employment

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted seemingly every sector of the global economy. And those impacts are continuing to make their mark on the national and Wyoming economies. Wyoming Public Radio’s Hugh Cook asked Wenlin Liu of the state’s Department of Administration and Information's Economic Analysis Division how the Cowboy state is holding up after COVID.

The problem is a nationwide trend that's impacting fire departments and their ability to serve communities. Campbell County is one of the few counties that pays part-time firefighters and is tasked with covering approximately 5,000 square miles. Currently, there are 32 full-time firefighters and 56 part-time ones.

Throughout the Mountain West, Colorado and Arizona already have paid sick leave and Nevada has a broader paid leave law.

Wyoming’s economic health continues to slowly improve after the height of the pandemic.

Wyoming’s economic health continues to slowly improve after the height of the pandemic.

The state’s new economic summary report shows that while some industries have recovered, the 56-hundred mining industry job losses have not been replaced.

The King Soopers strike is emblematic of a broader labor movement sweeping the country, and parts of the Mountain West, as workers walk out for better pay and benefits or unionize to harness their collective power.

Due to the regular boom and bust cycles in the state and Wyoming's continued struggle to attract and retain younger workers—the never-ending discussion on the need to diversify the state economy continues. During the recent Governor's Business Forum hosted by the Wyoming Business Alliance, some had hope about the future. Wyoming Public Radio's Bob Beck has more.

Nurses are receiving a pay raise to make salaries more competitive with other health care providers.

Educators are exhausted these days. Schools in the Mountain West are dealing with extreme staff shortages that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.