Jobs are hard to fill

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Weston County’s unemployment rate continues to drop, creating issues for local businesses looking to hire, according to an Oct. 22 report from the Research and Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services and Weston County Health Services CEO Maureen Cadwell. 
Weston County’s unemployment rate for September dropped to 2.7%, the third lowest in the state behind Teton County’s 2% and Niobrara County’s 2.5%, the report says. 
Cadwell said that the low unemployment rate coupled with the employability of those without jobs has  made it difficult to fill vacant positions at the hospital. The result is an increasing reliance on traveling workers, she said. 
“The unemployment rate and employability of those individuals affects us, especially in the nursing home. It is something we have been struggling with for a long time,” Cadwell said. “I wish we could come up with the magic potion.” 
A breakdown of employment in the county shows a current labor force of 3,760 people, with only 100 of those currently unemployed. The number of unemployed people in the county is down by two from last month and 25 from the previous year for the same period. 
“From September 2018 to September 2019, unemployment fell in almost every county. Large decreases were seen in Uinta, Natrona, Weston, Sweetwater, Niobrara, Fremont and Converse Counties,” the report states. 
The year-to-year decline for Weston County is 0.6%; the unemployment rate in September of last year was 3.3%. 
Weston County’s unemployment rate has also been regularly lower that both state and national averages, according to the report. The state and national unemployment rate for September is 3.3%. 
According to Wenlin Liu, chief economist with the State of Wyoming Economic Analysis Division, when unemployment rates remain this low and hold steady, the labor market becomes tight and employers have a harder time accessing qualified, dependent workers. 
“Many businesses in many sectors of the economy are experiencing difficulties hiring skilled workers,” Liu said. “However, it’s interesting that the U.S. civilian labor force participation rate for the 25-to-54-age population even declined over time since the late 1990s.” 
In addition, Liu noted that the wage-growth rate since the economic recovery began in 2010 has been slow, although in recent months strong wage gains are finally showing. He notes that this is probably due to the lasting low unemployment rate in the state. 
Liu said that higher wages are necessary to entice qualified workers in the state to apply for vacant positions. 
October unemployment rates will be released on Nov. 19.