The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reports that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 5.4 percent in September to 5.2percent in October. This is lower still than the same time last year, and much lower than the current national average of 7.9 percent.
Senior Economist David Bullard says the decrease is not statistically significant, but it does speak to Wyoming’s overall economic health.
“Wyoming’s economy seems to be improving slowly, so it’s not surprising to see unemployment come down a little bit,” says Bullard, “In 22 of our 23 counties, unemployment is lower than it was a year ago. Sublette county is unchanged at the very low level of 2.9 percent, so we’re seeing improvements around the state.”
Bullard says recent data shows non-farm jobs increased nearly 2 percent, putting the state in the top 10 nationwide for non-farm job growth. He cites oil prices as one reason why Wyoming has the fifth-lowest unemployment rate in the nation.