Colorado Employment Situation in November 2016

Barbara Crimond | Dec 19, 2016 | Comments 0

Total non-farm payroll jobs declined 12,500 from October to November to 2,620,200 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs decreased 12,600 and government increased 100.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point in November to 3.2 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 10,100 over the month to 2,920,100 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 17,300 to 2,826,500. The larger increase in total employment than in labor force caused the number of unemployed to decline 7,200 and the unemployment rate to decrease to 3.2 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point in November to 4.6 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private non-farm payrolls decreased from 34.0 to 33.4 hours and average hourly earnings decreased from $27.27 to $27.03.

The largest over the month private sector job gain was in education and health services. The largest over the month declines were in leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation, and utilities, and financial activities.

Over the year, non-farm payroll jobs increased 55,300 with an increase of 47,800 in the private sector and an increase of 7,500 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in education and health services, construction, and professional and business services. Mining and logging, manufacturing, and financial activities declined over the year.

Over the year, the unemployment rate is down three-tenths of a percentage point from 3.5 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 91,000, total employment increased 97,000 and the number of unemployed decreased 6,000. The national unemployment rate declined from 5.0 percent in November 2015 to 4.6 percent in November 2016.

The following are unemployment figures for southeast Colorado counties:

	Nov 2016	Unemployed	Oct 2016	Nov 2015	Unemployed
Baca	1.5	32	1.9	1.7	33
Bent	2.6	49	2.6	3.1	53
Cheyenne	2.1	23	2.6	2.3	23
Crowley	3.0	40	3.0	4.0	53
Kiowa	2.1	18	2.5	1.8	14
Kit Carson	1.8	83	2.2	2.2	56
Las Animas	4.1	243	4.3	4.4	275
Otero	3.8	314	4.0	4.7	376
Prowers	2.3	143	2.8	3.6	208