According to an Oct. 16 report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), Archuleta County’s unemployment rate dropped to 4 percent in September, which is down from August’s figure of 4.3 percent and up from September 2025’s rate of 3.4 percent.
Archuleta County’s labor force totaled at 6,432 with 256 unemployed in September, according to the report. That compares to a labor force of 6,445 in August, with 278 unemployed.
Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percentage to 4.1 in September, the report notes.
According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals increased by 3,800 to 131,900 from August to September.
The report also notes, “Colorado’s labor force decreased by 3,100 in September to 3,179,300. The share of Coloradans participating in the labor force was 65.2 percent in September, one-tenth of a percentage point lower than in August. The September rate of 65.2 percent marks the lowest participation rate on record, going back to 1976. The U.S. labor force participation rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point to 61.8 percent in September.”
The national unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percent to 4.2 percent for September.
Seven counties had unemployment rates higher than 5 percent for September, including Costilla County with the highest rate of 7.3 percent, followed by Huerfano County at 7 percent, Las Animas County at 6.4 percent, Delta County at 5.9 percent, Fremont County at 5.8 percent, and Alamosa and Montezuma counties both at 5.1 percent.
Regionally, the report shows La Plata County with a 3.9 percent unemployment rate in September, San Juan County at 3.3 percent, Mineral County at 4.3 percent, Hinsdale County at 3.9 percent, Rio Grande County at 4.7 percent and Conejos County at 4.2 percent.
Job loss, growth
“Employers in Colorado gained 2,400 nonfarm payroll jobs from August to September for a total of 2,973,800 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased by 3,000, while government decreased by 600,” the report notes.
The report also states, “August estimates were revised up to 2,971,400, and the over the month change from July to August was a decrease of 300 jobs rather than the originally estimated decrease of 1,400 (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 August were:
• Construction at about 1,900 jobs.
• Professional and business services at about 1,400.
• Information at about 1,100.
The only private-industry sector with significant over-the-month job losses in September was trade, transportation and utilities at about 1,900.
Since September 2025, nonfarm payroll jobs have increased by 11,200, with the private sector increasing by 17,000 and government decreasing by 5,800 jobs.
The largest private-sector gains were:
• Education and health services at about 13,100.
• Leisure and hospitality at about 8,300.
• Construction at about 5,900.
• Professional and business services at about 5,000.
During that same period, payroll jobs declined in:
• Financial activities at about 4,500.
• Information at about 3,500.
• Trade, transportation, and utilities at about 3,000.
• Other services at about 2,200.
• Manufacturing at about 1,800.
“Colorado’s rate of job growth over the past year is .4 percent, above the U.S. rate of 0.3 percent,” the report notes.
The report further notes that, over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased to 33.4 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $39.40 to $40.19, “two dollars and thirty-eight cents more than the national average hourly earnings of $37.81.”
clayton@pagosasun.com
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