Employment picture rosy

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Jobs and salaries in Weston County continued to grow through the second quarter of 2018, according to a Feb. 8 report from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Research and Planning. 
“This report, which focuses on changes in the number of jobs between second quarter 2017 and second quarter 2018, is based on employers’ quarterly unemployment insurance tax filings,” the report says.
“It provides details on job growth and decline by industry and county.” 
According to the report, employment grew in 15 counties, Weston being one of them, declined in 7 counties and was unchanged in Washakie. The total payroll for employees rose in 20 counties and fell in only 3. 
Weston County experienced an increase in average monthly employment, total wages and average weekly wages. 
The report states that jobs in the county increased by 2.7 percent, or 61 jobs from the second quarter of 2017 to the same period in 2018. Total wages increased by 7.5 percent or $1,668,905, and the average weekly wage grew by 4.6 percent or $35. 
“Weston County saw total wages reach $24,046,385 and the average weekly wage rose to $806,” the report says. 
A more detailed report, breaking down individual sectors in Weston County shows that employment in private business rose by 4.3 percent, while local government jobs increased by 0.4 percent. Federal jobs declined by 0.6 percent, and state government jobs declined by 1.1 percent. 
The most significant changes  occurred in mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction – a 40.1 percent increase, or 53 jobs added. Support activities for mining had a 65.1 percent increase, or 57 jobs added. Administrative and waste services employment grew by 63.4 percent, or 9 employees.
The biggest decline, according to the report, occurred in real estate, rental and leasing, with a decrease of 4 employees, or 30.6 percent. 
Total wages and average weekly wages all saw increases across all four ownership sectors. The largest of these increases, occurred in the federal government sector with a total wage increase of 13.1 percent, or $84,768, with the average weekly wages growing by 13.8 percent, or $125. 
As far as actual dollars goes, the private sector saw a total wage increase of $1,248,161, or 9.5 percent, and an average weekly wage increase of 5.1 percent, or $36. State government total wages grew by $100,635, or 5.8 percent, and weekly wages grew by $63, or 7 percent. Local government total wages grew by $235,341, or 3.4 percent, and weekly wages grew by $26, or 2.9 percent. 
The steady increase in average income and weekly pay for all employees, according to the state agency, carries over into additional good news in the unemployment rate. 
“When compared to a year earlier, most county unemployment rates fell slightly or remained unchanged,” according to the agency’s Jan. 22 report. “The largest decreases were seen in Weston (down from 3.8 percent to 3.0 percent, Converse (down from 4.0 percent to 3.2 percent), Natrona (down from 5.0 percent to 4.3 percent, and Fremont (down from 5.2 percent to 4.7 percent) counties.” 
As of December 2018, Weston County continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, with only Niobrara and Goshen County having lower rates at 2.4 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively. 
Wyoming’s unemployment as a whole is slightly higher than the national rate of 3.9 percent, although it remained unchanged from November to December at 4.1 percent. 
Unemployment rates for January will be released in a March 12 report, while third-quarter employment and wages data will be released on May 10.