Jobs in 2018: How Did Your County Do?

by Wyoming Liberty Group Staff

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is slightly behind in releasing state and county level employment data. We will have state-level numbers for January on March 11 and the February numbers on March 22.

We can also look forward to the county-level numbers for the third and fourth quarters of 2018.

In the meantime, here is a refresher of the jobs trends at the county level as of the first six months last year. Starting with the private sector, employment grew for all of the six months in eight of the 19 counties for which there is consistent data. In two counties, employment grew five of the six months:

On the government side, the trend was clearly in the opposite direction. Of the 18 counties for which data is consistently available, only two saw straight six months of employment growth. Nine counties experienced six months straight of decline in government employment:

Curiously, Albany County seems reluctant to report state government employment figures to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since they are home to the University of Wyoming, it is crucial that they do report their numbers. We will have to take a separate look at them.

The diverging trends in private and government employment in the first half of 2018 was the result of a slow recovery in the state's economy. That recovery, unfortunately, was brought to a grinding halt in the fall. Therefore, we should expect less optimistic numbers for the third and fourth quarters, when they are released in the next few weeks. The statewide data due out March 11 and March 22, covering January and February of this year, will give us a good hint of what we can expect at the county level.