (SIC 075, Agriculture), $9,327
12. Taxicabs (SIC 412, TCPU), $9,335
13. Miscellaneous business services (SIC 729, Services), $9,380
14. Motion pictures (SIC 78, Services), $9,410
15. Meat products (SIC 201, Manufacturing), $9,964
16. Meat & fish markets (SIC 542, Retail Trade), $10,030
17. Miscellaneous food & kindred products (SIC 209, Manufacturing), $10,874
18. Miscellaneous general merchandise stores (SIC 539, Retail Trade)-federal government, $10,925
19. Hotels & other lodging places (SIC 70, Services), $11,217
20. Amusement & recreation services (SIC 79, Services), $11,263

Wages in 1997 are not equally dispersed among employees. The 1997 twenty highest detailed industry average annual wages in Wyoming employed 13,842 workers (6.4%) who earned 15.0 percent of total wages. Holding offices (SIC 671, FIRE) only had 133 employees in 1997, but they had the highest wages! However, the opposite is true for the 1997 twenty lowest detailed industry average annual wages in Wyoming holding 32,037 jobs (14.8%) earning 5.8 percent of total wages! Eating & drinking places (SIC 581, Retail Trade) had 17,079 employees in 1997--many more employees than the total of the twenty highest wages!

Wages by Region

Geographically, three Wyoming regions exceeded the statewide average annual wage of $23,681 (see Figure 1): Southwest Region with $26,415; Northeast Region with $25,478; and Central Region with $23,942 per year. The Southeast Region with $21,998 and Northwest Region with $21,329 fell below the 1997 Wyoming average annual wage of $23,681. Six other areas exceeded Wyoming’s average annual wage (see Figure 2): Sweetwater County (Southwest Region) with $31,714; Campbell County (Northeast Region) with $30,420; Nonclassified (defined as a geographic area that cannot be identified as one of the primary counties) with $25,695; Converse County (Central Region) with $24,682; Lincoln County (Southwest Region) with $24,270; and Natrona County (Central Region) with $24,130. The lowest average annual wages by county occurred in Niobrara (Southeast Region) with $17,177; Goshen (Southeast Region) with $18,180; Hot Springs (Northwest Region) with $18,343; and Johnson (Northeast Region) with $18,517. All counties and regions experienced average annual wage increases over the 1996-97 time period with the exception of Hot Springs County (Northwest Region).

Employment by Industry

Wyoming is basically a service-producing state (TCPU; Wholesale and Retail Trade; FIRE; Services; State, Local, and Federal Government). Services with 21.5 percent of Wyoming’s workers remained as the largest employment division in Wyoming. Services showed the largest 1996-97 employment gain of 989 jobs (2.2%). Wholesale Trade, the eighth largest employment division (3.6% of Wyoming’s employment) within private industry, showed the fourth largest 1996-97 employment gain of 368 jobs (5.0%). Retail Trade, the second largest employment division (20.7% of Wyoming’s employment), posted an increase of 45 jobs (0.1%). FIRE, the ninth largest industrial division (3.7% of Wyoming’s employment), increased by 227 jobs (2.9%). State Government, the sixth largest division (5.4% of Wyoming’s employment), increased by 98 workers (0.8%). The third largest employment sector, Local Government (15.8% of Wyoming workers), barely gained sixteen workers (0.0%). Employment declined in TCPU (5.1% of Wyoming’s workers) with a loss of twenty jobs (-0.2%). Federal Government (3.3% of Wyoming’s workers) lost 191 jobs (-2.6%).

The goods-producing industries (Construction, Mining, Manufacturing) showed a healthy increase overall in the number of jobs worked. Mining, the fourth largest employment division with 7.8 percent of Wyoming’s workers, increased by 948 jobs (6.0%). Construction, with 6.9 percent of Wyoming’s workers, increased by 818 jobs (5.7%). Manufacturing, with 6.9 percent of Wyoming’s workers, lost 47 jobs (-0.4%).

Employment by Region

The Southwest Region, generating 22.1 percent of Wyoming’s jobs, posted a 551 job (1.2%) gain. Most of the Southwest Region’s increase occurred in Teton (6.5% of Wyoming’s jobs) and Sweetwater (8.8% of the state’s jobs) Counties. Tourism, Construction, Mining and Government play a big part in the Southwest Region.

Natrona County (Central Region) generated 13.6 percent of Wyoming’s jobs. Most of Natrona’s growth was in the service-producing sector, mainly in the Services, Mining, TCPU, Local Government and Wholesale Trade divisions. Services, Retail Trade, Local Government and Wholesale Trade are the largest industrial divisions in Natrona County.

Wyoming’s employment and earnings growth is not distributed evenly geographically or industrially. Employment in Wyoming does not seem to be affected by national economic activity.

Readers can find regional, county and industry changes in Wyoming Labor Force Trends: first quarter 1998, October 1998 issue; second quarter 1998, January 1999 issue; third quarter 1998, April 1999 issue; fourth quarter 1998, July issue; and first quarter 1999, October 1999 issue. So don’t miss them!

Nancy Brennan is an Economist, specializing in Employment Statistics (ES-202) with Research & Planning.

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