Wyoming’s unemployment rate dropped again in August from the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March, the Department of Workforce Services announced this week.
The state’s unemployment rate was at 6.6% in August, down from 7.1% in July. The jobless rate has decreased in each of the past four months and is currently lower than the United States average rate of 8.4%.
Unemployment rates decreased in August in almost all Wyoming counties.
The largest decreases occurred in Washakie County (from 6.3% to 5.2%), Teton County (from 5.7% to 4.6%), Sweetwater County (down from 8.8% to 7.8%) and Sheridan County (down from 5.2% to 4.2%).
Lincoln County saw a slight rise in its rates, going from 5.4% to 5.7% in August. The smallest increases occurred in Albany County (from 3.1% to 3.3%) and Goshen County (from 3.6% to 4.3%).
Compared to August 2019, unemployment rates were up in every county, but the largest increases compared to one year ago were in Natrona County (from 3.7% to 9.4%), Sweetwater County (from 3.4% to 7.8%), Converse County (from 2.4% to 6.4%) and Campbell County (from 4.3% to 8.2%).
Natrona County had the highest unemployment rate in the state in August at 9.4%.
Other high unemployment rates in Wyoming were in Campbell County (8.2%), Sweetwater County (7.8%) and Uinta County (7.3%).
The lowest unemployment rates in Wyoming were seen in Albany County (3.3%) and Weston, Niobrara and Crook counties, all at 3.9%.
Total non-farm employment in Wyoming decreased from 297,000 in August 2019 to 277,200 this year, a decline of 20,700 or 6.9%.
