The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported today that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged from August to September at 3.0%. Wyoming’s unemployment rate was lower than its year-ago level of 3.4% and much lower than the current U.S. rate of 4.2%.
From August to September, most county unemployment rates changed very little. Modest increases were seen in Uinta (up from 2.7% to 3.0%) and Converse (up from 2.4% to 2.6%) counties. Unemployment rates fell in Weston (down from 2.9% to 2.6%), Platte (down from 3.5% to 3.3%), Niobrara (down from 4.0% to 3.8%), Hot Springs (down from 2.9% to 2.7%), Fremont (down from 3.4% to 3.2%), and Crook (down from 2.4% to 2.2%) counties.
From September 2025 to September 2026, unemployment rates fell in most counties. The largest decreases occurred in Goshen (down from 3.1% to 2.7%) and Big Horn (down from 3.6% to 3.2%) counties. Slight increases were seen in Johnson (up from 2.2% to 2.4%), Niobrara (up from 3.6% to 3.8%), and Teton (up from 1.6% to 1.8%) counties.
In September, the highest unemployment rates were reported in Niobrara County at 3.8%, Sweetwater County at 3.4%, and Platte County at 3.3%. The lowest rates were found in Teton County at 1.8%, Crook County at 2.2%, and Albany County at 2.2%.
Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates show that total nonfarm employment in Wyoming (not seasonally adjusted and measured by place of work) rose from 298,400 in September 2025 to 299,700 in September 2026, an increase of 1,300 jobs, or 0.4%.
October unemployment data will be published on November 23, 2026.
Wyoming Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Labor Force Estimates
Change
Month Year
September-26 August-26 September-25 absolute percent absolute percent
Total Civilian Labor Force 284,967 284,982 287,963 -15 0.0% -2,996 -1.0%
Employed 276,363 276,478 278,232 -115 0.0% -1,869 -0.7%
Unemployed 8,604 8,504 9,731 100 1.2% -1,127 -11.6%
Unemployment Rate 3.0 3.0 3.4
| Definitions: | |
| Employed | All persons who, during the reference week, did any work at all as paid employees, worked in their own business, profession, or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family business. |
| Unemployed | All persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. |
| Labor Force | All persons who meet the criteria given above as either employed or unemployed. |
| Unemployment Rate | The number of unemployed as a percent of the labor force. |
| Seasonal Adjustment | A statistical procedure to remove the impact of normal regularly recurring events (such as weather, major holidays, and the opening and closing of schools) from economic time series to better understand changes in economic conditions from month to month. |
Not seasonally adjusted data reflect the actual economic conditions in a given area for a given time period. These data show the normal seasonal changes that occur in the economy. Most county unemployment rates are higher in the winter months because of seasonal job losses in construction, leisure & hospitality, and many other sectors. Similarly, most county unemployment rates are lower in the summer months as employment increases across the economy. Data users should use caution when comparing not seasonally adjusted data for different months, as at least part of the difference between months may reflect normal seasonal patterns.
In contrast, seasonally adjusted data have been subjected to a statistical procedure to remove the effects of normal changes that occur in the economy each year, such as seasonal hiring in the construction sector, the opening and closing of schools, and holiday hiring by retail trade establishments. There is no expectation that seasonally adjusted unemployment rates will be higher or lower in any particular month, except as the economy expands or contracts. The value of seasonally adjusted data is that it is easy to identify longer-term trends in the data and valid comparisons can be made between any two months in the series.
Research & Planning works in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop and publish unemployment rates for each county in Wyoming. However, these data are not seasonally adjusted and therefore reflect seasonal changes each month.
Table 1: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment
rates ranked from lowest to highest for September 2026
County Rate*
Teton County, WY 1.8
Albany County, WY 2.2
Crook County, WY 2.2
Johnson County, WY 2.4
Lincoln County, WY 2.4
Sheridan County, WY 2.5
Sublette County, WY 2.5
Converse County, WY 2.6
Park County, WY 2.6
Weston County, WY 2.6
Campbell County, WY 2.7
Goshen County, WY 2.7
Hot Springs County, WY 2.7
Wyoming 2.7
Carbon County, WY 2.9
Natrona County, WY 2.9
Washakie County, WY 2.9
Laramie County, WY 3.0
Uinta County, WY 3.0
Big Horn County, WY 3.2
Fremont County, WY 3.2
Platte County, WY 3.3
Sweetwater County, WY 3.4
Niobrara County, WY 3.8
*preliminary
Table 2: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-month
rate changes ranked from lowest to highest September 2026
Month ago Over-the-Month
County Rate Rate* Rate Change
Weston County, WY 2.9 2.6 -0.3
Crook County, WY 2.4 2.2 -0.2
Fremont County, WY 3.4 3.2 -0.2
Hot Springs County, WY 2.9 2.7 -0.2
Niobrara County, WY 4.0 3.8 -0.2
Platte County, WY 3.5 3.3 -0.2
Carbon County, WY 3.0 2.9 -0.1
Goshen County, WY 2.8 2.7 -0.1
Park County, WY 2.7 2.6 -0.1
Sublette County, WY 2.6 2.5 -0.1
Washakie County, WY 3.0 2.9 -0.1
Albany County, WY 2.2 2.2 0.0
Big Horn County, WY 3.2 3.2 0.0
Campbell County, WY 2.7 2.7 0.0
Johnson County, WY 2.4 2.4 0.0
Lincoln County, WY 2.4 2.4 0.0
Sheridan County, WY 2.5 2.5 0.0
Sweetwater County, WY 3.4 3.4 0.0
Teton County, WY 1.8 1.8 0.0
Wyoming 2.7 2.7 0.0
Laramie County, WY 2.9 3.0 0.1
Natrona County, WY 2.8 2.9 0.1
Converse County, WY 2.4 2.6 0.2
Uinta County, WY 2.7 3.0 0.3
*preliminary
Table 3: Wyoming counties not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates over-the-year
changes ranked from lowest to highest for September 2026
Year ago Over-the-Year
County Rate Rate* Rate Change
Big Horn County, WY 3.6 3.2 -0.4
Goshen County, WY 3.1 2.7 -0.4
Hot Springs County, WY 3.0 2.7 -0.3
Platte County, WY 3.6 3.3 -0.3
Carbon County, WY 3.1 2.9 -0.2
Converse County, WY 2.8 2.6 -0.2
Fremont County, WY 3.4 3.2 -0.2
Park County, WY 2.8 2.6 -0.2
Sheridan County, WY 2.7 2.5 -0.2
Sublette County, WY 2.7 2.5 -0.2
Uinta County, WY 3.2 3.0 -0.2
Washakie County, WY 3.1 2.9 -0.2
Albany County, WY 2.3 2.2 -0.1
Campbell County, WY 2.8 2.7 -0.1
Crook County, WY 2.3 2.2 -0.1
Natrona County, WY 3.0 2.9 -0.1
Weston County, WY 2.7 2.6 -0.1
Wyoming 2.8 2.7 -0.1
Laramie County, WY 3.0 3.0 0.0
Lincoln County, WY 2.4 2.4 0.0
Sweetwater County, WY 3.4 3.4 0.0
Johnson County, WY 2.2 2.4 0.2
Niobrara County, WY 3.6 3.8 0.2
Teton County, WY 1.6 1.8 0.2
*preliminary
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Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Research & Planning October 21, 2026 Contacts: David Bullard, Senior Economist, 307-473-3810 Carola Cowan, BLS Programs Supervisor, 307-473-3804 |