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Colorado jobless rate rises to 3.5 percent in December

© iStock - fizkes

Employers in Colorado added 9,800 nonfarm payroll jobs from November to December for a total of 2,762,200 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 9,100 and government increased 700. November estimates were revised up to 2,752,400, and the over the month change from October to November was an increase of 4,400 rather than the originally estimated increase of 1,800.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point from November to December to 3.5 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 9,600 over the month to 3,118,200 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 4,100 to 3,010,300. The larger increase in the labor force than in total employment caused the number of unemployed to increase 5,500 and the unemployment rate to increase to 3.5 percent. The national unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point in December to 3.9 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.3 to 33.6 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $28.13 to $29.63.

The largest over the month private sector job gains were in education and health services, professional and business services, and manufacturing. There were no significant private sector over the month declines.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 75,400, with an increase of 68,400 in the private sector and an increase of 7,000 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and trade, transportation, and utilities. There were no significant private sector over the year declines.

Over the year, the unemployment rate is up five-tenths of a percentage point from 3.0 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 88,400, total employment increased 72,400 and the number of unemployed increased 16,100. The national unemployment rate declined from 4.1 percent in December 2017 to 3.9 percent in December 2018.

LABOR FORCE SUMMARY

COLORADO

Preliminary Estimates for December 2018

  

       

   

LABOR FORCE DATA

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED:                                   

 

 

Change from last:

 

Dec-18

Nov-18

Dec-17

Month

Year

Total Civilian Labor Force

3,118.2

3,108.6

3,029.8

9.6

88.4

Unemployment     

107.9

102.4

91.8

5.5

16.1

     Unemployment Rate (%)

3.5

3.3

3.0

0.2

0.5

 Employment

3,010.3

3,006.2

2,938.0

4.1

72.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY:

 

 

 

Change from last:

 

Dec-18

Nov-18

Dec-17

Month

Year

Total Civilian Labor Force

3,130.6

3,123.4

3,031.8

7.2

98.8

Unemployment 

120.0

105.6

89.5

14.5

30.5

     Unemployment Rate (%)

3.8

3.4

3.0

0.4

0.8

 Employment 

3,010.6

3,017.9

2,942.3

-7.3

68.3

      

WAGE AND SALARY EMPLOYMENT DATA

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED:

 

 

 

Change from last:

 

Dec-18

Nov-18

Dec-17

Month

Year

Mining & Logging

32.2

31.4

27.4

0.8

4.8

Construction

169.5

169.3

169.7

0.2

-0.2

Manufacturing

149.8

148.0

144.2

1.8

5.6

Trade, Transportation, & Utilities

475.6

476.2

464.2

-0.6

11.4

Information

75.1

75.5

73.4

-0.4

1.7

Financial Activities

168.5

168.2

166.6

0.3

1.9

Professional & Business Services

439.9

437.9

418.1

2.0

21.8

Educational & Health Services

341.4

338.5

334.5

2.9

6.9

Leisure & Hospitality

352.4

351.4

340.4

1.0

12.0

Other Services

110.8

109.7

108.3

1.1

2.5

Government

447.0

446.3

440.0

0.7

7.0

TOTAL NONAG

2,762.2

2,752.4

2,686.8

9.8

75.4

Labor Disputants

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY:

 

  

Change from last:

 

Dec-18

Nov-18

Dec-17

Month

Year

Mining & Logging

32.2

31.4

27.5

0.8

4.7

Construction

168.6

170.6

168.7

-2.0

-0.1

Manufacturing

150.1

148.4

144.7

1.7

5.4

Trade, Transportation, & Utilities

485.6

482.3

473.9

3.3

11.7

Information

75.2

75.7

73.6

-0.5

1.6

Financial Activities

169.7

167.0

168.9

2.7

0.8

Professional & Business Services

439.1

439.7

417.3

-0.6

21.8

Educational & Health Services

342.6

341.7

335.4

0.9

7.2

Leisure & Hospitality

353.2

338.1

341.1

15.1

12.1

Other Services

110.6

108.9

107.8

1.7

2.8

Government

453.1

456.5

445.8

-3.4

7.3

TOTAL NONAG

2,780.0

2,760.3

2,704.7

19.7

75.3

Labor Disputants

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

 

Not Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force

 

December 2018

           

Labor Force

 Employment 

 Unemployment 

Rate

Colorado

3,130,637

3,010,589

120,048

3.8

 

 

 

 

 

Counties

 

 

 

 

Adams

271,280

260,259

11,021

4.1

Alamosa 

8,727

8,275

452

5.2

Arapahoe 

364,221

350,501

13,720

3.8

Archuleta 

6,914

6,623

291

4.2

Baca 

2,257

2,205

52

2.3

Bent 

2,070

1,993

77

3.7

Boulder

194,860

188,507

6,353

3.3

Broomfield

39,350

37,972

1,378

3.5

Chaffee

9,622

9,308

314

3.3

Cheyenne 

1,191

1,166

25

2.1

Clear Creek 

6,034

5,848

186

3.1

Conejos

4,155

3,935

220

5.3

Costilla 

1,963

1,854

109

5.6

Crowley 

1,579

1,487

92

5.8

Custer 

2,064

1,987

77

3.7

Delta 

15,177

14,506

671

4.4

Denver 

411,708

396,286

15,422

3.7

Dolores 

1,225

1,169

56

4.6

Douglas 

189,993

183,598

6,395

3.4

Eagle

38,579

37,364

1,215

3.1

El Paso 

349,709

333,825

15,884

4.5

Elbert 

14,931

14,415

516

3.5

Fremont

15,430

14,435

995

6.4

Garfield

33,818

32,553

1,265

3.7

Gilpin 

3,716

3,609

107

2.9

Grand 

10,556

10,249

307

2.9

Gunnison 

11,568

11,227

341

2.9

Hinsdale 

410

397

13

3.2

Huerfano 

2,627

2,405

222

8.5

Jackson 

1,042

1,011

31

3.0

Jefferson

336,877

325,007

11,870

3.5

Kiowa 

1,026

1,005

21

2.0

Kit Carson 

4,693

4,576

117

2.5

La Plata

32,381

31,185

1,196

3.7

Lake 

5,188

5,040

148

2.9

Larimer

205,101

198,457

6,644

3.2

Las Animas 

6,662

6,296

366

5.5

Lincoln 

2,518

2,439

79

3.1

Logan

11,342

10,976

366

3.2

Mesa

76,620

72,878

3,742

4.9

Mineral 

520

505

15

2.9

Moffat

7,847

7,471

376

4.8

Montezuma 

13,477

12,601

876

6.5

Montrose

22,560

21,642

918

4.1

Morgan

16,924

16,343

581

3.4

Otero 

8,953

8,443

510

5.7

Ouray 

2,372

2,257

115

4.8

Park 

10,519

10,145

374

3.6

Phillips 

2,698

2,639

59

2.2

Pitkin

11,743

11,235

508

4.3

Prowers 

6,536

6,291

245

3.7

Pueblo

76,331

71,817

4,514

5.9

Rio Blanco 

2,869

2,714

155

5.4

Rio Grande

5,800

5,451

349

6.0

Routt

17,744

17,249

495

2.8

Saguache

3,763

3,556

207

5.5

San Juan 

447

424

23

5.1

San Miguel 

6,025

5,778

247

4.1

Sedgwick 

1,315

1,277

38

2.9

Summit

25,245

24,695

550

2.2

Teller 

12,959

12,390

569

4.4

Washington 

3,172

3,086

86

2.7

Weld

165,552

159,811

5,741

3.5

Yuma 

6,083

5,939

144

2.4