"Labor Market Information (LMI) is an applied science; it is the systematic collection and analysis of data which describes and predicts the relationship between labor demand and supply." The States' Labor Market Information Review, ICESA, 1995, p. 7.
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.
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.
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%).
Weekly UI Claims Data Table of Contents
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.
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)
Selected quarterly turnover tables and figures for Wyoming.
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
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.
2022Q3 Employment and Wage Tables
Summary Statistics by Industry, 2001Q1-2022Q3
List of STEM occupations and long-term projections for STEM occupations in Wyoming and the U.S., 2020-2030.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
PDF (2.0 MB)
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.
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.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for Wyoming
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.
PDF (2.8 MB)
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
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)
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.
Presentation: PowerPoint | PDF
Published October 5, 2018. Revised December 3, 2018.
Nearly one in four (22.5%) persons working in Wyoming in 2018Q1 commuted from another county or state.
Published December 2018.
The following are some of the specific locations on our website that may have useful information for you as you consider your employment options: