Wyoming’s unemployment rate fell by more than 1 percentage point in June, indicating the state is recovering from the economic hardships created by the coronavirus, a state agency announced Tuesday.
The Research and Planning section of the state Department of Workforce Services said Wyoming’s unemployment rate in June was set at 7.6%, compared to 8.8% in May.
“This decrease in unemployment suggests that Wyoming’s economy continues to recover from the sharp contraction seen in April,” the section’s monthly report on unemployment said. “It appears that the lifting of some COVID-19 restrictions and the reopening of businesses have resulted in many individuals returning to work.”
The figures mean that in June, 22,832 of Wyoming’s workers were without jobs, a decline of 2,500 jobless from May figures. However, the number of unemployed in June was more than double the number seen in June of 2019.
Meanwhile, the number of workers with jobs grew by more than 11,000 during from May to total 278,504.The highest unemployment rate, 11%, was found in Natrona County, while Campbell County’s rate was 9.5% in June.
While the unemployment rate in June was lower than the national average of 11.2%, it was still a significant increase from 2019 figures, the report said.
“From June 2019 to June 2020, unemployment rates rose in every county,” it said.
Teton County’s unemployment rate more than quadrupled during the year, from 2.2% to 9.3%, while Natrona County’s almost tripled, from 4.1% in 2019 to 11% in June.
