Colorado Employment Situation For May 2016

Barbara Crimond | Jun 20, 2016 | Comments 0

Employers in Colorado added 300 nonfarm payroll jobs from April to May for a total of 2,593,300 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs decreased 500 and government increased 800.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate increased three-tenths of a percentage point in May to 3.4 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 9,200 over the month to 2,897,800 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 1,000 to 2,800,700. The larger increase in the labor force than in total employment caused the number of unemployed to increase 8,300 and the unemployment rate to increase to 3.4 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point from April to May to 4.7 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.7 to 33.9 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $26.82 to $27.37.

The largest over the month private sector job gains were in professional and business services and trade, transportation, and utilities. The largest over the month private sector job declines were in leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and construction.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 62,000 with an increase of 52,400 in the private sector and an increase of 9,600 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality, construction, and education and health services. Mining and logging declined over the year.

Over the year, the unemployment rate is down five-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 77,700, total employment increased 91,500 and the number of unemployed decreased 13,800. The national unemployment rate declined from 5.5 percent in May 2015 to 4.7 percent in May 2016.

The unemployment percentages for southeast Colorado counties is as follows:

	May 2016	Unemployed	April 2016	May 2015	Unemployed
Baca	1.9	40	1.9	2.4	48
Bent	3.3	63	3.5	4.2	73
Crowley	4.3	58	4.5	4.4	58
Kiowa	2.2	19	2.0	3.0	24
Kit Carson	2.1	102	2.4	2.4	108
Las Animas	5.6	346	5.8	5.5	343
Otero	5.1	422	5.3	5.7	460
Prowers	3.5	215	3.7	4.1	246