County unemployment rate drops

Hot Springs County was one of the top three counties in the state to see a significant drop in unemployment in July, dropping from 3.9 percent to 3.3 percent.

Teton County saw a drop from 2.4 percent to 1.9 percent, primarily due to seasonal workers filling open positions in the leisure and hospitality industries. Park County also dropped, going from 3.8 percent to 3.3 percent.

From June to July, most counties followed their normal seasonal pattern and showed lower unemployment rates.

The overall labor force in Wyoming, however, fell by 5,984 from July, 2017 to July, 2018.

The Department of Workforce Services says the decrease in the labor force suggests individuals may be moving to other states to seek work or have simply given up on their job search.

In Hot Springs County specifically, seven more people joined the labor force between June and July this year.

Comparing those numbers from July, 2017 to July, 2018 though, there are 103 fewer people actually looking for jobs in the county.