State of Wyoming Sees Sluggish Job Growth in Q3 2012

State economists say Wyoming’s job market is beginning to weaken.

Officials with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services say Wyoming’s job market grew marginally in the third quarter of 2012. 13 counties in Wyoming saw employment gains, while 10 counties saw employment declines.

Senior economist David Bullard says the state’s employment slowdown is being mirrored by a slowdown in the energy industry.

“At the total level, employment is still growing, but we’re losing jobs in the oil and gas sector,” Bullard said. “The total level of job growth has decreased well below one percent.”

Bullard says the state is still dealing with lingering effects from the 2008 recession.

“We’re still 10,000 jobs below where we were at the peak, and that’s at the statewide level,” Bullard said. “Of course, the situation is different across each of the counties, but Natrona County really comes out on top – here in Natrona County, we have made up all of the job losses.”

Natrona County, Converse County and Carbon County led the state with job growth of three percent or more. Sublette County saw employment slip nearly 14 percent, which was the state’s sharpest decrease.

Overall, employment grew by 1,649 jobs, or 0.6 percent. Average weekly wages fell 0.5 percent.