Counties in Profile: Statewide, page 2

   Chart 3: Total Employment, 1969-1999

Chart 3 highlights employment in Wyoming. Employment is one of the most commonly used measures of the health of an economy. It gives a quick snap shot of the percentage of the population working and whether more or less jobs are available over time. The chart above shows "total employment" which includes both full and part-time jobs. The hump from the mid-1970's to the mid-1980's shows effect of the energy boom years on state wide employment. Overall job growth during the period was 104% or 3.2% annually.

Chart 4: Population, 1969-1999

Chart 4 shows population for the state of Wyoming. The rising columns clearly show the effects of the energy boom from its beginnings in the mid-1970's through its peak in early 1980's to the gradual decline of the late 1980's. If it were possible to "slice off" the hump that was the energy boom, the graph would show a slow but steady increase over the period covered. The population in Wyoming has risen from 329,000 in 1969 to 479,602 in 1999, resulting in a 45% increase. This corresponds to a 1.5% annual growth rate during the period shown.