Welcome!
Welcome to the newly redesigned Wyoming Labor Market Information website of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services' Research & Planning section.
Research & Planning (R&P) is an exclusively statistical entity within the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services that collects, analyzes, and publishes timely and accurate labor market information (LMI) meeting established statistical standards.
The goal of our website redesign is to provide Wyoming Labor Market Information in a format that is faster, more user-friendly on all devices and accessible to all. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about the redesign and any ideas about ways to improve our website. You can contact us via e-mail to DWS-RESEARCHPLANNING@wyo.gov, by calling us at (307) 473-3807, or via mail to Research & Planning, PO Box 2760, Casper WY 82602.
Attention Wyoming Labor Force Trends Subscribers
Research & Planning has moved to an all-electronic format for Wyoming Labor Force Trends. If you would like to receive Trends electronically but are not currently doing so, please contact R&P Research Supervisor Michael Moore at michael.moore@wyo.gov or (307) 473-3814.
March 2023 (HTML | PDF)
- Wyoming Unemployment Claims Drop to Historic Lows in 2022
- JOLTS Data: Wyoming Has Second
Greatest Hire Rate in U.S.
- Wyoming Unemployment Unchanged at 3.9% in January 2023
- Current Employment Statistics (CES) Estimates and Research & Planning’s
Internal Estimates, January 2022
- Current Employment Statistics Graphs
- State Unemployment Rates (Seasonally Adjusted)
- Wyoming Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
- State Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
- Economic Indicators
- County Unemployment Rates
- Wyoming Normalized Unemployment Insurance Statistics: Initial Claims
- Wyoming Normalized Unemployment Insurance Statistics: Continued Claims
Wyoming Unemployment Falls to 3.8% in February 2023
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 3.9% in January to 3.8% in February. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was slightly higher than the current U.S. rate of 3.6% and higher than its February 2022 level of 3.4%. From January to February, seasonally adjusted employment of Wyoming residents rose by 1,180 people (0.4%) suggesting that people were going back to work.
Total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 276,000 in February 2022 to 283,000 in February 2023, an increase of 7,000 jobs (2.5%).
News Release
Published March 27, 2023.
Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims for Wyoming
Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims for Wyoming by County of Residence, Industry, and Selected Demographics, 2019-2023
Weekly UI Claims Data Table of Contents
Updated March 24, 2023, for the week ending March 18, 2023.
Wyoming Unemployment Insurance Claims Report, February 2023
Initial Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims continued to decline over the year in Wyoming in February 2023. However, the total number of continued weeks claimed increased from prior-year levels for the third time in the last four months. Initial and continued claims remained substantially lower compared to February 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were 1,741 initial claims in February 2023, down 10.0% from February 2022. Initial claims were also down 21.1% compared to February 2020 prior to the pandemic.
The industries with the largest numbers of initial claims included construction; trade, transportation, & utilities; professional & business services; and manufacturing.
There were 13,345 continued weeks claimed in February 2023, up 2.9% over the year. The number of unique claimants increased 0.5% from 4,202 to 4,222. Continued claims were 28.5% lower than the 18,659 in February 2020 prior to the pandemic.
The industries with the most continued weeks claimed included construction; professional & business services; trade, transportation, & utilities; and leisure & hospitality.
January 2023 UI Claims Report
Published March 20, 2023.
Wyoming Short-Term Industry and Occupational Projections, 2022-2024
Wyoming is projected to add nearly 6,000 jobs over the next two years, according to new short-term industry and occupational projections.
2022-2024 Short-Term Industry and Occupational Projections home (HTML)
Full publication (PDF)
Published March 13, 2023.
Wyoming Turnover Data, 1993Q1 to 2022Q2
Selected quarterly turnover tables and figures for Wyoming.
Published February 6, 2023.
Growing and Declining Industries in Wyoming, 2022Q3
Wyoming had 16 growing industries in 2022Q3, which accounted for 21.9% of all industries and 16.2% of the state's total employment. Growing industries included support activities for mining, miscellaneous manufacturing, computer & electronic product manufacturing, motion picture & sound recording industries, and repair & maintenance.
There were nine declining industries in 2022Q3, which made up 12.3% of all industries and 2.1% of the state's total employment. Declining industries included warehousing & storage, private households, pipeline transportation, and petroleum & coal products manufacturing.
Growing and Declining Industries Home | Current Report
Published February 6, 2023.
Wyoming Employment and Payroll: Job Growth in Third Quarter 2022
From third quarter 2021 to third quarter 2022, Wyoming added 5,955 jobs (2.2%) and total payroll rose by $396.7 million (11.3%). Despite the recent job growth, employment has not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels. Total employment in third quarter 2022 was down approximately 6,500 jobs from third quarter 2019.
Quarterly News Release
2022Q3 Employment and Wage Tables
Summary Statistics by Industry, 2001Q1-2022Q3
Published February 3, 2023.
Monthly and Annual Civilian Labor Force Estimates for the State of Wyoming
Updated with Monthly Data and Annual Averages for Wyoming, its 23 Counties, and Selected Metropolotian Statistical Areas and Cities through December 2022
LAUS Table of Contents
Updated January 25, 2022.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Occupations
List of STEM occupations and long-term projections for STEM occupations in Wyoming and the U.S., 2020-2030.
Updated January 6, 2023..
Wyoming Occupational Fatalities Decrease to 27 in 2021
News Release | Tables and Figures | CFOI Main Page
The number of occupational fatalities in Wyoming fell from 35 in 2020 to 27 in 2021 (a decrease of 8 deaths, or 22.9%). Across all industries, more than one-third of 2021 workplace deaths (37.0%) were the result of transportation incidents.
Published December 16, 2021.
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
Wyoming’s nonfatal occupational injury and illness incidence rate for all industries in 2021 was 3.1, according to the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers.
This publication is intended to introduce the reader to the data available for Wyoming from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
Published December 13, 2022.
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) in Wyoming
NEW: Statewide, Regional, County, and MSA Data (estimates for Wyoming wages for May 2021 data updated to the September 2022 ECI Employment Cost Index).
See note about wage updating used to calculate estimates.
Wyoming Wage Survey
Published November 2022.
New Labor Market Information Presentations
Research & Planning provides labor market information presentations to government entities, community groups, educators, training providers, and others free of charge. If you would like to discuss a presentation, please contact R&P Research Supervisor Michael Moore at michael.moore@wyo.gov or (307) 473-3814.
Presentation: Inside the 2022 Wyoming Workforce Annual Report
Presented by Michael Moore, Research Supervisor, of the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, November 2, 2022, Casper, WY
PowerPoint | PDF
Presentation: Labor Market Information for Workforce Centers
Presented by Michael Moore, Research Supervisor, of the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to Wyoming Workforce Center Staff, October 12, 2022, Casper, WY
PowerPoint | PDF
*NEW* Wyoming Long-Term Industry and Occupational Employment Projections, 2020-2030 | HTML
Published July 2022. Revised August 8, 2022.
Welcome to the 2022 edition of the Wyoming Workforce Annual Report, produced by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services in partnership with the Wyoming Workforce Development Council. This report provides an overview of Wyoming’s economy and workforce. Chapters in this report include:
- Wyoming's Labor Market Begins
Recovery in 2021
- Wyoming Shows Employment and
Wage Growth in 2021
- Wyoming Sees Slight Population
Increase from 2020 to 2021
- Labor Force, Unemployment Rate
Decline in 2021
- UI Benefit Recipients, Payments
Drop Substantially in 2021
- Wyoming Job Openings Set a Record
High in 2021
- New Research Focuses on Millennials,
Older Workers
- Wyoming Trails U.S. in Post-Secondary
Education Degrees
- New Short-Term Projections Show Job
Growth for Wyoming
- Wyoming Occupations with the Highest
and Lowest Wages
- Wyoming Employers Add Almost 80,000
New Hires in 2020
- New Research Tracks High School
Seniors into Post-Secondary Education
and the Labor Market
- New Report Looks at COVID-19 Effects
on Wyo Workforce
- Wyoming Occupational Fatalities
Increase to 35 in 2020
- Wyoming’s Nonfatal Occupational Injury
and Illness Incidence Rate for 2020
- Just the Facts
Published June 29, 2022.
In 2020, Wyoming employers added an estimated 79,650 new hires: individuals who, during a particular quarter, started working for an employer he or she had not worked for since at least 1992, the first year for which R&P has wage records.
The New Hires Survey allows R&P to collect rich survey detail not previously available, such as occupation, rate of compensation, benefits, important job skills, employer satisfaction with a new hire’s skills, retention, and more. By linking New Hires Survey data to existing administrative databases, such as Unemployment Insurance Wage Records and Wyoming Department of Transportation driver’s license files, R&P is also able to identify new hires characteristics such as age and gender.
Published June 29, 2022.
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages for Wyoming, 2021 Annual Averages
Table of Contents
Revised May 31, 2022.
Wage Records in Wyoming
Demographics and Earnings of Persons Working in Wyoming by County, Industry, Age, & Gender, 2000-2021
Table of Contents
Revised May 16, 2022.
Monthly Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector
Updated with Monthly Data and Annual Averages for Wyoming, Laramie County, and Natrona County through 2021
CES Table of Contents
Published April 6, 2022.
How the Global Pandemic Affected Wyoming Workers
Using survey data collected through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey (CPS), this new report from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services looks at how the global pandemic impacted workers in Wyoming and the U.S.
Topics covered in this report include:
- The number of individuals who were able to work remotely
- How many people were unable to work
- Whether employees received pay for hours not worked
- If the pandemic prevent individuals from looking for work
- And more
Published March 23, 2022.
A new publication from the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services demonstrates R&P's ability to track Wyoming high school seniors into post-secondary education and the labor market.
The senior cohort for the academic year 2006/07 was used as an example throughout the publication. Key findings showed that 10 years after their senior year:
- 78.7% had attended either college or a university
- 39.8% earned a post-secondary award (certificate or degree)
- 49.2% were found working in Wyoming
Published September 29, 2021.
Directory of Licensed Occupations in Wyoming 2021
The Directory of Licensed Occupations in Wyoming 2019, compiled by the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, provides detailed information about license requirements and related information for the 97 occupations required to have a license by the state of Wyoming. Forty-five licensing boards oversee the administration and enforcement of these licenses.
Requiring practitioners of some occupations to be licensed results in the assurance that these workers have a minimum level of education and competency, and also generally results in higher wages for workers in those occupations compared to those in many unlicensed occupations.
Published June 2021.
PDF (2.0 MB)
NEW! Wyoming Unemployment Insurance Claims by Occupation
Unemployment Insurance Claims Data for Wyoming by Occupation, Educational Requirement, and Gender, 2019-2020
Table of Contents
Published March 26, 2021.
New from R&P: Postsecondary Education Employment Outcomes Interactive Graphics
New postsecondary education employment outcomes data for graduates of Wyoming community colleges and the University of Wyoming are now available online by clicking here.
For more information on how to navigate these interactive Tableau graphics, please see this article in Wyoming Labor Force Trends.
Published November 9, 2020.
Wyoming Youth and Populations with Barriers to Employment:
Supporting Tables and Figures for Wyoming’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Annual Performance Report, FY 2019
This report, prepared by the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, serves as supporting documentation for Wyoming’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Annual Report for Program Year 2019. The primary focus of this report is Wyoming youth, which is defined for these purposes as individuals ages 15-24, and other populations with barriers to employment, such as homeless, English language learners, veterans, and others.
WIOA Report (PDF)
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for Wyoming
Published September 29, 2020.
Wyoming Benefits Survey 2018
The Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services conducts the Wyoming Benefits Survey on a quarterly basis. This survey is designed to collect information about the types of benefits Wyoming employers offer their employees.
This publication examines the prevalence of employer-provided benefits such as medical insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave in Wyoming during third quarter 2018. These benefits are analyzed in several ways: by full- and part-time employment status, employer size class, industry, and by Wyoming substate region.
Published March 2020.
PDF (2.8 MB)
New: Licensed Occupation Dashboards
Includes lookup tools by occupation, printable PDFs for each licensed occupation, links to O*Net detailed descriptions, and comparison of wages for the U.S. and Wyoming.
Wyoming Licensed Occupation Dashboards
Published June 2019.
Related Items
Presentation: Health Care Workforce Needs in Wyoming (PowerPoint)
Presented by Tony Glover, Manager, and Michael Moore, Editor, of the Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to the Wyoming Interim Joint Labor, Health, & Social Services Committee, June 13-14, 2019, Cheyenne, WY
Presentation Handout (PDF)
A Study of the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women in Wyoming:
Update 2018
In 2017, the Wyoming joint labor, health, and social services interim and the joint minerals, business, and economic development interim committees requested the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services complete a study on the state’s gender wage gap (House Bill 0209). This report is an update to a similar report published in 2003.
Report: Update 2018 (PDF)
Appendix Materials (PDF)
Addendum (PDF)
Presentation: PowerPoint | PDF
House Bill 0209, 2017 (PDF)
2003 Report
Published October 5, 2018.
Revised December 3, 2018.
Wyoming Intercounty Commuting Report, 2018Q1
With Longitudinal County Data from 1992 to 2018
Nearly one in four (22.5%) persons working in Wyoming in 2018Q1 commuted from another county or state.
Published December 2018.
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Wyoming at Work