Archuleta County’s unemployment rate moved to 4.2 percent in January, according to an April 8 report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).
That figure is up from 4.0 percent in December 2025.
Archuleta County’s rate of 4.2 percent this February compares to 4.9 percent in February 2025.
Archuleta County’s labor force totaled 6,400 in February, according to the report, with 266 unemployed. That compares to a January labor force of 6,503 and 263 unemployed.
Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged 3.9 percent in February.
According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals increased by 1,000 to 127,300 from January to February.
“Colorado’s labor force decreased by 10,300 in February to 3,238,500,” states a press release from the CDLE.
It notes the share of Coloradans participating in the labor force was 66.6 percent in February, two-tenths of a percentage point lower than in January.
The press release notes this marks the lowest labor force participation rate since September 2020.
“The U.S. labor force participation rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 62.0 percent in February,” it states.
The national unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.4 percent from January to February, it notes.
Costilla County again had the highest unemployment rate in the state in February at 8.4 percent, followed by Huerfano County at 7.9 percent.
The lowest unemployment rate in the state for February was Cheyenne County at 2.6 percent.
Regionally, the data shows La Plata County with a 4.2 percent unemployment rate in February, San Juan County at 5.0 percent, Mineral County at 4.6 percent, Rio Grande County at 5.2 percent and Conejos County at 4.5 percent.
Job loss, growth
Employers in Colorado lost 7,200 nonfarm payroll jobs from January to February for a total of 2,953,500 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs decreased by 7,200, while government was unchanged.
The release also notes, “January estimates were revised down by 5,300 jobs to 2,960,700, making the over the month change from December to January an increase of 1,300 jobs rather than the originally estimated increase of 6,600 (monthly revisions are based on additional responses from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates).”
Nonfarm payroll jobs estimates are based on a survey of business establishments and government agencies, and are intended to measure the number of jobs, not the number of people employed.
The private-industry sector with significant over-the-month job gains in February was:
• Construction at about 1,000 jobs.
The private-industry sectors with significant over-the-month job losses were:
• Other services at about 2,200 jobs.
• Trade, transportation and utilities at about 1,700.
• Education and health services at about 1,000.
Since February 2025, nonfarm payroll jobs have decreased by 9,100 jobs, with the private sector decreasing by 5,600 jobs and government losing 3,500 jobs.
The largest private-sector job gains were:
• Educational and health services by about 13,400 jobs.
• Construction by about 2,500.
During that same time, payroll jobs declined in:
• Financial activities by about 4,800 jobs.
• Professional and business services by about 4,600.
• Manufacturing by about 3,800.
• Leisure and hospitality by about 3,700.
• Information by about 3,300.
• Mining and logging by about 1,100.
• Other services by about 1,000.
“Colorado’s rate of job growth over the past year is -0.3 percent, below the U.S. rate of 0.1 percent,” the report notes.
It further notes that, over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 33.4 to 33.3 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $39.72 to $39.79, $2.50 more than the national average hourly earnings of $37.29.
randi@pagosasun.com
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