Unemployment increases drastically in February

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Despite experiencing a 0.7% increase from January to February, Weston County  retained one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state during February,  according to the March 29 report from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Research and Planning Division.  
“From January to February, unemployment rates increased in 15 counties, remained unchanged in three, and decreased in five counties,” the report states. 
With a 4.6% unemployment rate in February, Weston County had the second-largest increase in rate of those 15 counties month over month, up from 3.9%. Johnson County, up from 6.0% to 6.7%, had the largest increase. 
The only counties with an unemployment rate lower than Weston County’s was Albany County at 4.5%, Crook County at 4.5% and Teton County at 4.4%. The highest unemployment rates were found in Natrona, 8.9%; Sublette, 8.8%; and Sweetwater counties at 7.6%. 
Year-over-year, Weston County’s unemployment rate climbed 1% from February 2020 to February 2021. This trend is similar to what took place in almost every other county in Wyoming, with only Washakie County having a lower unemployment rate than a year ago. 
The statewide unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate, specifically when comparing seasonally adjusted totals. Wyoming currently has a 5.3% seasonally adjusted rate compared with the 6.2% unemployment rate of the country as a whole. 
Seasonal adjustment, according to the report, is a statistical procedure to remove the impact of normal regularly recurring events, such as weather, major holidays and the opening and closing of schools, from economic time series to better understand the changes in economic conditions from month to month.