Archuleta County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent in June, according to a recent report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).
The county’s unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in April and 3.7 percent in May.
Archuleta County’s rate of 3.6 percent in June compares to 4.1 percent in June 2024.
Archuleta County’s labor force totaled 6,969 in June, according to the report, with 251 unemployed. That compares to a May labor force of 6,981 and 259 unemployed.
Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate came in at 4.7 percent for the month of June.
According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 3,400 to 155,300 from May to June.
“Colorado’s labor force increased by 200 in June to 3,282,900,” states a press release from the CDLE. “The share of Coloradans participating in the labor force was 67.7 percent in June, unchanged from the month prior. The U.S. labor force participation rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 62.3 percent in June.”
The national unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.1 percent from May to June.
Huerfano had the highest unemployment rate in the state in June at 7.0 percent, followed by Costilla County at 6.9 percent and Las Animas at 6.5 percent.
Regionally, the data shows La Plata County with a 3.9 percent unemployment rate in June, San Juan County at 2.9 percent, Mineral County at 5.2 percent, Rio Grande County at 4.9 percent and Conejos County at 4.5 percent.
Job loss, growth
Employers in Colorado lost 1,500 nonfarm payroll jobs from May to June for a total of 2,984,600 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private-sector payroll jobs decreased by 1,600, while government gained 100 jobs.
The press release accompanying the report notes, “May estimates were revised down to 2,986,100, and the over the month change from April to May was a decrease of 2,400 jobs rather than the originally estimated increase of 3,400 (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 sectors with significant over-the-month job gains in June were:
• Leisure and hospitality at about 3,000 jobs.
• Information at about 1,600.
• Professional and business services at about 1,000.
The private-industry sectors with significant over-the-month job losses were:
• Trade, transportation and utilities at about 2,500.
• Educational and health services at about 1,400.
• Construction at about 1,300.
• Other services at about 1,000 jobs.
Since June 2024, nonfarm payroll jobs have increased 10,600, with the private sector increasing by 600 and government adding 10,000 jobs.
The largest private-sector job gains were:
• Leisure and hospitality at about 10,800 jobs.
• Educational and health services at about 7,200.
• Information at about 4,000.
During that same period, payroll jobs declined in:
• Trade, transportation and utilities by about 8,200.
• Construction by about 5,100.
• Financial activities by about 3,000.
• Professional and business services by about 2,800.
• Other services by about 2,800.
“Colorado’s rate of job growth over the past year is 0.4 percent, below the U.S. rate of 1.1 percent,” the report notes.
It further notes that, over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 34.2 to 33.8 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $37.82 to $39.19, $2.89 more than the national average hourly earnings of $36.30.
randi@pagosasun.com
>