Wyoming Workforce Projected 28,000 Jobs by 2034
The state expects growth to rebound after total employment experienced a decline in 2025.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Employment
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The Wyoming Workforce Annual Report projects the addition of 28,000 new jobs across the state between 2024 and 2034. This forecast follows a difficult year in 2025 that saw a decrease in total employment.
Why it matters
Understanding these projections helps residents gauge the state's long-term economic trajectory after recent downturns. The growth outlook relies on historical labor trends and the balancing of new positions against workforce exits.
The state forecasts a 9.9% job growth rate over the next decade, including nearly 4,000 new healthcare positions. Additionally, officials expect 8,300 total openings for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers through 2034.
The players
Wyoming Workforce
This state body tracks employment trends and provides the official labor forecasts used for economic planning.
The details
Job growth in construction is expected to be fueled by temporary projects like wind farms and pipelines, while healthcare remains a steady expansion area. The state's previous employment challenges were exacerbated by an out-migration of millennials after the 2015-2016 energy price decline.
Timeline
Q4 2008 saw mining sector employment reach a historical peak.
The year 2012 marked when baby boomers first became eligible for retirement.
Between 2015 and 2016, an economic downturn triggered millennial out-migration.
Total employment in Wyoming dropped during 2025.
Projections for the 28,000 new jobs cover the 2024-2034 period.
Macro View
The state's labor market continues to grapple with long-term demographic shifts that began when baby boomers started retiring in 2012. These projections reflect a recovery cycle that mirrors previous efforts to diversify the economy following commodity-driven downturns.
The projected demand for truck drivers and healthcare workers suggests that job seekers should look toward these sectors for the most stable long-term opportunities. Residents should be aware that federal employment in the state recently decreased by 260 jobs, signaling a shift in government hiring.
The takeaway
The state is looking to balance its historical reliance on mining with new growth in healthcare and logistics. Workers should prioritize training in fields like trucking and healthcare where the highest volume of future openings is expected.
Further reading
For more information on the labor market, see Wyoming Employment.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wyoming Public Media.
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