Wyoming Jobs Beckon, But Housing Is Scarce

Families Relocate To Get A Toehold In Land Of Opportunity

(CBS)  When the Springers say they're closer than most American families, they're not exaggerating.

They moved from their home to a travel trailer, CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers reports. The trailer has been their home since April, when Kenneth, Joann, and their boys made an 1,300-mile trek from Bakersfield, California to seek their fortunes in the Cowboy State, Wyoming.

"I moved out here wanting to be in a house, you know, wanting to be in an apartment, I didn't care," Joann Springer says.

Like many families, they heard about the coal-powered gold rush happening here. With fewer than a half-million people scattered over 100,000 square miles, Wyoming has 6,000 open jobs, mainly high paying blue collar jobs in the red-hot mining industry.

More than a third of the coal used to generate electricity in this country comes from one Wyoming county, and that number could be higher if the mining companies had more manpower.

Much like the boomtowns of the Wild West, in places like Gillette, jobs are plentiful. It's housing that's scarce. And although recruiters warn it could be 12 to 18 months before they can accommodate the workforce they need, families desperate to gain a toehold in this land of opportunity aren't willing to wait.

"In California, they couldn't guarantee him a job week to week. If the job was there you do it. If it's not, you're laid off," Joann explains.

It was that same fear that drove Zeb Goodrich the 1,400 miles from Michigan to a place where welders like him can make six-figure salaries.

"I could still be in Michigan right now and we probably would just be staying afloat, but there's no sense in staying afloat if you can be moving forward," Zeb says.

Now he, wife Sharon and their two boys say they're building a better life.

"Until you can go through a move like this and you have to depend on each other, you know, it either makes you or breaks you," Sharon says. "And it made us."

That's what the Springers dream of too.

"We're hoping to have a house by next summer," Joann says. "That's my dream and I'm going to shoot for that dream if it's the last thing I do."

Both families travel a road they never imagined under the wide open sky.

[mikegina98]

For more information about Wyoming jobs, as well as programs that might further assist both job seekers and employers, please visit www.wyomingworkforce.org.

[iamraindrop]

I really take offense to the comment of Gillette being ugly. I am a Wyoming native, born and raised. I am from the southern part of the state and I have lived in Sheridan. We have lived in Gillette for 20 years and really there is no where else in the state I would rather live. We raised our sons here and they both have great jobs in the basin. Gillete is a great place to live and if you have never lived here, please keep your negative comments to your self. Most of the people here have come from some where else.

[jmhollander]

I was born and raised in Wyoming. Yes, workers are badly needed in the mines. My father worked in the Oil Business in Wyoming from 1951-1980. Yes, it is a boom or bust state.
What you failed to cover was the quality of living. It is sparcly populated, it is cold, it is not beautiful, it is a high arid step region which is hard on those who choose to live there.
Many can not take it. Yes you can make money, but you will work in horrible conditions. It has on of he highest suiside, alcohol, abuse rates in the country. Yepppers, it is a greaaaat place to be from.

[wildfire98-2009]

To apply for the jobs, do a google search for gillette wyoming job bank or for wyoming job bank. At the Wyoming Job bank site you can look for jobs by region, city or statewide.

[wildfire98-2009]

I live in Buffalo, Wyoming, which is about 67 miles west of Gillette. Gillette is soooooo ugly. That's why no one wants to live there. If you're coming from Michigan (and lots of trees) you will find it difficult to live in Gillette. I cam from Michigan about 10 years ago. I have the Big Horn Mountains out my picture windows and it takes me about 3 minutes to get to the base of the mountains. Life can't get any better than this, but, like I said, I'm not in Gillette!

[mikkilynn1]

How does someone go about applying for any of these jobs? What are the names of the companies that are hiring?

[wyomingtracy]

Yes, Wyoming is a wonderful place to live. We moved here five years ago right before housing became a real issue. The important thing people need to remember about this town is that it is a working town! People don't realize that blue collar towns and families are a hard mix. So if you are considering the move, be sure to MAKE the time for your kids. Otherwise it really begins to show in the schools how kids are raised.

[George855]

Wyoming is one of my favorite places. We lived there for many years, until the oil boom turned to bust. We moved 1,300 miles to Arizona, both found jobs, and have been here ever since. We have seen the housing supply go from up to down in both states.
Now Safford, AZ is just like Gillette, lots of jobs, very few houses. It sounds like Gillette in 1968, and Safford in 1992.
Here we go agin!

[usawatchman]

Wyoming has 6,000 open jobs. (CBS)


those jobs wouldn't be for someone to pick up after those buffalo's

there sure are a lot of piles... in that picture

[sharityb]

I am suprised that you didn't mention that kids who graduate from Wyoming High schools are more than likely to get a scholarship to the University of Wyoming and we have some of the best funded schools in the intermountain west. To top it off we don't have income taxes or sales tax on food. There are a lot of reasons to come to Wyoming, jobs are just one of them. Is Wyoming a great state? Heck, it just gets better and better all the time. Maybe I am just a little partial. It's where I call home.

[bwright923]

lol thats a funny observation

[cantshutup]

Wow! That looks like a place where you could put a kajillion windmills!!!