Colorado Jobless Rate Increases Slightly, But Still Lower Than US

ACROSS COLORADO -- New employment numbers released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsshows Colorado's unemployment rates increased slightly over 2017, but the state's number of unemployed workers is still significantly lower than the national average.

Statewide, Colorado's non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 2.9 percent of the state's labor force, compared to the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent. Last year that rate was 2.8 percent.

Only the Pueblo Area posted unemployment numbers higher than the national average at 4.4 percent in 2018. Grand Junction was the only area that showed a decrease in unemployment numbers, where the rate fell from 4.3 percent in 2017 to 4.0 percent this year.

In March, across the U.S. Ames, Iowa, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.7 percent, the BLS said in a statement. El Centro, California, had the highest unemployment rate at 15.3 percent. A total of 194 areas (including all metro areas in Colorado) had March jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent, 179 areas had rates above it, and 15 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

Here's how Colorado's unemployment rates changed since last year:

Colorado employers added 5,400 nonfarm payroll jobs from February to March for a total of 2,707,800 jobs, according to the survey of businesses by the Colorado Dept. of Employment and Labor. Private sector payroll jobs increased 4,300 and government increased 1,100.

Year-over-year, the number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 96,300, and total employment increased 82,700 and the number of unemployed increased 13,600, the CDEL said.

Over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 32.9 to 33.4 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $27.26 to $28.38.

See the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report here.

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