Job growth poor

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
As compared with the first quarter of 2019, job growth in several counties, including Weston, was stagnant at best, even before the COVID-19 pandemic closed businesses across the state, according to the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Research and Planning’s report on employment and payroll for the first quarter of 2020. 
“Job growth weakened considerably in first quarter 2020, mostly because of large job losses in the mining sector (including oil and gas),” the report states. “Even before the pandemic struck Wyoming, the state was experiencing very slow job growth.” 
Statewide, 270 jobs, or 0.01%, were added when comparing 2019 to 2020. When comparing the same two time periods, payroll increased 0.08%, or $25.8 million. 
While Weston County didn’t see a decrease like Carbon (-0.9%), Goshen (-2.9%), Fremont (-0.2%), Johnson (2.9%), Niobrara (-4.2%), Sublette (-3.7%), Platte (-6.3%), Sweetwater (-4.3%) and Uinta (-1.8%) counties, there was no growth either, as far as employment is concerned. 
Weston County did experience increases in both the total wage (3.5%) and average weekly wage (3.4%) between the first quarter of 2019 and the same period in 2020.  This equates to a $821,077 increase in total wages, bringing the amount earned in the first quarter to $24,544,159. The average weekly wage in Weston County increased by $27, to $815. 
Statewide, total wages were up 0.8%, or $26,832,651, and the average weekly wage was up 0.7%, or $6. People employed in Wyoming earned $3,339,862,647 during the first quarter of 2020, averaging $955 a week. 
Preliminary findings for the second quarter of 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, show widespread job losses across the state. 
The report states that approximately 26,840 jobs were lost between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2020, while total payroll fell 6.4%. 
“The largest job losses occurred in leisure and hospitality (approximately 10,420 jobs), mining (including oil and gas, approximately 4,550 jobs), local government (including public schools and colleges, approximately 3,100 jobs), construction (approximately 1,750 jobs), retail trade (approximately 1,400 jobs), and professional and businesses services (approximately 1,270 jobs),” the report states. “Smaller job losses were seen in health care and social assistance (approximately 980 jobs), other services (approximately 790 jobs), wholesale trade (approximately 710 jobs), and manufacturing (approximately 600 jobs).”