Archuleta County’s unemployment rate rose to 3.4 percent in September, according to a Dec. 11 report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).
The county’s unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in May, 3.6 percent in June, 3.2 percent in July and 3.1 percent in August.
Archuleta County’s rate of 3.4 percent in September compares to 4.1 percent in August 2024.
Archuleta County’s labor force totaled 6,677 in September, according to the report, with 288 unemployed. That compares to an August labor force of 6,750 and 209 unemployed.
Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 4.2 percent in August to 4.1 percent in September.
According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 4,800 to 134,300 from August to September.
“Colorado’s labor force decreased by 3,400 in September to 3,272,300,” states a press release from the CDLE. “The share of Coloradans participating in the labor force was 67.3 percent in September, one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the month prior, this marks the lowest labor force participation rate since November 2020. The U.S. labor force participation rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 62.4 percent in September.”
The national unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.4 percent from August to September, it notes.
Costilla County again had the highest unemployment rate in the state in September at 6.6 percent, followed by Huerfano County at 5.8 percent.
Regionally, the data shows La Plata County with a 3.4 percent unemployment rate in September, San Juan County at 2.6 percent, Mineral County at 4.3 percent, Rio Grande County at 4.2 percent and Conejos County at 4.1 percent.
Job loss, growth
Employers in Colorado gained 500 nonfarm payroll jobs from August to September for a total of 2,994,700 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private-sector payroll jobs decreased by 200, while government gained 700 jobs.
The press release accompanying the report notes, “August estimates were revised up to 2,994,200, and the over the month change from July to August was an increase of 5,700 jobs rather than the originally estimated increase of 3,000 (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 September were:
• Professional and business services at about 1,700 jobs.
• Other services at about 1,000.
The private-industry sectors with significant over-the-month job losses were:
• Trade, transportation and utilities at about 2,100.
• Construction at about 1,000.
Since September 2024, nonfarm payroll jobs have increased 18,100, with the private sector increasing by 10,400 and government adding 7,700 jobs.
The largest private-sector job gains were:
• Educational and health services by about 9,200 jobs.
• Leisure and hospitality by about 8,800.
• Information by about 2,900.
• Professional and business services by about 1,600.
During the same period, payroll jobs declined in:
• Financial activities by about 4,800.
• Trade, transportation and utilities by about 4,600.
• Construction by about 3,200.
“Colorado’s rate of job growth over the past year is 0.6 percent, below the U.S. rate of 0.8 percent.,” the report notes.
It further notes that, over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 33.8 to 33.2 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $38.62 to $39.40, $2.73 more than the national average hourly earnings of $36.67.
Government shutdown
The report notes that, due to the federal government shutdown that lasted from Oct. 1-Nov. 12, publication of state data for September data was delayed by more than seven weeks, though the collection of September data for the household and establishment surveys was completed in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ normal schedule prior to the federal government shutdown.
It adds the CDLE will not publish an October 2025 Employment Situation news release, and will instead publish the October establishment survey data with the November data.
“Household survey data were not collected for the October 2025 reference period and will not be collected retroactively,” it adds.
randi@pagosasun.com
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