Local unemployment rate up in January

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Weston County, like several counties in Wyoming, experienced an increase in the unemployment rate from December to January, according to a March 12 report from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Service Research and Planning, before decreasing from January to February. 
“From December to January, most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased. Jobless rates usually increase in January because of seasonal job losses in construction, retail trade, government, transportation & utilities and other sectors,” the report says.
A report dated April 2 states that from January to February, most counties unemployment rates then decreased per their normal season pattern. 
The report notes that unemployment rates decreased in 14 counties, increased slightly in eight and remained unchanged in one county from December to January. According to the April 2 report, 22 Wyoming counties experienced decreases in unemployment rates from January to February while one stayed the same. 
Year to year, the report notes, almost all Wyoming counties showed a drop in unemployment rates from February 2018 to February 2019, “suggesting a tightening in the state’s labor market.” 
The statewide unemployment rate rose from 4.0 percent to 4.5 percent before dropping to 3.8 percent in February. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for the state fell from 4.0 to 3.9 percent in February, .1 percent higher than the seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate. 
According to the report, Weston County was one of the eight counties to experience a higher rate from December to January. Rates increased from 3.1 percent in December to 3.8 in January. 
The size of the labor force in the county increased from 3,711 to 3,729 from December to January, while the employment numbers dropped from 3,595 to 3,589 according to the report. The report notes that the number of unemployed individuals in Weston County increased from 116 to 140 from December to January. 
Still, the numbers for Weston County are lower than they were in January a year ago. Last year, the county’s unemployment rate was at 4.2 percent, with 156 individuals unemployed and the number of employed totaling 3,576. 
However, Weston County’s unemployment rate dropped back down to 3.3 percent in February with 124 individuals unemployed, 3,713 individuals in the labor force and 3,589 individuals employed. 
The March unemployment rate report is scheduled for release on April 23.