Wyoming's nonmetro economy: tight labor, not weak demand.
3.0%
Wyoming unemployment rate
vs 4.1% US rate; 7th-lowest among states
1.7%–4.0%
County unemployment range
Teton County low vs Niobrara County high
0.2%
Wyoming nonfarm job growth
500 jobs added, Aug 2025–Aug 2026
3.7%
Wyoming average wage growth
vs 3.0% US annual wage growth (Sept 2026)
This Month's Takeaways
01
County-level divergence is the real Wyoming story, not the state average.
Teton County's 1.7% unemployment sits beside Niobrara County's 4.0%, a gap that reflects tourism-driven versus resource-extraction economies more than any single statewide trend. Commerce planners should treat county-level data, not the 3.0% state figure, as the relevant benchmark for local investment decisions.
02
Labor force contraction, not demand softness, is the binding constraint.
Wyoming's labor force shrank by more than 3,000 people between 2024 and 2025 even as job postings in growth sectors continue. Projected gains of roughly 6,000 jobs through 2027 may outpace available local labor supply, a planning risk for any large-scale commercial expansion.
03
Mining's slow retreat is a structural headwind, not a cyclical dip.
Mining employment fell 3.8% in Q1 2026 and is projected to shed another 144 jobs through 2027, consistent with a multi-year pattern rather than a one-quarter anomaly. Communities historically reliant on mining tax revenue and payroll should factor this into long-range fiscal and economic-development planning.
04
Tourism and construction are absorbing the state's growth, unevenly.
Accommodation/food services (+4.6% projected) and construction (+6.0% projected) are the clearest growth engines, but both carry seasonal and project-based volatility that differs sharply from the stability of public-sector or healthcare employment. Local economic development strategy may benefit from distinguishing durable growth from seasonal swings when courting new investment.
Local Economic Conditions
Wyoming's nonmetropolitan counties hold a 3.0% statewide unemployment rate with wide local variation — from 1.7% in Teton County to 3.4%-4.0% in resource-dependent counties like Sweetwater and Niobrara — reflecting a labor market shaped more by sectoral mix than broad weakness. Job growth remains essentially flat statewide (up just 500 positions, or 0.2%, year-over-year through August), with mining continuing a structural contraction while accommodation/food services and construction post the state's strongest projected gains.
Open Threads in the Data
Flat aggregate job growth paired with a historically low unemployment rate signals a labor market constrained by supply — an aging, shrinking workforce — rather than by weak demand, which matters more for site-selection and expansion timing than for day-to-day staffing concerns. Commerce leaders evaluating local investment should weigh that a tight labor pool may slow project ramp-up timelines even where business conditions otherwise favor growth; consider reviewing county-level unemployment and labor-force trends alongside any capital investment or expansion planning rather than relying on statewide averages alone.
Advertised Pay Indicators · WageScape Benchmark 25 Jobs
Job postings data for the WY NONMETROPOLITAN AREA metro — median advertised pay, its recent trend, and the number of active postings behind each figure. Jobs are grouped for readability and are not the same as the 10 sector classifications on the next page. For additional job detail contact WageScape.
Retail Trade
| Retail Sales Associate |
$29,921 |
→ Stable |
1,473 |
| Retail Cashier |
$29,065 |
→ Stable |
889 |
Transportation & Warehousing
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate |
$39,520 |
→ Stable |
420 |
| CDL Truck Driver |
$85,831 |
↑ Moderate increase |
4,001 |
| Delivery Driver |
$31,344 |
→ Stable |
4,287 |
| Warehouse Manager |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Construction
| Construction Laborer |
$40,705 |
→ Stable |
239 |
Construction/Skilled Trades
| Electrician |
$72,194 |
↑ Moderate increase |
689 |
| HVAC Technician |
$69,200 |
↓ Significant decline |
50 |
Manufacturing
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler |
$34,988 |
↓ Significant decline |
80 |
Cross-Sector
| Customer Service Representative |
$35,360 |
↓ Moderate decline |
550 |
| Operations Manager |
$67,212 |
Limited local postings |
2 |
Leisure & Hospitality
| Food Service Worker |
$28,600 |
→ Stable |
141 |
Healthcare
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide |
$41,600 |
↑ Moderate increase |
1,870 |
| Registered Nurse |
$105,876 |
↑ Significant increase |
3,599 |
Admin/Office Support
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk |
$40,435 |
→ Stable |
511 |
Information/Technology
| Software Engineer |
$156,798 |
↑ Moderate increase |
752 |
| Data Engineer |
$125,126 |
↓ Moderate decline |
187 |
Professional & Business Services
| Accountant |
$60,000 |
→ Stable |
246 |
| HR Generalist/Manager |
$64,033 |
→ Stable |
114 |
| Marketing Specialist |
$85,879 |
↑ Significant increase |
51 |
| Business Analyst |
$93,438 |
↓ Moderate decline |
200 |
Finance & Insurance
| Financial Analyst |
$102,865 |
→ Stable |
148 |
Government/Education
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher |
$62,990 |
↑ Moderate increase |
1,228 |
Cross-Sector Sales
| Account Manager |
$100,833 |
↑ Significant increase |
441 |
Industry Snapshot · WY NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
Advertised pay and job-posting trends across the whole metro economy, rolled up by employer industry — not just the bellwether roles above.
| Sector |
Median Pay Change |
Job Postings Change |
| Construction |
↑ +11.4% |
↑ +11.1% |
| Manufacturing |
↑ +25.2% |
↑ +18.8% |
| Retail Trade |
↑ +12.9% |
→ +2.7% |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities |
↓ −4.2% |
↑ +46.5% |
| Information |
↑ +5.8% |
↓ −23.7% |
| Financial Activities |
↑ +4.1% |
↑ +19.4% |
| Professional & Business Services |
↑ +36.6% |
→ +2.7% |
| Education & Health Services |
↑ +18.6% |
→ −2.1% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
↓ −7.7% |
↑ +20.6% |
| Government |
↑ +25.0% |
↓ −23.0% |
Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days
Expected
BLS publishes Wyoming's September 2026 unemployment and employment data October 20-21, following the state's run of unusually low initial UI claims; a continued low-claims pattern would reinforce the tight-labor-supply narrative over any demand-side softening.
Emerging pressure point
Mining's continued contraction in resource-dependent counties (Sweetwater, Campbell) warrants monitoring for its secondary effect on local tax bases and public-sector budgets, which commerce leaders rely on for infrastructure and services planning.
Worth watching
National wage growth has slowed to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, eroding real purchasing power; whether Wyoming's stronger 3.7% average wage gain holds that advantage locally will shape consumer spending capacity across retail and hospitality sectors this fall.
Potential inflection point
Labor force participation trends in nonmetro counties, particularly youth outmigration patterns, will determine whether projected 2025-2027 job growth (roughly 6,000 positions) can actually be absorbed locally or requires in-migration or commuting-shed expansion.
Sources & Methodology
Pay and hiring data provided by WageScape. See every source cited in this report, with links →
Advertised pay reflects the pay ranges employers publish in active job postings in this metro, not survey or payroll data. Pay trends compare the current period with the prior period for the same metro and role. Sector figures group postings by the employer's industry classification; sectors with limited classified postings are marked as such rather than estimated. This briefing is independent of, and complements, official statistics from the BLS and state labor market information offices.
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