Wonders and Woes in the West

Wyoming’s state motto is “Equal Rights.”  This state was the first state in which the suffragists secured women’s right to vote and hold public office.

When good news happens in Wyoming, one can’t help but wonder if perhaps the pressure to maintain equal opportunities for men and women has something to do with it.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that urban areas in Western states have some of the largest figures of unemployment, many figuring above 15%.

Between 2009 and 2010, the numbers of unemployment in the West grew significantly.

El Centro, California, again recorded the highest unemployment rate, 28.3 percent, followed by Yuma, Arizona, 23.2 percent.  Yuma, Arizona, also registered the largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase (+4.4 percentage points).  No other area had an increase of 2.0 percentage points or more.

In Casper, Wyoming, however, more people were working in 2010 than in 2009, by a pretty significant change in percentage.

Does it have to do with equal rights or something else?  Recruiters would do well to keep their minds open as they analyze factors impacting the economy.