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Wyoming Unemployment Rises

Wyoming’s unemployment rate rose 0.4 percent in July. It’s a statistically significant jump, but Tom Gallagher, with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, said this rise in unemployment could actually indicate positive growth for the economy, and may not mean people are losing their jobs.

People who have stopped actively looking for work are not counted in unemployment statistics. Gallagher said a spike in unemployment rates could mean those workers have started up their job searches again.

"People are gaining greater confidence in the market and they’re willing to start looking for work again and that seems to be the greater driver in this case," he said.

As more of these workers re-enter the workforce, Gallagher said Wyoming’s unemployment rate could continue to rise.

"I can imagine that the unemployment rate is going to move up a little bit, but for the reasons of the positives and not because people are losing their jobs."

The Bureau of Labor statistics showed 30 states’ unemployment rates rose in July. Wyoming’s point 4 increase is one of the highest.

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