Unemployment in Wyoming down for the third month in a row

Unemployment in Wyoming down for the third month in a row
 
CASPER (WNE) — Wyoming’s unemployment rate has fallen for the third month in a row, according to data from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. 
Unemployment across the Cowboy State fell to 4.5% in September from 4.9% in August, the department reported in a Monday news release. It’s also much lower compared to last year’s numbers — in September of 2020, the state unemployment rate was 5.7%. 
David Bullard, a senior economist for the department, attributed the dip to more people dropping out of the workforce. 
The number of employed people is going down, but there hasn’t been much of a change in the number of people looking for jobs, he said. 
He said labor markets in other parts of the country are experiencing the same trend. 
For one, pandemic stimulus payments and unemployment benefits are leading many Americans to delay their job search, Bullard said. 
Meanwhile, with the economy reopening, people are spending more — leaving businesses especially desperate to hire. 
For months now, frustration with stagnant wages has also driven more and more workers away from lower-paid jobs. 
It’s hard to predict what will happen after stimulus payments fade out, Bullard said.
“What happens after that is up in the air,” he said. 
While unemployment rates fell across the Cowboy State, the following three counties reported the biggest dips:  Sweetwater County fell from 4.7% to 3.4%;  Natrona County fell from 5.0% to 3.7%; and  Campbell County fell from 4.6% to 3.4%. 
In September, Natrona County reported the highest unemployment rate in the state, at 3.7%. Campbell, Sweetwater and Sublette counties were tied for the second-highest unemployment, at 3.4%. 
Teton County reported the lowest unemployment, at 1.8%. Crook and Weston counties were tied at 2%.