Wyoming’s unemployment rate continued to fall in August, but the decline was due more to people leaving the job force than getting jobs, according to a state agency.
The Research and Planning Division, a part of the Department of Workforce Services, said in its monthly unemployment report that Wyoming’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August fell to 4.9% from the July figure of 5.2%. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate takes annual developments, such as the opening or closing of tourism season, into account.
“Available data suggests that the August decrease in unemployment was related to individuals dropping out of the labor force,” the report said.
The division said Wyoming’s labor force declined by almost 2,000 in August from July to total 294,925.
The August seasonally adjusted rate was below the national average of 5.2% and a significant decline from the figure seen in August 2020, 6.2%.
The state’s unadjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.7% in August, compared to 4.4% in July and 5.9% in August 2020.
The department said the unadjusted unemployment rate in August followed seasonal trends, with Sweetwater County posting the largest decline for unemployment, falling from 5.8% in July to 4.7%.
Natrona County had the state’s highest unemployment rate in August, 5%, while the lowest rate, 2.4% was found in Teton County.
