Colorado Employment Situation – November 2019

Barbara Crimond | Dec 20, 2019 | Comments 0

Employers in Colorado added 4,100 nonfarm payroll jobs from October to November for a total of 2,796,800 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 3,100 and government increased 1,000. October estimates were revised up to 2,792,700, and the over the month change from September to October was an increase of 4,300 rather than the originally estimated increase of 3,100.

According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate was unchanged from October to November at 2.6 percent. The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 5,600 over the month to 3,170,400 and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 6,700 to 3,088,100, causing the number of unemployed to decrease 1,200. Due to rounding, the unemployment rate was unchanged from October at 2.6 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point in November to 3.5 percent.

Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.0 to 33.2 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $29.56 to $30.55.

The largest over the month private sector job gains were in educational and health services, trade, transportation, and utilities, and financial activities. The largest over the month decline was in leisure and hospitality.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 57,100, with an increase of 46,000 in the private sector and an increase of 11,100 in government. The largest private sector job gains were in professional and business services, educational and health services, and financial activities. There were no significant private sector over the year declines.

Over the year, the unemployment rate is down one percentage point from 3.6 percent. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 40,900, total employment increased 72,500 and the number of unemployed decreased 31,600. The national unemployment rate declined from 3.7 percent in November 2018 to 3.5 percent in November 2019.

The following are unemployment percentages for counties in southeast Colorado:

	Labor Force	Nov 2019 %	Unemployed	Oct 2019 %	Nov 2018 %	Unemployed
Baca	2,345	1.3	31	1.4	1.9	44
Bent	2,144	2.1	44	2.1	3.4	72
Cheyenne	1,204	1.3	16	1.4	2.2	27
Crowley	1,598	3.6	57	3.3	4.8	78
Kiowa	991	1.3	13	1.5	1.7	17
Kit Carson	4,670	1.5	71	1.4	2.0	93
Las Animas	6,886	3.2	221	3.0	5.0	346
Otero	8,959	3.3	300	3.2	4.7	427
Prowers	6,548	2.3	150	2.3	3.7	249