Staff reports
The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported Monday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 3.7% in March to 3.5% in April. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was higher than its April 2022 level of 3.2% and slightly higher than the current U.S. unemployment rate of 3.4%. Seasonally adjusted employment of Wyoming residents rose by 1,376 individuals (0.5%) from March to April as people went back to work.
Fremont County’s jobless rate fell from 4.9 percent in March to 3.5 percent in April. Hot Springs County’s unemployment rate fell from 3.9 percent to 3.9 percent. According to the report, the number of workers without jobs in Fremont County fell from 955 to 744. In Hot Springs County the drop was 90 to 67 jobless.
From March to April, most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and decreased. Jobless rates often fall in April as warmer weather brings seasonal job gains in construction, professional & business services, and other sectors. The largest unemployment rate decreases occurred in Washakie (down from 5.7% to 3.9% with the jobless number dropping from 224 to 151), Big Horn (down from 4.8% to 3.6%), and Sweetwater (down from 5.0% to 3.8%) counties. Teton County’s unemployment rate rose from 2.7% in March to 3.9% in April as the ski season ended.
From April 2022 to April 2023, unemployment rates rose modestly in 11 counties, fell in nine counties, and remained unchanged in three counties. The largest increases were seen in Niobrara (up from 2.0% to 2.8%) and Goshen (up from 2.4% to 2.8%) counties. Unemployment rates fell in Weston (down from 2.8% to 2.2%), Converse (down from 3.1% to 2.6%), and Teton (down from 4.4% to 3.9%) counties.
Weston County, at 2.2%, had the lowest unemployment rate in April. It was followed by Albany, Converse, and Crook counties, each at 2.6%. The highest unemployment rates were found in Sublette, Teton, and Washakie counties, each at 3.9%.
Total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 279,400 in April 2022 to 285,300 in April 2023, an increase of 5,900 jobs (2.1%).
