Wyoming Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 4.9% in January 2013
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services has reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment1 rate was unchanged from December to January at 4.9%. Wyoming’s unemployment rate fell from its January 2012 level of 5.7%, and remained significantly lower than the U.S. unemployment rate (7.9%). Seasonally adjusted employment of Wyoming residents increased by 949 (0.3%) from December to January.
Nearly all county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased from December to January. With colder weather and the end of the holiday season, employment tends to decrease in January in many different sectors, including construction, retail trade, leisure & hospitality, and government. The largest unemployment rate increases occurred in Washakie (up from 4.7% to 6.5%) and Johnson (up from 5.7% to 7.2%) counties. Teton County’s unemployment rate fell from 7.3% to 6.5%. Unemployment often decreases in Teton County in January because of the winter tourist season.
In January, Lincoln County posted the highest unemployment rate (8.1%), followed by Fremont (7.7%) and Johnson (7.2%) counties. The lowest unemployment rates were found in Converse (4.3%), Sublette (4.4%), Niobrara (4.6%), and Albany (4.6%) counties.
Most unemployment rates decreased from January 2012 to January 2013. The largest decreases were seen in Lincoln (down from 9.8% to 8.1%), Laramie (down from 7.7% to 6.4%), and Carbon (down from 7.3% to 6.1%) counties. Unemployment rates increased in Sublette (up from 3.8% to 4.4%) and Crook (up from 5.8% to 6.4%) counties.
Total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (measured by place of work) stood at 279,900 jobs in January 2013, unchanged from a year earlier.
1Seasonal adjustment is 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.
