Oil stays above $60/barrel but Wyoming rig count flat, down 4,100 jobs compared with 2020 By Brendan LaChance on May 10, 2021
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CASPER, Wyo. While the price of oil stayed above $60 per barrel and the price of natural gas increased in April, Wyoming’s rig count has remained flat for the past few months, according to the Wyoming Insight: April 2021 released by the Wyoming Economic Analysis Division on Monday.
There were 7,500 oil and gas jobs in Wyoming in March, which is 4,100 less than there were in March 2020, according to the report. There were six active oil rigs in April and one conventional gas rig, according to the report.
Jackson Holeâs cost of living is putting up a roadblock for Teton County nonprofits that provide senior care, shelter for teens in crisis and subsidized mental health care, among other services.
âOur budget is . almost entirely salaries and benefits,â Patti Boyd, executive director of the Childrenâs Learning Center, told the Jackson Town Council and Teton County Board of County Commissioners during a day of budget meetings Thursday. âWhen we canât keep up with even the hourly rate that places like our new grocery store or our upcoming REI store can offer people, weâre in danger of losing really good people.â
The dispatch center that responds to 911 calls in Teton County is close to being fully staffed at the start of budget season.
But the high cost of living in and around Jackson Hole may mean itâs not yet out of the woods.
Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told the Teton County Board of County Commissioners and Jackson Town Council as much during an all-day series of budget meetings Wednesday.
He said his department was budgeting to fully staff the center for the âfirst time.â Thatâs a significant step in the recent history of the dispatch operation, which serves the Teton County Sheriffâs Office, Jackson Police Department, Teton County Search and Rescue, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, the National Elk Refuge and occasionally Grand Teton National Park.