CHEYENNE - Buoyed by an increase in jobs, Wyoming was the seventh-fastest-growing state in population in 2008, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The state's total resident population reached 532,668 in July, an increase of more than 9,400 people, or 1.8 percent.

This represented a slightly slower rate of growth from last year's level of 2.1 percent. Even so, it was still the state's second-fastest growth since 1982.

Amy Bittner, an economist with the Economic Analysis Division of the Wyoming Department of Administration and Fiscal Control, said Monday the 1.8 percent "still is pretty strong," and is larger than the agency's prediction of between 1.0 and 1.5 percent.

Last year Wyoming posted the nation's ninth-fastest-growing population.

This year only two states - Utah (2.5 percent) and Arizona (2.3 percent) - experienced more than 2 percent growth between 2007 and 2008. They were followed by Texas, North Carolina and Colorado, with 2 percent each, and Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada, each at 1.8 percent.

Bittner said Utah, like Wyoming, has had pretty strong employment growth. In 2007 Utah was No. 1 in employment growth, while Wyoming was second.

"The reason Wyoming has had such strong population growth these last couple of years is because of the job growth," Bittner said.

In 2006, Wyoming job growth was 5.1 percent, the top in the nation. In 2007, Wyoming job growth was 3.9 percent, just behind Utah.

The state's 2008 job growth of about 2.9 percent still is the fastest in the nation, generating about 8,800 jobs.

"That's why people move to an area, because there are job opportunities in those areas with mineral extraction and high-paying jobs. So people go where the opportunities are," Bittner said.

The estimated net migration is reflected in the state's increase in births - 7,900, or 26 percent more than in 2000, the report said.

"People who tend to move are those who are seeking employment opportunities and also tend to be younger workers," Bittner said. "They're moving to the state, and they're either bringing their families with them or they're starting families here."

Another factor in Wyoming's growth probably is the national economic recession.

"As long as Wyoming's economy continues to be strong, we may see some positive numbers population-wise because people might come to Wyoming," Bittner said.

If Wyoming's economy stays strong, she said, the state should continue to see job and population growth and a low unemployment rate into 2009.

Natural resources and the mining sector demonstrated the fastest increase in employment with 6.4 percent, or 1,770 jobs, the report said.

Government added 2,070 jobs, or 3.2 percent, over the year. Only the manufacturing and information industrial super sectors failed to record annual job growth during the third quarter of 2008.

"Despite the slowdown in residential building, commercial construction and public projects in the state have been continuing at a strong pace," an Economic Analysis Division report said.

The limitations of Wyoming's poor industrial diversity, however, may become apparent over the long run, the report added, because the state possesses few growth drivers other than the natural resources and energy sectors.

Wyoming's population is still the smallest among the 50 states.

Contact capital bureau reporter Joan Barron at joan.barron@trib.com or by phone at 307-632-1244.