Colorado Employment Situation for March, 2017
Barbara Crimond | Apr 24, 2017 | Comments 0
Total nonfarm payroll jobs were unchanged from February to March for a total of 2,634,400 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 100 and government decreased 100.
According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point in March to 2.6 percent. This is the lowest unemployment rate for Colorado since the series began in 1976.
The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 10,500 over the month to 2,933,300 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 19,500 to 2,857,600, causing the number of unemployed to decrease 9,000 and the unemployment rate to decline to 2.6 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage point in March to 4.5 percent.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 33.3 to 32.8 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $27.31 to $27.35.
The largest over the month private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality, financial activities, and education and health services. The largest over the month declines were in construction and professional and business services.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 49,100, with an increase of 45,300 in the private sector and an increase of 3,800 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in education and health services, professional and business services, and trade, transportation, and utilities. Mining and logging, manufacturing, and information declined over the year.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is down seven-tenths of a percentage point from 3.3 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 59,200, total employment increased 79,500 and the number of unemployed decreased 20,300. The national unemployment rate declined from 5.0 percent in March 2016 to 4.5 percent in March 2017.
Here are the unemployment percentages for counties in southeast Colorado:
|
March 2017 | Unemployed | February 2017 | March 2016 | Unemployed |
Baca | 1.6 | 33 | 2.0 | 2.1 |
42 |
Bent |
2.2 | 40 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 71 |
Cheyenne | 1.8 | 18 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
26 |
Crowley |
2.5 | 34 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 56 |
Kiowa | 1.3 | 11 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
20 |
Kit Carson |
1..6 | 68 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 115 |
Las Animas | 3.4 | 207 | 4.8 | 6.0 |
371 |
Otero |
3.7 | 291 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 468 |
Prowers | 2.4 | 140 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
243 |
Filed Under: Consumer Issues • County • Economy • Employment • Featured • Media Release • Tourism • Transportation • Utilities
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