Wyoming unemployment drops

Wyoming’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 5.3 percent in April to 5.2 percent in May. The state Department of Workforce Services says the number of people employed grew by 927 over the month.

Most county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and decreased. Warmer weather brought seasonal job gains in leisure and hospitality, construction, government, retail trade, and professional and business services.

Teton County posted the highest unemployment rate in the state at 8.7 percent in May. But, Teton County also posted the largest over-the-month decrease in unemployment in Wyoming. The county’s unemployment rate hit 11.4 percent in April.

The next highest rate was Lincoln County at 7.1 percent. That is down 1.2 percent from the same time a year ago.

Wyoming’s unemployment rate of 5.2 percent is considerably lower than its May 2011 level of 6 percent and the current US rate of 8.2 percent.