Wyoming's Mining sector has played a vital role in the progress of Wyoming's economy in the past. Employment in the Mining sector is expected to decline 8.2 percent by the year 2008. The percentage of Construction employment as a share of total employment increased from 5.5 percent to 7.0 percent during the period from 1990 to 1998, due to the increase in federal expenditures in 1999 for highway construction. By percentages, the Construction and Agriculture sectors gained the most, at 43.0 percent and 42.5 percent respectively, followed by services at 32.9 percent from 1990 to 1998. Depository institution employment lost 572 jobs over the past eight years, and is projected to drop in the future, while employment in other finance sub-sectors is expected to increase.
Manufacturing makes up only a small part of Wyoming's economy.
Unlike the nation, Wyoming's Manufacturing sector is projected to remain stable through the year 2008. Employment in TCPU is forecast to dip to 14,030 in 2001 and continue to decline to approximately 13,810 in 2008. This drop in employment is mainly due to technology replacing labor. Employment growth in the Wholesale Trade sector in 1998 slowed to 1.0 percent after increasing by 4.2 percent in 1997. Employment totaled 7,770 jobs in 1998.