Colorado Employment Situation for June, 2016

Barbara Crimond | Jul 25, 2016 | Comments 0

Employers in Colorado added 5,000 non-farm payroll jobs from May to June for a total of 2,598,700 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 5,100 and government decreased 100.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate increased four-tenths of a percentage point in June to 3.7 percent. The previously reported May 2016 unemployment rate of 3.4 percent was revised down to 3.3 percent.

The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 300 over the month to 2,898,000 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed decreased 8,800 to 2,792,000. The increase in labor force combined with the decrease in total employment caused the number of unemployed to increase 9,000 and the unemployment rate to increase to 3.7 percent. The national unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point from May to June to 4.9 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 34.0 to 33.7 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $26.41 to $26.84.

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

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 61,500 with an increase of 52,900 in the private sector and an increase of 8,600 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in construction, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. Mining and logging declined over the year.

Over the year, the unemployment rate is down two-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 78,400, total employment increased 81,400 and the number of unemployed decreased 3,000. The national unemployment rate declined from 5.3 percent in June 2015 to 4.9 percent in June 2016.

The unemployment percentages for southeast Colorado counties follow:

	June 2016	Unemployed	May 2016	June 2015	Unemployed
Baca	49	2.3	1.9	49	2.3
Bent	69	3.6	3.3	76	4.1
Cheyenne	37	3.3	2.5	30	2.7
Crowley	57	4.2	4.3	62	4.7
Kiowa	23	2.6	2.2	26	3.0
Kit Carson	115	2.4	2.2	119	2.5
Las Animas	425	6.9	5.6	389	6.2
Otero	485	5.8	5.1	502	6.1
Prowers	266	4.3	3.5	275	4.5