Natrona County Unemployment Rate Higher Than State-Wide Average
The Casper Economic Indicator Report was released for the month of September, and it details various unemployment rates for Casper, Wyoming, and beyond.
To determine the Casper Economic Health Index, the State of Wyoming's Economic Analysis Division combines four state-level economic indicators into one average, in order to sum up current economic conditions for the state.
These four indicators are: the monthly unemployment rate, monthly total non-farm employment, monthly sales and use tax collections from the mining sector, and monthly sales and use tax collections from lodging.
Based on these indicators, the Casper Economic Health Index reported an index value of 101.9 in September of 2021, which is higher than September of last year, but still lower than the September 2019 value.
Additionally, the report noted that the unemployment rate for Natrona County in September 2021 was 3.7% lower than the September 2020 unemployment rate, but it's still higher than the state-wide rate for September.
The report states that the total number of non-farm payroll jobs numbered 37,000 in September, which was higher than the total a year ago by 500 jobs, or 1.4%.
The Economic Indicator Report noted that housing prices in Casper continue to rise, with the median home sales price in Natrona County up 8.7% in September of this year, compared to last. It was stated that 31 of the last 37 months have seen year-over-year increases in median home prices.
Finally, Natrona County's collection of the 4% sales and use tax through the first nine months of 2021 (January-September) was up 8.6% comparted to the previous 5-year-average over the same time period.
To see more of the report, visit this link.