Archuleta County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.1 percent in November 2025, according to Jan. 7 report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).
The county’s unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in May 2025, 3.6 percent in June 2025, 3.2 percent in July 2025, 3.1 percent in August 2025 and 3.4 percent in September 2025.
No October 2025 data was released due to the federal government shutdown and lapse in appropriations that lasted from Oct. 1-Nov. 12, 2025.
Archuleta County’s rate of 3.1 percent in November compares to 4.8 percent in November 2024.
Archuleta County’s labor force totaled 6,742 in November 2025, according to the report, with 211 unemployed. That compares to a September labor force of 6,677 and 288 unemployed.
Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 4.1 percent in September 2025 to 3.9 percent in November 2025.
According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 8,400 to 125,900 from September to November 2025.
“Colorado’s labor force decreased by 9,400 in November to 3,262,900,” states a press release from the CDLE. “The share of Coloradans participating in the labor force was 67.0 percent in November, three-tenths of a percentage point lower than in September, this marks the lowest labor force participation rate since October 2020. The U.S. labor force participation rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 62.5 percent in November.”
The national unemployment rate increased by two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.6 percent from September to November 2025, it notes.
Costilla County again had the highest unemployment rate in the state in November 2025 at 6.7 percent, followed by San Miguel County at 5.9 percent and Huerfano County at 5.8 percent.
Regionally, the data shows La Plata County with a 3.1 percent unemployment rate in November 2025, San Juan County at 3.1 percent, Mineral County at 4.9 percent, Rio Grande County at 4.1 percent and Conejos County at 3.7 percent.
Job loss, growth
Employers in Colorado gained 2,700 nonfarm payroll jobs from October to November 2025 for a total of 3,000,300 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private-sector payroll jobs increased by 1,500, while government gained 1,200 jobs.
The press release accompanying the report notes, “The comparison made above uses delayed establishment data for October. Due to the federal government shutdown, this is the first publication of state-level data for October and thus there will be no revisions for October this month (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 November 2025 was:
• Other services at about 1,500 jobs.
The private-industry sector with significant over-the-month job losses were:
• Professional and business services at about 1,200 jobs.
Since November 2024, nonfarm payroll jobs have increased 24,600, with the private sector increasing by 18,300 and government adding 6,300 jobs.
The largest private-sector job gains were:
• Educational and health services by about 12,500 jobs.
• Leisure and hospitality by about 5,200.
• Information by about 3,200.
• Other services by about 3,200.
During the same period, payroll jobs declined in:
• Financial activities by about 3,300.
• Construction by about 2,400.
“Colorado’s rate of job growth over the past year is 0.8 percent, above the U.S. rate of 0.6 percent,” the report notes.
It further notes that, over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 32.8 to 33.7 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $39.16 to $40.47, $3.61 more than the national average hourly earnings of $36.86.
randi@pagosasun.com
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