Wages continue to climb
Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
Given the current tight labor market both statewide and in Weston County (third-lowest in the state), business owners have no choice but to increase wages to recruit needed workers, which is reflected in the strong growth in the average wage, according to Wenlin Liu, chief economist with the State of Wyoming Economic Analysis Division.
“However, Wyoming has a larger proportion of baby boomers and many of them are retiring and leaving the labor market,” Liu said. “In addition, many of the state’s young population continue to choose to leave or are attracted by other states with bigger metros due to the overall nationwide tight labor market.”
Liu said that this could potentially add to the issues with Wyoming’s labor force down the road.
When comparing the fourth quarter of 2017 with the fourth quarter of 2018, in a Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Research and Planning report dated Aug. 16, Weston County saw an increase in employment of 4.3%, or 97 employees. Wages in the county increased by 11.5%, or $2,639,763, while the average weekly wage increased by 6.9%, or $54.
The report is based on employer’s quarterly insurance tax filings, and it provides details about statewide and local job growth and decline by industry and county.
“It looks like nearly all job growths occurred in mining and lodging sectors in the year-over-year comparison, and the average weekly wage for these two sectors also experienced a double-digit growth,” Liu said.
A breakdown of Weston County statistics by sector shows mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction increasing by 33.5%, or 51 employees. Overall, wages in the sector increased by 51.8%, or $1,047,313, with average weekly wages increasing by 13.7%, or $141.
Accommodation and food services, including lodging, show an increase in employees of 27.8%, or 45 employees. Wages in this sector increased 36.3%, or by $172,383 overall, with the average weekly wage increasing by $15, or 6.6%.
More specifically, according to the report, accommodation (lodging) jobs saw an increase of 135.5%, or 44 employees. The increase in accommodation wages increased by 181.8%, or $181,878, with the average weekly wage increasing by $30, or 11.2%.
The private sector in Weston County overall increased by 6.7%, or 96 employees, with a total wage increase of 13.2%, or $1,917,443, and an average weekly wage increase of 6.1% or $48.
Both federal and local government jobs experienced a decrease in the number of employees within the sector with a loss of 5.2%, or 3 employees, in the federal sector and a loss of 1.4%, or 2 employees, in the local government sector.
Despite the decrease in the number of employees, federal sector jobs experienced an overall increase in pay of 26.3%, or $162,994, with an average weekly wage increase of $308, or 33.2%.
Local government jobs, however, experienced a decrease in overall wages by 0.4%, or $7,459, while the average weekly wage increased by 1%, or $10.
Statewide, all areas within the report experienced increases between the fourth quarter of 2017 and the fourth quarter of 2018.
“Employment rose by 4,463 jobs (1.7%) and total payroll increased by $201.6 million (6.2%),” the report states. “Nearly half of the employment growth occurred in the construction sector, which added 2,190 jobs (11.2%).”
Job gains within the state were also seen in the professional and business services sector, mining and gas, health care and social assistance, manufacturing and transportation and warehousing. Job losses statewide occurred in local government, retail trade and information.
“Employment grew in 17 counties and declined in six counties,” the report says. “Total payroll increased in 20 counties and decreased in three counties.”
Preliminary data of the first quarter of 2019 compared with the first quarter 2018 show that employment rose by 5,300 jobs (2%) and total payroll grew by $181 million (5.8%).
County-level employment and wages data for the same time period will be released on Nov. 8.