Colorado Employment Situation – June, 2019

Employers in Colorado added 8,100 nonfarm payroll jobs from May to June for a total of 2,779,400 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 6,500 and government increased 1,600. May estimates were revised up to 2,771,300, and the over the month change from April to May was an increase of 7,000 rather than the originally estimated increase of 2,200.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage point from May to June to 3.0 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 4,800 over the month to 3,143,400 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 9,600 to 3,049,200, causing the number of unemployed to decrease 4,800 and the unemployment rate to decline to 3.0 percent. The national unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point in June to 3.7 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.9 to 34.3 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $28.66 to $30.22.

The largest over the month private sector job gains were in professional and business services and construction. There was no significant private sector over the month declines.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 52,800, with an increase of 47,700 in the private sector and an increase of 5,100 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and educational and health services. Financial activities declined over the year.

Over the year, the unemployment rate is down two-tenths of a percentage point from 3.2 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 51,900, total employment increased 56,000 and the number of unemployed decreased 4,200. The national unemployment rate declined from 4.0 percent in June 2018 to 3.7 percent in June 2019.

Here are the unemployment percentages for southeast Colorado counties: