Colorado’s March unemployment rate drops to 3.5 percent
Employers in Colorado added 6,100 nonfarm payroll jobs from February to March for a total of 2,755,300 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 5,300 and government increased 800. February estimates were revised down to 2,749,200, and the over the month change from January to February was an increase of 300 rather than the originally estimated increase of 700.
According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage point from February to March to 3.5 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 800 over the month to 3,139,700 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 5,400 to 3,029,100, causing the number of unemployed to decrease 4,600 and the unemployment rate to decline to 3.5 percent. The national unemployment rate was unchanged over the same period at 3.8 percent.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 33.5 to 32.6 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $28.39 to $30.27.
The largest over the month private sector job gains were in professional and business services and educational and health services. The largest over the month decline was in leisure and hospitality.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 45,100, with an increase of 42,000 in the private sector and an increase of 3,100 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in professional and business services, educational and health services, and trade, transportation, and utilities. Financial activities declined over the year.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is up six-tenths of a percentage point from 2.9 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 76,000, total employment increased 54,700 and the number of unemployed increased 21,300. The national unemployment rate declined from 4.0 percent in March 2018 to 3.8 percent in March 2019.
Not Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force | ||||
| March 2019 | |||
| Labor Force | Employment | Unemployment | Rate |
Colorado | 3,123,718 | 3,029,720 | 93,998 | 3.0 |
Counties |
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Adams | 271,897 | 262,863 | 9,034 | 3.3 |
Alamosa | 8,268 | 7,906 | 362 | 4.4 |
Arapahoe | 365,810 | 355,332 | 10,478 | 2.9 |
Archuleta | 6,802 | 6,545 | 257 | 3.8 |
Baca | 2,032 | 1,991 | 41 | 2.0 |
Bent | 1,838 | 1,778 | 60 | 3.3 |
Boulder | 198,372 | 193,422 | 4,950 | 2.5 |
Broomfield | 40,115 | 39,077 | 1,038 | 2.6 |
Chaffee | 9,462 | 9,209 | 253 | 2.7 |
Cheyenne | 1,021 | 1,003 | 18 | 1.8 |
Clear Creek | 6,115 | 5,957 | 158 | 2.6 |
Conejos | 3,907 | 3,715 | 192 | 4.9 |
Costilla | 1,837 | 1,749 | 88 | 4.8 |
Crowley | 1,504 | 1,434 | 70 | 4.7 |
Custer | 2,010 | 1,945 | 65 | 3.2 |
Delta | 14,313 | 13,706 | 607 | 4.2 |
Denver | 416,808 | 404,507 | 12,301 | 3.0 |
Dolores | 1,120 | 1,075 | 45 | 4.0 |
Douglas | 192,818 | 187,919 | 4,899 | 2.5 |
Eagle | 38,691 | 37,858 | 833 | 2.2 |
El Paso | 340,687 | 328,502 | 12,185 | 3.6 |
Elbert | 14,799 | 14,443 | 356 | 2.4 |
Fremont | 15,024 | 14,248 | 776 | 5.2 |
Garfield | 33,438 | 32,371 | 1,067 | 3.2 |
Gilpin | 3,778 | 3,682 | 96 | 2.5 |
Grand | 10,414 | 10,188 | 226 | 2.2 |
Gunnison | 11,153 | 10,888 | 265 | 2.4 |
Hinsdale | 373 | 360 | 13 | 3.5 |
Huerfano | 2,470 | 2,285 | 185 | 7.5 |
Jackson | 923 | 899 | 24 | 2.6 |
Jefferson | 337,338 | 328,049 | 9,289 | 2.8 |
Kiowa | 844 | 829 | 15 | 1.8 |
Kit Carson | 4,061 | 3,986 | 75 | 1.8 |
La Plata | 31,494 | 30,507 | 987 | 3.1 |
Lake | 5,224 | 5,102 | 122 | 2.3 |
Larimer | 205,042 | 199,741 | 5,301 | 2.6 |
Las Animas | 6,546 | 6,257 | 289 | 4.4 |
Lincoln | 2,414 | 2,349 | 65 | 2.7 |
Logan | 10,825 | 10,533 | 292 | 2.7 |
Mesa | 77,074 | 74,169 | 2,905 | 3.8 |
Mineral | 605 | 594 | 11 | 1.8 |
Moffat | 7,651 | 7,316 | 335 | 4.4 |
Montezuma | 13,005 | 12,269 | 736 | 5.7 |
Montrose | 21,641 | 20,784 | 857 | 4.0 |
Morgan | 15,970 | 15,493 | 477 | 3.0 |
Otero | 8,294 | 7,909 | 385 | 4.6 |
Ouray | 2,264 | 2,189 | 75 | 3.3 |
Park | 10,971 | 10,656 | 315 | 2.9 |
Phillips | 2,363 | 2,322 | 41 | 1.7 |
Pitkin | 11,577 | 11,322 | 255 | 2.2 |
Prowers | 5,850 | 5,679 | 171 | 2.9 |
Pueblo | 75,932 | 72,536 | 3,396 | 4.5 |
Rio Blanco | 2,716 | 2,586 | 130 | 4.8 |
Rio Grande | 5,194 | 4,946 | 248 | 4.8 |
Routt | 17,091 | 16,717 | 374 | 2.2 |
Saguache | 3,366 | 3,223 | 143 | 4.2 |
San Juan | 455 | 434 | 21 | 4.6 |
San Miguel | 5,973 | 5,856 | 117 | 2.0 |
Sedgwick | 1,166 | 1,140 | 26 | 2.2 |
Summit | 24,637 | 24,247 | 390 | 1.6 |
Teller | 12,853 | 12,418 | 435 | 3.4 |
Washington | 3,032 | 2,974 | 58 | 1.9 |
Weld | 166,728 | 162,109 | 4,619 | 2.8 |
Yuma | 5,728 | 5,624 | 104 | 1.8 |
COLORADO | |||||
Preliminary Estimates for March 2019 | |||||
LABOR FORCE DATA | |||||
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: | Change from last: | ||||
Mar-19 | Feb-19 | Mar-18 | Month | Year | |
Total Civilian Labor Force | 3,139.7 | 3,138.9 | 3,063.7 | 0.8 | 76.0 |
Unemployment | 110.6 | 115.2 | 89.3 | -4.6 | 21.3 |
Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.9 | -0.2 | 0.6 |
Employment | 3,029.1 | 3,023.7 | 2,974.4 | 5.4 | 54.7 |
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UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY: | Change from last: | ||||
Mar-19 | Feb-19 | Mar-18 | Month | Year | |
Total Civilian Labor Force | 3,123.7 | 3,132.6 | 3,056.8 | -8.9 | 66.9 |
Unemployment | 94.0 | 109.5 | 94.9 | -15.5 | -0.9 |
Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | -0.5 | -0.1 |
Employment | 3,029.7 | 3,023.1 | 2,961.9 | 6.6 | 67.8 |
WAGE AND SALARY EMPLOYMENT DATA | |||||
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: | Change from last: | ||||
Mar-19 | Feb-19 | Mar-18 | Month | Year | |
Mining & Logging | 28.9 | 28.7 | 28.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
Construction | 173.7 | 174.0 | 171.5 | -0.3 | 2.2 |
Manufacturing | 148.6 | 148.1 | 146.8 | 0.5 | 1.8 |
Trade, Transportation, & Utilities | 474.7 | 474.1 | 468.0 | 0.6 | 6.7 |
Information | 74.5 | 74.6 | 74.4 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
Financial Activities | 166.7 | 167.5 | 170.6 | -0.8 | -3.9 |
Professional & Business Services | 438.2 | 434.0 | 420.5 | 4.2 | 17.7 |
Educational & Health Services | 346.4 | 344.7 | 339.5 | 1.7 | 6.9 |
Leisure & Hospitality | 343.1 | 344.4 | 337.8 | -1.3 | 5.3 |
Other Services | 114.1 | 113.5 | 109.6 | 0.6 | 4.5 |
Government | 446.4 | 445.6 | 443.3 | 0.8 | 3.1 |
TOTAL NONAG | 2,755.3 | 2,749.2 | 2,710.2 | 6.1 | 45.1 |
Labor Disputants | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
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UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY: | Change from last: | ||||
Mar-19 | Feb-19 | Mar-18 | Month | Year | |
Mining & Logging | 28.6 | 28.5 | 28.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
Construction | 169.0 | 168.3 | 166.9 | 0.7 | 2.1 |
Manufacturing | 148.1 | 147.4 | 146.0 | 0.7 | 2.1 |
Trade, Transportation, & Utilities | 469.5 | 468.7 | 462.5 | 0.8 | 7.0 |
Information | 74.3 | 74.3 | 74.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Financial Activities | 166.3 | 166.9 | 170.2 | -0.6 | -3.9 |
Professional & Business Services | 432.1 | 427.3 | 413.1 | 4.8 | 19.0 |
Educational & Health Services | 347.3 | 345.0 | 339.7 | 2.3 | 7.6 |
Leisure & Hospitality | 344.4 | 342.0 | 338.0 | 2.4 | 6.4 |
Other Services | 113.8 | 112.6 | 109.1 | 1.2 | 4.7 |
Government | 452.5 | 448.4 | 448.6 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
TOTAL NONAG | 2,745.9 | 2,729.4 | 2,696.4 | 16.5 | 49.5 |
Labor Disputants | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
