County Average Wages Up Slightly in 1999
Sublette's average weekly wages are $426.
by Rob Shaul

County wages are up slightly so far in 1999, according to recent statistics from the Wyoming Department of Employment.

According to the October issue of Wyoming Labor Force Trends, the average weekly wage in Sublette County for the first quarter (Jan-Mar) 1999 was $426. This translates into an average annual wage of $22,152. The weekly average is up $5 over the same period in 1998. The statistics encompass all employees covered by unemployment insurance.

Sublette County's average wages are below the statewide average of $469 per week, or $24,388 per year.

In terms of counties, Sublette ranks 13th in the state for wages. Sweetwater County has the highest wages in the state with an average weekly wage of $606, and an average annual salary of $31,512. Niobrara County has the lowest wages in the state, with a weekly average of $341, or just $17,732 per year - almost half of Sweetwater County's average.

Employment is also up in the county. The average monthly employment in the county during the first quarter of 1999 was 1,889, up sixty jobs from 1998 - a 3.3% increase. In August, 1999, Sublette had a paltry unemployment rate of 2.4%.