Archuleta County’s unemployment rate jumped to 4.1 percent in January, according to an April 8 report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).
That figure is up from 3.0 percent in December 2025.
Archuleta County’s rate of 4.1 percent this January compares to 4.7 percent in January 2025.
Archuleta County’s labor force totaled 6,493 in January, according to the report, with 263 unemployed. That compares to a December 2025 labor force of 6,406 and 195 unemployed.
Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 3.8 percent in December 2025 to 3.9 percent in December 2025.
According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals grew by 1,200 to 126,300 from December 2025 to January.
“Colorado’s labor force decreased by 5,200 in January to 3,248,800,” states a press release from the CDLE. “The share of Coloradans participating in the labor force decreased to 66.8 percent in January, compared to 66.9 percent the month prior.
The press release notes this marks the lowest labor force participation rate since September 2020.
“The U.S. labor force participation rate was 62.1 percent in January, three-tenths of a percentage point lower than the month prior,” it states.
The national unemployment rate decreased from 4.4 percent to 4.3 percent from December 2025 to January, it notes.
Costilla County again had the highest unemployment rate in the state in January at 8.7 percent, followed by Huerfano County at 7.9 percent.
The lowest unemployment rate in the state for January was Pitkin County at 2.6 percent.
Regionally, the data shows La Plata County with a 4.1 percent unemployment rate in January, San Juan County at 4.3 percent, Mineral County at 4.9 percent, Rio Grande County at 5.2 percent and Conejos County at 4.4 percent.
Job loss, growth
Employers in Colorado gained 6,600 nonfarm payroll jobs from December 2025 to January for a total of 2,966,000 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private-sector payroll jobs increased by 7,200 and government decreased by 600 jobs.
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 January were:
• Education and health services at about 4,800 jobs.
• Professional and business services at about 3,000.
• Trade, transportation and utilities at about 3,000.
• Construction at about 2,400.
• Other services as about 1,100.
The private-industry sectors with significant over-the-month job losses were:
• Leisure and hospitality at about 3,300 jobs.
• Manufacturing at about 1,300.
• Information at about 1,300.
• Financial activities at about 1,200.
Since January 2025, nonfarm payroll jobs have decreased 11,000, with the private sector losing 7,000 jobs and government losing 4,000 jobs.
The largest private-sector job gains were:
• Educational and health services at about 14,200 jobs.
• Other services at about 1,900.
During that same time, payroll jobs declined in:
• Trade, transportation and utilities by about 4,500 jobs.
• Leisure and hospitality at about 4,400.
• Manufacturing at about 4,200.
• Financial activities at about 4,000.
• Information at about 2,800.
• Professional and business services at about 2,300.
• Mining and logging at about 1,600.
“Colorado’s rate of job growth over the past year is -0.4 percent, below the U.S. rate of 0.2 percent,” the report notes.
It further notes that, over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 32.7 to 32.6 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $39.79 to $40.62, $3.45 more than the national average hourly earnings of $37.17.
Annual averages
The annual unemployment rate for Colorado was 4.0 percent in 2025, revised down from the previously published 4.5 percent, according to the press release. The U.S. unemployment rate in 2025 was 4.3 percent.
It adds, “Colorado nonfarm payroll employment decreased at an annual rate of -0.4 percent in 2025, or -11,700 jobs. The U.S. annual payroll jobs growth rate in 2025 was 0.1 percent.”
randi@pagosasun.com
>