Jobs keep growing

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Jobs and salaries in Weston County continued to grow in the first quarter of 2018, compared with the previous year, according to a Nov. 8 report from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Research and Planning. 
“This report, which focuses on employment and wage growth between first quarter 2018 and first quarter 2019, provides details by industry and county,” the report says. 
According to the report, employment grew in 16 of the 21 counties (with Weston County being one of them), declined in five counties and remained unchanged in two. The total payroll rose in 20 counties and fell in only three. 
Weston County experienced an increase in average monthly employment, total wages and average weekly wages. 
The figures show that jobs in the county increased by 3.1%, or by 67, from the first quarter of 2018 to the same period in 2019, during the same time, total wages increased by 8.2% or $1,758,297 and the average weekly wage for employees increased by 5% or $38. 
The average monthly employment in Weston County for the first quarter of 2019 was 2,263, with a majority of those jobs being held in the private sector. A breakdown of employment for the county shows 1,456 private sector jobs during the first quarter of 2019, up by 5.5%, or 76, from the first quarter of 2018. 
The largest increases in the private sector occurred in the mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction field, with 34 employees (21%); support activities for mining, with 49 employees (42.3%); accommodation and food services, with 40 employees (27.8%); and in the construction industry, with 26 employees (23.9%). 
The number of employed declined in the same time period in several areas, including transportation and warehousing, with a loss of 19 (13.8%) and healthcare and social assistance, with a loss of 21 (9.6%). 
Federal government employment remained unchanged, while state government employment increased by two, or 1.4%, and local government employment dropped by 11 employees, or 1.8%. 
A breakdown of wages shows the mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction industry seeing an increase of 25.9%, or $511,44, in total wages, while support activities for mining saw an increase in overall wages of 70.7%, or $839,079. The average weekly wages in both sectors also increased by 4.1%, or $38, and 20%, or $156, respectively. 
Following the same trend as the mining sectors, construction also experienced an increase of 29.5% or $325,188 in overall wages, as did accommodation and food services with an increase of 28.3%, or $108,366. 
As expected, transportation and warehousing saw a decrease in overall wages by 27.6%, or $443,747, and the healthcare and social assistance sector saw a decrease of 2.4%, or $34,438. 
Federal jobs also experienced a decrease in overall wages, although federal employment numbers did not change. The overall average wage decline per month was 4.8%, or $32,713. 
Both state and local government overall wages increased at 1.1%, or $19,273, and 4%, or $225,882, respectively. 
Preliminary data for the second quarter of 2019 compared with the same time in 2018 shows employment and total payroll growing statewide, with the largest job gains occurring in the construction and professional business and service sectors. County level employment and wages data for the second quarter of 2019 is scheduled for release on Feb. 7, 2020.