Just the Facts: We’re in a Worker Drought

Wondering how our workforce faired last year compared to years past? Check out these numbers from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on both the United States as a whole and Wyoming itself:

• U.S. Unemployment Rate 2024: 4.1%

• U.S. Unemployment Rate 2019: 3.6%

• U.S. Unemployment Rate 2016: 4.7%

• U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate (Overall) 2024: 62.5%

• U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate (Overall) 2019: 63.3%

• U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate (Overall) 2016: 62.7%

• U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate (Prime Working Age: 25-54) 2024: 83.4%

• U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate (Prime Working Age: 25-54) 2019: 83%

• U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate (Prime Working Age: 25-54) 2016: 81.3%

• U.S. Job Openings 2024: 8.1M

• U.S. Job Openings 2019: 6.9M

• U.S. Job Openings 2016: 6M

• U.S. Ratio of Open Jobs to Number of Unemployed People 2024: 0.85

• U.S. Ratio of Open Jobs to Number of Unemployed People 2019: 0.85

• U.S. Ratio of Open Jobs to Number of Unemployed People 2016: 1.26

• Wyoming had 46 available workers for every 100 open jobs in 2024.

• Wyoming Job Openings 2024: 19,000

• Wyoming Unemployed Workers 2024: 8,739

• Wyoming Labor Force Participation Rate 2024: 64.5

• Wyoming Unemployment Rate 2024: 2.9

• Wyoming Quit Rate 2024: 3.1

• Wyoming Hiring Rate 2024: 4.5