The number of youths ages 18-20 in Wyoming’s workforce has declined by 22% over the last decade, according to the Research & Planning (R&P) section of the Wyoming Department of  Workforce Services. Despite recent growth in the economy, “overall employment remained approximately 2,250 jobs (0.1%) below its first quarter 2008 level. In short, the state has yet to make up all the job losses of 2009 and 2010.”

From 2004-Q1 until 2014-Q1, the number of youths ages 18-20 working in Wyoming dropped from 17,846 to 13,817, a decline of 4,029, or 22%/. The peak quarter for hiring workers ages 18-20 in the last decade was in the 2005-Q2 with 11,708 young people hired in the state. In 2010-Q1 the number of young people hired fell to 3,749.

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