CHEYENNE — Wyoming's labor market showed improvement in the second quarter of 2026, with a moderate decrease in the unemployment rate and increase in job numbers. Private education and health services led employment growth (up 2.5%), while the mining industry continued to decline, losing 2.5% of its workforce. 

"While the state's unemployment rate remains significantly lower than the U.S. average of 4.3%, the state's modest job growth is similar to the national trend," said Dr. Wenlin Liu, chief economist with the Wyoming Division of Economic Analysis.   

Total taxable sales in the state rose by 9.6%, reaching $6.4 billion in the second quarter, marking the second consecutive quarter of year-over-year near double-digit growth. The strong performance was primarily attributed to the mining industry (26.7%) and retail trade services (7.1%). Out of 23 counties, 15 reported increases in taxable sales year-over-year, with Converse County leading at 44.2% growth.  Laramie (20.9%) and Johnson (19.3%) also demonstrated strong expansions. 

"Robust sales in retail trade and/or strong activities in the mining are mostly responsible for these expansions," Dr. Liu continued.  On the other hand, Sweetwater (-11.2%) and Niobrara (-10.6%) showed steepest decreases in comparison to the second quarter of 2025.  

The statewide single-family home price in Wyoming increased 3.2% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to one year ago, while the national average price appreciation accelerated slightly to 2.1%. Single-family building permits for new residential construction decreased by 6.5% to 476, and multi-family units grew by 47% to 97. Despite the slow rise in U.S. housing prices, the market remains overpriced, resulting in one of the slowest existing home sales since the 2008 financial crisis, primarily due to low affordability and economic uncertainty. The combination of overheated valuation and an elevated inventory is exerting downward pressure on prices. However, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has reached its highest level since November 2023. Additionally, rising input costs are increasingly limiting the ability to lower prices. These factors, in turn, hinder affordability and efforts to stimulate demand.

Mineral severance taxes generated in the second quarter were 18.6% higher than the previous year, marking the highest amount since the fourth quarter of 2023. This increase primarily reflects the surging oil prices since March due to the supply restrictions from the military conflict in the Middle East. The state's investment income that was initially distributed to the state general fund reached $666.4 million in the second quarter, denoting the peak amount ever achieved.   

Yellowstone National Park saw 1,545,790 recreational visitations, marking an 1.7% decrease from the previous year. Grand Teton National Park recorded 1,111,046 visits, which reflects a slight growth of 1% percent. The visitation numbers for both national parks were still the second highest for the second quarter. Lodging sales in Teton County rose by 20% compared to the previous year, with the state overall experiencing an 11.1% increase. These trends indicate a strong growth in tourism revenue for Teton and Park counties.