Hospitality Jobs

Depending upon where you look and who you ask, a good case can be made for a bad situation -- that the U.S. economy is slipping into a recession.Happily, the same can't be said for Wyoming.In January, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in nearly three decades at 2.7 percent, according to figures released Tuesday by the Wyoming Department of Employment, Research and Planning Section.It was the second lowest rate in the nation, trailing only South Dakota at 2.6 percent, and at its lowest point since June 1979 when Wyoming's unemployment rate stood at 2.6 percent.At the same time, the state had a job growth rate of 3 percent when compared to year-earlier figures, while the U.S. job growth slowed to only 0.7 percent. The state added 8,300 jobs when compared to January 2007."It looks like we're number one in January," said senior economist David Bullard. For all of 2007, the annual average job growth rate in the state was 3.9 percent, behind only Utah at 4.0 percent."Overall, the economy's growing here, where nationally it's pretty flat," Bullard said."The other good thing I see, with the weak dollar, it's going to bring in more tourists from other countries," he added.Other states in the West have been less fortunate than Wyoming. Bullard noted that formerly rapid job growth in Nevada and Arizona slowed in 2007 to 1 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.Wyoming job growth in January was led by the construction sector, which added 2,000 jobs, and transportation and utilities with 1,200 additional jobs.More modest gains were posted in leisure and hospitality (800 jobs), retail trade (700 jobs), education and health services (700 jobs), wholesale trade (600 jobs), natural resources and mining (600 jobs), and government (600 jobs).The information sector lost 100 jobs and manufacturing remained unchanged.Between December and January, employment fell by 6,500, which was consistent with normal seasonal patterns.The highest unemployment rates were recorded in Big Horn (5.8 percent), Platte (5.4 percent) and Fremont (5.3 percent) counties.