Colorado Employment Situation for April 2016
Barbara Crimond | May 20, 2016 | Comments 0
Total nonfarm payroll jobs declined 2,000 from March to April to 2,593,800 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs decreased 2,800 and government increased 800.
According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point in April to 3.1 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 11,300 over the month to 2,888,800 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 6,100 to 2,799,900. The larger increase in the labor force than in total employment caused the number of unemployed to increase 5,200 and the unemployment rate to increase to 3.1 percent. The national unemployment rate remained unchanged over the same period at 5.0 percent.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 33.6 to 33.2 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $26.85 to $27.44.
The largest over the month private sector job gains were in education and health services and construction. The largest over the month private sector job declines were in professional and business services, trade, transportation, and utilities, and leisure and hospitality.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 67,700 with an increase of 57,900 in the private sector and an increase of 9,800 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and construction. Mining and logging declined over the year.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is down nine-tenths of a percentage point from 4.0 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 68,400, total employment increased 92,000 and the number of unemployed decreased 23,600. The national unemployment rate declined from 5.4 percent in April 2015 to 5.0 percent in April 2016.
The following are the unemployment percentages for southeast Colorado Counties:
April 2016 | Unemployed | March 2016 | April 2015 | Unemployed | |
Baca |
1.9 | 38 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
45 |
Bent |
3.6 | 62 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
75 |
Cheyenne |
2.6 | 26 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 31 |
Crowley | 4.6 | 61 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
62 |
Kiowa |
2.0 | 16 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 22 |
Kit Carson | 2.4 | 107 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
110 |
Las Animas |
5.8 | 357 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 345 |
Otero |
5.4 | 434 | 5.3 | 6.0 |
476 |
Prowers | 3.8 | 221 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
235 |
Filed Under: Agriculture • City of Granada • City of Holly • City of Lamar • City of Wiley • Consumer Issues • County • Economy • Employment • Featured • Hot Topics • Media Release • Tourism • Transportation • Utilities
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