Big Horn Country leads Wyoming in unemployment rate

Big Horn County has the unfortunate lead in unemployment compared to other Wyoming counties. According to Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS), Big Horn County’s unemployment rate has drastically climbed since last year, putting the county at the highest rate of unemployment for June 2025.

As of June 2025 the unemployment rate is sitting at a high rate of 4.7%, nearly a full point higher than the rate of 3.8 percent in June 2024. It is also higher than May of 2025’s 3.9%, making it one of the highest jumps of Wyoming counties from month to month.

The current U.S. unemployment rate is 4.1%, showing Big Horn County well above the national unemployment rate.

The county jobless rate is well above Wyoming’s 3.3% seasonably adjusted rate for June 2025.

The unemployed number for Big Horn County is 245 out of 5,165 in the workforce for June of 2025. Compared to last year’s 204 unemployed out of 5,342 workers, the unemployment is sitting pretty high. Just from May 2025, the unemployment number jumped from 195 to 245.

The current employment number for June 2025 is 4,920, just 218 less than June 2024. Although numbers are drastically changing, the employment workforce has 85 more people than last month, going from 4,835 (May 2025) to 4,920 (June 2025). Even with the strong jump there from month to month, the current number is well below June 2024’s employment number of 5,138.

Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) stated that “Unemployment rates often rise in June as young people get out of school and start searching for work.”

Although Big Horn County’s unemployment rate rose significantly, DWS stated that unemployment rates rose in every county from June 2024 to June 2025, “suggesting that the supply of labor has increased compared to a year ago.” Big Horn County did not have the highest increase from year to year but did fall in the top tier, right below Goshen from 3% to 41.1% and Niobrara from 2.7% to 3.7%.

Already stated as the highest unemployment rate for June 2025, below Big Horn County was Fremont County at 4.4%, Carbon, Sweetwater and Platte at 4.3% and Goshen and Uinta at 4.1%. The lowest rates were found in Teton County at 2.3%, Crook at 2.7% and Johnson at 3%. 

Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates that total nonfarm employment rose from 301,100 in June 2024 to 305,400 in June 2025 in Wyoming. That is an increase of 4,300 jobs (1.4%). 

DWS will release July unemployment data on August 26,2025.