WY Wyoming is not just a campaign, it's a call to action for the future of our state's economy. Wyoming is facing a workforce crisis that transcends industries and threatens the very foundation of our economic stability. From healthcare to energy, construction to technology, our businesses are grappling with a shrinking labor pool. The retirement of the "Baby Boomer" generation, along with global population decline, is accelerating this gap, but Wyoming's challenge goes deeper: we're exporting our future workforce.

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By the time Wyoming's young people reach their 30s, nearly two-thirds have left the state. Leaving us with one of the highest outmigration rates in the nation. This isn't just a demographic issue, it's a threat to Wyoming's economic diversification and long-term resilience. 

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Wyoming's economy has long thrived on resource extraction, however, business as usual in not a viable option. According to a Harvard Growth Lab study, without diversification into non-resource and advanced services, like manufacturing and technology, Wyoming's economy will remain vulnerable. 

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However, diversification requires on critical ingredient Wyoming lacks: a large, skilled workforce. The absence of young adults and families makes it exceedingly difficult to attract and grow industries outside fossil fuels. We can not afford to wait for workers to come to us. We must build Wyoming's workforce from within. 

Why Are Young Adults Leaving?

The Harvard Growth Lab study outlines clear factors driving Wyoming's young adult exodus:

• Housing Mismatch: Wyoming's towns lack dense, centrally located apartments that young adults seek. Over-regulation on lot sizes, building heights, and parking requirements stifles downtown development, limiting affordable housing options and driving up costs. 

• Lack of Urban Amenities: Wyoming students cite restaurants, walkable downtowns, and social spaces as top desired amenities. Sparse foot traffic and restrictive zoning mean our downtowns fall short compared to cities like Fort Collins and Denver. 

• Infrastructure Gaps: Insufficient funding for community assets, like water, sewage, and transportation infrastructure, drives up development costs and limits urban growth. 

• Underutilized Federal Funding: Wyoming receives less federal grant funding per capita than other rural states, largely due to lack of dedicated grant management capacity at the state and local level. 

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The Wyoming Chamber has been doing our own research as well. Based off conversations and polls with Wyoming's young professionals, students, and recent graduates, here's the top reasons they're struggling to find what they need to build a life a career here:

• Job Opportunities Are Hard to Find: Young adults report difficulty finding advertised jobs in Wyoming within industries and fields they're passionate about. Entry-level positions and internships are scarce, and the jobs that do exist, are not visible or accessible to those seeking them. 

• Uncompetitive Wages: Wyoming used to be on of the cheapest states to live in terms of cost of living. However, in recent years our costs have become comparable to neighboring states, but our wages have not. Other states are offering significantly higher pay for similar positions, along with clear pathways for career advancement. 

• No Peer Network: Many young adults lack connections to peers who have chosen to stay and grow their career in Wyoming. Without a visible network, it's harder for them to see a future here. 

• Barriers to Modern Work and Family Life: Wyoming falls behind in critical quality of life infrastructure. Limited access to affordable childcare, healthcare, remote work options, reliable broadband, and transportation (especially air travel) creates friction that drives young adults and families elsewhere. 

• Quality of Place Gap: Beyond Wyoming's natural beauty, young people are looking for vibrant, well-rounded community experiences. They want access to urban amenities like shopping centers, social venues, restaurants, sports teams, amusement parks, museums, etc––amenities that are readily available in the places they're moving to 

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These barriers are not insurmountable, but they require bold, coordinated action.