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Colorado Unemployment Rises in October

Employers in Colorado added 1,400 nonfarm payroll jobs from September to October for a total of 2,659,000 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 4,300 and government decreased 2,900.
According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point from September to October to 2.7 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 10,500 over the month to 3,020,600 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 5,700 to 2,939,300. The larger increase in the labor force than in total employment caused the number of unemployed to increase to 4,800 and the unemployment rate to increase to 2.7 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point in October to 4.1 percent.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 34.2 to 34.0 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $27.23 to $27.96.

The largest over the month private sector job gains were in construction, information, and leisure and hospitality. The largest over the month declines were in education and health services and trade, transportation, and utilities.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 37,800, with an increase of 37,400 in the private sector and an increase of 400 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in professional and business services, trade, transportation, and utilities, and education and health services.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is down four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.1 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 115,500, total employment increased 125,200 and the number of unemployed decreased 9,700. The national unemployment rate declined from 4.8 percent in October 2016 to 4.1 percent in October 2017.

 

October 2017

          

Labor Force

 Employment

 Unemployment

Rate

Colorado

3,021,697

2,941,934

79,763

2.6

Adams

263,390

256,011

7,379

2.8

Alamosa

8,609

8,356

253

2.9

Arapahoe

355,658

346,185

9,473

2.7

Archuleta

6,895

6,707

188

2.7

Baca

2,280

2,243

37

1.6

Bent

2,091

2,034

57

2.7

Boulder

191,135

186,737

4,398

2.3

Broomfield

37,968

37,008

960

2.5

Chaffee

9,277

9,066

211

2.3

Cheyenne

1,233

1,213

20

1.6

Clear Creek

5,883

5,752

131

2.2

Conejos

4,163

4,034

129

3.1

Costilla

1,935

1,879

56

2.9

Crowley

1,499

1,455

44

2.9

Custer

2,036

1,979

57

2.8

Delta

15,073

14,614

459

3.0

Denver

399,424

389,110

10,314

2.6

Dolores

1,204

1,170

34

2.8

Douglas

183,803

179,563

4,240

2.3

Eagle

33,548

32,757

791

2.4

El Paso

327,977

317,961

10,016

3.1

Elbert

14,514

14,170

344

2.4

Fremont

15,216

14,621

595

3.9

Garfield

30,999

30,199

800

2.6

Gilpin

3,618

3,539

79

2.2

Grand

8,784

8,585

199

2.3

Gunnison

10,558

10,359

199

1.9

Hinsdale

489

476

13

2.7

Huerfano

2,573

2,455

118

4.6

Jackson

1,052

1,035

17

1.6

Jefferson

328,783

320,564

8,219

2.5

Kiowa

1,050

1,031

19

1.8

Kit Carson

4,637

4,557

80

1.7

La Plata

32,773

32,064

709

2.2

Lake

4,541

4,438

103

2.3

Larimer

200,998

196,446

4,552

2.3

Las Animas

6,441

6,211

230

3.6

Lincoln

2,482

2,426

56

2.3

Logan

11,539

11,295

244

2.1

Mesa

72,874

70,417

2,457

3.4

Mineral

391

383

8

2.0

Moffat

7,433

7,235

198

2.7

Montezuma

13,699

13,264

435

3.2

Montrose

21,715

21,144

571

2.6

Morgan

16,435

16,073

362

2.2

Otero

8,840

8,527

313

3.5

Ouray

2,300

2,242

58

2.5

Park

9,994

9,764

230

2.3

Phillips

2,895

2,855

40

1.4

Pitkin

10,974

10,591

383

3.5

Prowers

6,604

6,451

153

2.3

Pueblo

75,577

72,583

2,994

4.0

Rio Blanco

2,952

2,849

103

3.5

Rio Grande

5,812

5,622

190

3.3

Routt

14,970

14,604

366

2.4

Saguache

3,496

3,377

119

3.4

San Juan

588

579

9

1.5

San Miguel

5,090

4,964

126

2.5

Sedgwick

1,245

1,219

26

2.1

Summit

20,002

19,562

440

2.2

Teller

12,089

11,731

358

3.0

Washington

3,196

3,137

59

1.8

Weld

160,152

156,301

3,851

2.4

Yuma

6,247

6,154

93

1.5