CHEYENNE (WNE) — Employment in Wyoming increased in the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest edition of the Wyoming Economic Summary Report, a quarterly publication that highlights the state’s economic conditions.

Overall, Wyoming recorded approximately 3,100 or 1.1% more payroll jobs in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the prior year. Employment increased in most sectors, led by construction, which grew 3.5% annually in the third quarter.

“Although there was a moderate contraction in oil and gas drilling in Wyoming, the state’s labor market continued to progress in the third quarter of 2024, albeit at a slower rate compared to the past three years,” said Wenlin Liu, chief economist with Wyoming Division of Economic Analysis.

Total taxable sales decreased by 2.7% in the third quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This marks the first time in two consecutive quarters that there has been a year-over-year decline, the first occurrence since the first quarter of 2021.

Benefiting from the second-highest visitation to Yellowstone National Park for the third quarter of 2024, lodging sales in Teton County demonstrated a robust growth of 10.3% from a year ago.

Mineral severance taxes generated in the third quarter was slightly higher than the previous quarter (2%), but was 14.8% lower than the previous year.

Amid a scarcity of homes on the market, U.S. housing prices continued to climb, and the overall housing market is still overpriced. Wyoming’s single-family home prices continue to trend upward (5.9%) in the third quarter compared to a year ago, while the U.S.’s appreciation decelerated to 4.3%.