Wyoming 2009 unemployment benefits top $161M (insurance, construction, businesses)

[CptnRn]

Wyoming 2009 unemployment benefits top $161M

The Associated Press: Wyoming 2009 unemployment benefits top $161M

More than 37,300 people lost their jobs in Wyoming in 2009 and collected unemployment insurance during the year, the department reported in the latest issue of its regular publication Labor Force Trends.

The benefits claims increased as Wyoming's unemployment rate in December reached 7.5 percent, more than double the 3.4 percent rate a year earlier.

About two-thirds of all jobs lost in Wyoming last year were in mining and construction. It's the flip side of how those sectors made Wyoming the top state for job growth from 2006 to 2008, said state economist Wenlin Liu.

"Now, when Wyoming's having a recession, it's also driven by these two industries," Liu said Monday.

An additional 4,713 people in mining received unemployment benefits in 2009 compared with 2008, for an increase of 340 percent. Even more people lost their jobs in construction, which accounted for an additional 5,155 people receiving benefits, up 92 percent.

Wyoming entered the recession about a year after everyone else. The state's recovery won't lag a year behind, Liu said, but Wyoming still isn't likely to see a full job recovery for a couple more years.

If unemployment increases were 4,713 people in mining and 5,155 people in construction, then that leaves 27,432 unemployment increases in all other areas. I'm surprised the increases weren't higher in mining and construction. Is that how the trickle down works? For every 1 person laid off in mining or construction you get almost 3 more laid as a result of the decrease in spending and related businesses?

[BennyPhoenix]

Not all those who collected unemployment remained unemployed. Some people who collected unemployment in 2009 lost their jobs in 2008. It is not possible to determine that ratio you mentioned(3 to 1) given the data. Could be higher, could be lower.

[gaduchman]

And, you don't know how many took their comp in another state.

[BennyPhoenix]

Exactly. There are too many unknowns.