Shrinking Labor Force as Wyoming Unemployment Rate Falls

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming's unemployment rate has fallen significantly over the past year but not because more people are getting hired to fill a growing number of jobs.

The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services says the labor force in Wyoming has declined significantly since last summer. The labor force is the number of people who are either working or actively looking for work.

The department reports Tuesday the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Wyoming in July was 4 percent, down from 5.4 percent in July 2016. But the number of nonfarm jobs in Wyoming has remained essentially flat.

What's changed is Wyoming's labor force decreased by more than 7,000 people, or over 2 percent. Economists say people appear to be moving to other states or dropping out of the work force.