By Staff 10-24,2017
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged from August to September at 4.0%. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was significantly lower than its year-ago level of 5.1%, and slightly lower than the current U.S. unemployment rate of 4.2%. From September 2016 to September 2017, Wyoming’s labor force (the sum of all employed and unemployed individuals) decreased significantly, falling by 7,668 people, or 2.5%.
From August to September, most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased slightly. It is not unusual for unemployment rates to rise in September as seasonal job losses are seen in leisure & hospitality, retail trade, and professional & business services. The largest unemployment rate increases occurred in Sublette (up from 3.2% to 3.6%), Johnson (up from 3.0% to 3.3%), Teton (up from 1.6% to 1.9%), Lincoln (up from 2.8% to 3.0%), and Park (up from 3.0% to 3.2%) counties. Unemployment rates fell slightly in Platte (down from 3.5% to 3.2%), Goshen (down from 2.8% to 2.5%), and Fremont (down from 4.7% to 4.4%) counties.
From September 2016 to September 2017, unemployment rates fell in almost every county. Teton County’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 1.9%. The largest decreases occurred in Campbell (down from 6.7% to 4.3%), Natrona (down from 6.5% to 4.5%), Converse (down from 5.6% to 3.7%), and Fremont (down from 6.2% to 4.4%) counties.
The highest unemployment rates in September were found in Natrona (4.5%), Fremont (4.4%), and Campbell (4.3%) counties. The lowest unemployment rates were reported in Teton (1.9%), Niobrara (2.3%), Albany (2.5%), and Goshen (2.5%) counties.
Total nonfarm employment (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) fell from 284,100 in September 2016 to 281,800 in September 2017, a decrease of 2,300 jobs (or –0.8%; not a statistically significant change).