Colorado Employment Situation – July 2019

Barbara Crimond | Aug 19, 2019 | Comments 0

Employers in Colorado added 7,200 nonfarm payroll jobs from June to July for a total of 2,787,000 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 5,700 and government increased 1,500. June estimates were revised up to 2,779,800, and the over the month change from May to June was an increase of 8,500 rather than the originally estimated increase of 8,100.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point from June to July to 2.9 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 5,800 over the month to 3,149,200 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 9,400 to 3,058,600, causing the number of unemployed to decrease 3,600 and the unemployment rate to decline to 2.9 percent. The national unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 3.7 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 34.4 to 33.6 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $28.78 to $30.24.

The largest over the month private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and educational and health services. There were no significant private sector-over- the-month declines.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 52,700, with an increase of 48,500 in the private sector and an increase of 4,200 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 four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.3 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 47,900, total employment increased 59,800 and the number of unemployed decreased 12,000. The national unemployment rate declined from 3.9 percent in July 2018 to 3.7 percent in July 2019.

These are the unemployment percentages for counties in southeast Colorado:

	Labor Force	July 2019	Unemployed	June 2019	July 2018	Unemployed
Baca	2,473	1.4	35	1.8	1.7	40
Bent	2,183	2.9	64	3.0	2.9	14
Cheyenne	1,272	1.5	19	2.0	1.8	22
Crowley	1,601	4.3	69	4.4	4.3	67
Kiowa	1,039	1.5	16	2.0	1.8	21
Kit Carson	4,828	1.5	74	1.9	1.8	94
Las Animas	6,885	4.3	295	4.1	5.7	343
Otero	9,035	4.0	363	4.1	5.7	503
Prowers	6,676	2.8	187	3.2	3.7	249