The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased modestly from 3.2% in October to 3.3% in November. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was higher than its November 2023 level of 2.9%, but much lower than the current U.S. rate of 4.2%.
From October to November, most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased. Unemployment rates typically rise in November because of seasonal layoffs in leisure & hospitality and other sectors. The largest unemployment rate increases were found in Teton (up from 2.6% to 4.4%), Sublette (up from 3.5% to 4.5%), Park (up from 2.7% to 3.6%), and Hot Springs (up from 2.7% to 3.4%) counties. Niobrara County was the only area in the state where unemployment did not increase. Its unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.6%.
In November 2024, unemployment rates rose from their year-ago levels in every county around the state. The largest increases occurred in Sublette (up from 3.1% to 4.5%), Teton (up from 3.2% to 4.4%), Carbon (up from 2.6% to 3.7%), and Platte (up from 2.5% to 3.6%) counties.
The highest unemployment rates in November were found in Western Wyoming. Sublette County’s rate was 4.5%, Teton County’s rate was 4.4%, and Uinta County’s rate was 4.0%. The lowest unemployment rates were reported in Niobrara and Converse counties, each at 2.6%.
Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates show that total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 291,400 in November 2023 to 295,100 in November 2024, an increase of 3,700 jobs (1.3%).
December unemployment data will be published on January 29, 2025.
Wyoming Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Labor Force Estimates
Change
Month Year
November-24 October-24 November-23 absolute percent absolute percent
Total Civilian Labor Force 295,705 295,526 294,849 179 0.1% 856 0.3%
Employed 285,807 286,008 286,399 -201 -0.1% -592 -0.2%
Unemployed 9,898 9,518 8,450 380 4.0% 1,448 17.1%
Unemployment Rate 3.3 3.2 2.9
| Definitions: | |
| Employed | All persons who, during the reference week, did any work at all as paid employees, worked in their own business, profession, or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family business. |
| Unemployed | All persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. |
| Labor Force | All persons who meet the criteria given above as either employed or unemployed. |
| Unemployment Rate | The number of unemployed as a percent of the labor force. |
| Seasonal Adjustment | 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 to better understand changes in economic conditions from month to month. |
Not seasonally adjusted data reflect the actual economic conditions in a given area for a given time period. These data show the normal seasonal changes that occur in the economy. Most county unemployment rates are higher in the winter months because of seasonal job losses in construction, leisure & hospitality, and many other sectors. Similarly, most county unemployment rates are lower in the summer months as employment increases across the economy. Data users should use caution when comparing not seasonally adjusted data for different months, as at least part of the difference between months may reflect normal seasonal patterns.
In contrast, seasonally adjusted data have been subjected to a statistical procedure to remove the effects of normal changes that occur in the economy each year, such as seasonal hiring in the construction sector, the opening and closing of schools, and holiday hiring by retail trade establishments. There is no expectation that seasonally adjusted unemployment rates will be higher or lower in any particular month, except as the economy expands or contracts. The value of seasonally adjusted data is that it is easy to identify longer-term trends in the data and valid comparisons can be made between any two months in the series.
Research & Planning works in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop and publish unemployment rates for each county in Wyoming. However, these data are not seasonally adjusted and therefore reflect seasonal changes each month.
Table 1: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment
rates ranked from lowest to highest for November 2024
County Rate*
Converse County, WY 2.6
Niobrara County, WY 2.6
Crook County, WY 2.8
Weston County, WY 2.8
Albany County, WY 2.9
Campbell County, WY 3.2
Sheridan County, WY 3.2
Johnson County, WY 3.3
Lincoln County, WY 3.3
Goshen County, WY 3.4
Hot Springs County, WY 3.4
Laramie County, WY 3.5
Washakie County, WY 3.5
Wyoming 3.5
Park County, WY 3.6
Platte County, WY 3.6
Carbon County, WY 3.7
Natrona County, WY 3.7
Sweetwater County, WY 3.7
Big Horn County, WY 3.8
Fremont County, WY 3.8
Uinta County, WY 4.0
Teton County, WY 4.4
Sublette County, WY 4.5
*preliminary
Table 2: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-month rate
changes ranked from lowest to highest for November 2024
Month ago Over-the-Month
County rate Rate* Rate Change
Niobrara County, WY 2.6 2.6 0.0
Converse County, WY 2.4 2.6 0.2
Campbell County, WY 2.9 3.2 0.3
Laramie County, WY 3.2 3.5 0.3
Sweetwater County, WY 3.4 3.7 0.3
Washakie County, WY 3.2 3.5 0.3
Weston County, WY 2.5 2.8 0.3
Big Horn County, WY 3.4 3.8 0.4
Fremont County, WY 3.4 3.8 0.4
Natrona County, WY 3.3 3.7 0.4
Sheridan County, WY 2.8 3.2 0.4
Albany County, WY 2.4 2.9 0.5
Carbon County, WY 3.2 3.7 0.5
Crook County, WY 2.3 2.8 0.5
Goshen County, WY 2.9 3.4 0.5
Johnson County, WY 2.8 3.3 0.5
Platte County, WY 3.1 3.6 0.5
Wyoming 3.0 3.5 0.5
Lincoln County, WY 2.7 3.3 0.6
Uinta County, WY 3.4 4.0 0.6
Hot Springs County, WY 2.7 3.4 0.7
Park County, WY 2.7 3.6 0.9
Sublette County, WY 3.5 4.5 1.0
Teton County, WY 2.6 4.4 1.8
*preliminary
Table 3: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-year
changes ranked from lowest to highest for November 2024
Year ago Over-the-Year
County Rate Rate* Rate Change
Niobrara County, WY 2.2 2.6 0.4
Albany County, WY 2.4 2.9 0.5
Converse County, WY 2.1 2.6 0.5
Lincoln County, WY 2.8 3.3 0.5
Big Horn County, WY 3.1 3.8 0.7
Campbell County, WY 2.5 3.2 0.7
Crook County, WY 2.1 2.8 0.7
Johnson County, WY 2.6 3.3 0.7
Hot Springs County, WY 2.6 3.4 0.8
Laramie County, WY 2.7 3.5 0.8
Park County, WY 2.8 3.6 0.8
Washakie County, WY 2.7 3.5 0.8
Weston County, WY 2.0 2.8 0.8
Wyoming 2.7 3.5 0.8
Goshen County, WY 2.5 3.4 0.9
Natrona County, WY 2.8 3.7 0.9
Sheridan County, WY 2.3 3.2 0.9
Sweetwater County, WY 2.8 3.7 0.9
Fremont County, WY 2.8 3.8 1.0
Uinta County, WY 3.0 4.0 1.0
Carbon County, WY 2.6 3.7 1.1
Platte County, WY 2.5 3.6 1.1
Teton County, WY 3.2 4.4 1.2
Sublette County, WY 3.1 4.5 1.4
*preliminary
|
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Research & Planning December 23, 2024 Contacts: David Bullard, Senior Economist, 307-473-3810 Michael Moore, Research Supervisor, 307-473-3814 |