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# Wyoming Adds 400 Payroll Jobs as Labor Force Contracts
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-wyoming-2026-09-18-a/
- Published: 2026-09-19T03:26:28.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T03:26:28.000Z
- Description: Wyoming added an estimated 400 payroll jobs in August, led by leisure and hospitality, while the unemployment rate held at 3.0%. The resident labor force and employment both declined, highlighting a mixed report.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Wyoming

Wyoming employers added an estimated 400 payroll jobs in August, but the state’s resident labor force and number of employed residents both declined. The unemployment rate held at 3.0%, preserving a low headline rate while pointing to a smaller pool of available workers.

Total nonfarm employment rose from 295,300 in July to 295,700 in August, according to [federal payroll data](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) released Friday. The state had approximately 2,300 more payroll jobs than in August 2025, an increase of about 0.8%.

Leisure and hospitality provided the largest monthly gain, adding an estimated 600 jobs. Government payrolls increased by about 300, while construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities, and professional and business services each added roughly 100 jobs. Financial activities were unchanged.

Education and health services lost an estimated 500 jobs during the month, more than offsetting several of the smaller sector gains. Compared with August 2025, leisure and hospitality added about 1,700 positions and construction gained approximately 1,600, while government employment was down roughly 400 and trade, transportation and utilities declined by about 300.

The household survey was less favorable. Wyoming’s civilian labor force decreased by 227 people from July to 284,980, while the number classified as unemployed fell by 137 to 8,506, the [state labor-force table](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t01.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) shows. Estimated resident employment therefore declined by about 90 to 276,474.

The August unemployment rate matched July’s 3.0% and was below the 3.3% rate recorded one year earlier. The [monthly federal series](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WYUR?ref=theamericanquorum.com) shows Wyoming’s rate has remained below the national level throughout 2026\. August’s national unemployment rate was 4.1%.

Over the year, however, Wyoming’s labor force contracted by roughly 2,800 people and resident employment declined by approximately 1,800\. The number of unemployed residents fell by about 1,000\. That combination means the lower unemployment rate partly reflects fewer people participating in the labor market, not solely an increase in employment.

The payroll and household estimates answer different questions. Payroll figures count jobs located at Wyoming establishments and can count one worker more than once. Household figures count employed Wyoming residents, including self-employed people. Monthly estimates are preliminary and may be revised as additional information becomes available.

The [national release](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) found unemployment rates were statistically unchanged in 42 states during August, including Wyoming, even when the published percentage moved numerically. Payroll employment increased significantly in only four states and was essentially unchanged in Wyoming and 45 other states.

For state officials and employers, the key issue is whether payroll growth can continue without a larger resident workforce. Wyoming’s August figures suggest businesses added a modest number of positions, but the state did not add people to fill the broader labor pool. The next monthly report will show whether hospitality and construction gains continue and whether resident employment begins to recover.