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Colorado unemployment rate drops to 3.4 percent for April

© iStock - fizkes

Employers in Colorado added 9,500 nonfarm payroll jobs from March to April for a total of 2,765,200 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 8,300 and government increased 1,200. March estimates were revised up to 2,755,700, and the over the month change from February to March was an increase of 6,500 rather than the originally estimated increase of 6,100.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point from March to April to 3.4 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force decreased 800 over the month to 3,138,800 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 4,600 to 3,033,700. The increase in total employment combined with the decrease in the labor force caused the number of unemployed to decrease 5,400 and the unemployment rate to decline to 3.4 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage point in April to 3.6 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 33.9 to 32.6 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $28.79 to $30.34.

The largest over the month private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and financial activities. The largest over the month decline was in trade, transportation, and utilities.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 49,100, with an increase of 45,900 in the private sector and an increase of 3,200 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in professional and business services, educational and health services, and leisure and hospitality. Financial activities declined over the year.

Over the year, the unemployment rate is up four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.0 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 65,500, total employment increased 52,000 and the number of unemployed increased 13,400. The national unemployment rate declined from 3.9 percent in April 2018 to 3.6 percent in April 2019.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force

 

April 2019

 

Labor Force

Employment

Unemployment

Rate

Colorado

3,119,568

3,033,869

85,699

2.7

Counties

 

 

 

 

Adams

270,419

262,465

7,954

2.9

Alamosa 

8,558

8,247

311

3.6

Arapahoe 

363,659

353,804

9,855

2.7

Archuleta 

6,980

6,764

216

3.1

Baca 

2,267

2,231

36

1.6

Bent 

2,016

1,958

58

2.9

Boulder

197,277

192,646

4,631

2.3

Broomfield

39,924

38,940

984

2.5

Chaffee

9,721

9,487

234

2.4

Cheyenne 

1,138

1,119

19

1.7

Clear Creek 

6,070

5,938

132

2.2

Conejos

4,113

3,957

156

3.8

Costilla 

1,929

1,848

81

4.2

Crowley 

1,554

1,491

63

4.1

Custer 

2,081

2,023

58

2.8

Delta 

14,887

14,387

500

3.4

Denver 

414,084

402,836

11,248

2.7

Dolores 

1,203

1,169

34

2.8

Douglas 

191,850

187,214

4,636

2.4

Eagle

37,632

36,843

789

2.1

El Paso 

339,326

328,230

11,096

3.3

Elbert 

14,965

14,629

336

2.2

Fremont

15,336

14,651

685

4.5

Garfield

33,095

32,227

868

2.6

Gilpin 

3,756

3,666

90

2.4

Grand 

9,876

9,668

208

2.1

Gunnison 

10,733

10,467

266

2.5

Hinsdale 

376

362

14

3.7

Huerfano 

2,563

2,414

149

5.8

Jackson 

1,009

988

21

2.1

Jefferson

335,312

326,737

8,575

2.6

Kiowa 

958

940

18

1.9

Kit Carson 

4,426

4,361

65

1.5

La Plata

32,189

31,349

840

2.6

Lake 

5,055

4,954

101

2.0

Larimer

206,516

201,680

4,836

2.3

Las Animas 

6,759

6,511

248

3.7

Lincoln 

2,538

2,482

56

2.2

Logan

11,327

11,049

278

2.5

Mesa

77,364

74,825

2,539

3.3

Mineral 

620

603

17

2.7

Moffat

7,755

7,459

296

3.8

Montezuma 

13,536

12,964

572

4.2

Montrose

22,548

21,866

682

3.0

Morgan

16,840

16,414

426

2.5

Otero 

8,662

8,327

335

3.9

Ouray 

2,324

2,251

73

3.1

Park 

10,936

10,640

296

2.7

Phillips 

2,673

2,630

43

1.6

Pitkin

11,489

11,213

276

2.4

Prowers 

6,277

6,119

158

2.5

Pueblo

75,845

72,741

3,104

4.1

Rio Blanco 

2,837

2,721

116

4.1

Rio Grande

5,592

5,387

205

3.7

Routt

16,559

16,199

360

2.2

Saguache

3,665

3,538

127

3.5

San Juan 

450

431

19

4.2

San Miguel 

5,512

5,373

139

2.5

Sedgwick 

1,269

1,246

23

1.8

Summit

22,997

22,621

376

1.6

Teller 

12,756

12,363

393

3.1

Washington 

3,292

3,234

58

1.8

Weld

167,902

163,683

4,219

2.5

Yuma 

6,392

6,290

102

1.6

 

LABOR FORCE DATA

 

 

 

 

 

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED:                                   

 

 

Change from last:

 

Apr-19

Mar-19

Apr-18

Month

Year

Total Civilian Labor Force

3,138.8

3,139.6

3,073.4

-0.8

65.5

Unemployment     

105.2

110.6

91.7

-5.4

13.4

     Unemployment Rate (%)

3.4

3.5

3.0

-0.1

0.4

 Employment

3,033.7

3,029.0

2,981.6

4.6

52.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY:

 

 

 

Change from last:

 

Apr-19

Mar-19

Apr-18

Month

Year

Total Civilian Labor Force

3,119.6

3,123.2

3,061.0

-3.7

58.6

Unemployment 

85.7

93.9

88.8

-8.2

-3.1

     Unemployment Rate (%)

2.7

3.0

2.9

-0.3

-0.2

 Employment 

3,033.9

3,029.3

2,972.2

4.5

61.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

WAGE AND SALARY EMPLOYMENT DATA

 

 

 

 

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED:

 

 

 

Change from last:

 

Apr-19

Mar-19

Apr-18

Month

Year

Mining & Logging

28.8

28.8

28.2

0.0

0.6

Construction

174.2

174.0

172.1

0.2

2.1

Manufacturing

149.4

148.5

147.3

0.9

2.1

Trade, Transportation, & Utilities

474.3

475.3

468.2

-1.0

6.1

Information

74.3

74.3

75.0

0.0

-0.7

Financial Activities

168.1

167.1

170.9

1.0

-2.8

Professional & Business Services

441.5

438.6

422.0

2.9

19.5

Educational & Health Services

346.5

346.3

339.6

0.2

6.9

Leisure & Hospitality

346.1

342.8

339.2

3.3

6.9

Other Services

115.1

114.3

109.9

0.8

5.2

Government

446.9

445.7

443.7

1.2

3.2

TOTAL NONAG

2,765.2

2,755.7

2,716.1

9.5

49.1

Labor Disputants

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNADJUSTED FOR SEASONALITY:

 

 

 

Change from last:

 

Apr-19

Mar-19

Apr-18

Month

Year

Mining & Logging

28.6

28.6

28.0

0.0

0.7

Construction

171.2

169.5

170.0

1.7

1.2

Manufacturing

148.8

148.0

146.8

0.9

2.0

Trade, Transportation, & Utilities

469.1

470.4

462.8

-1.3

6.3

Information

73.8

74.2

74.7

-0.5

-0.9

Financial Activities

167.5

166.6

170.4

0.9

-2.9

Professional & Business Services

441.5

431.9

420.5

9.6

21.0

Educational & Health Services

346.3

347.1

340.7

-0.9

5.6

Leisure & Hospitality

342.3

344.0

336.3

-1.7

6.0

Other Services

114.9

113.9

109.4

1.1

5.6

Government

453.5

451.4

449.9

2.1

3.7

TOTAL NONAG

2,757.6

2,745.8

2,709.4

11.8

48.3

Labor Disputants

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0