Wyoming Unemployment Continued Multi-Month Decline in June 2022
Written by Andrew-Rossi on July 26, 2022
Once again, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reports the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues to decline after the pandemic peak.
On Monday, July 25, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Service released the unemployment numbers for June 2022. Wyoming’s unemployment rate peaked at 8.6% in May 2020 and has been gradually falling since then.
In June 2022, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 3.2% in May to 3.1% in June. Not much of a decline, but a decline nonetheless.
The U.S. unemployment rate stood at 3.6% in June and has remained at that level since March. As a result, unemployment in Wyoming has been lower than the U.S. each month of 2022.
From May to June, most county unemployment rates followed their regular seasonal pattern and rose slightly. Unemployment rates sometimes increase in June as young people get out of school and start looking for work. The most significant increases occurred in:
- Lincoln (up from 2.9% to 3.7%)
- Albany (up from 2.5% to 3.1%)
- Goshen (up from 2.3% to 2.9%)
- Sweetwater (up from 3.6% to 4.2%), and Uinta (up from 3.3% to 3.9%) counties.
Courtesy Unsplash & Ernie Journeys
From June 2021 to June 2022, unemployment rates fell in every Wyoming county.
Large decreases were seen in Natrona (down from 6.7% to 4.0%), Converse (down from 5.4% to 2.9%), Campbell (down from 6.1% to 3.6%), and Sublette (down from 6.2% to 3.8%) counties. Unemployment rates were unusually high in 2021 because of the pandemic, and recent decreases reflect a return to more normal levels.
Teton County’s unemployment rate fell from 3.3% to 2.2% as employers hired for the summer tourist season.
Sweetwater County, at 4.2%, posted the highest unemployment rate in June. Natrona County followed it at 4.0% and Uinta County at 3.9%. The lowest unemployment rates were found in Teton County and Niobrara County (2.2%). The next lowest rates were reported in Weston County at 2.5% and Crook County at 2.6%.
Park County’s unemployment rate in June was 2.9%. It’s precisely the same level as it was last month but considerably lower than June 2021 (4.1%)
Total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 285,600 in June 2021 to 291,800 in June 2022, an increase of 6,200 jobs (2.2%). However, employment was unusually low in 2021 because of economic disruptions related to the pandemic.
Research & Planning has scheduled the July unemployment news release for August 22, 2022.
