Teton County bears the worst of April unemployment

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI/KIDK)-Wyoming’s unemployment rate rose from 3.8% in March to 9.2% in April, according to the Research and Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.

State officials said the increase was not unexpected, due to the number of layoffs and economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Job losses were seen in all sectors of the state and every industry, but the hardest hit sectors were leisure and hospitality, natural resources and mining, and retail trade. 

The largest increases occurred in Teton County, where unemployment rates jumped from 3.6% to 18.3% over the month.