Colorado Employment Situation February 2011

(Editor Summary: Colorado Unemployment rate is up from 9.1% to 9.3%. National Rate fell from 9.0% to 8.9% from February 2010 to 2011.). Here are the details:

Employers in Colorado added 3,000 nonfarm payroll jobs from January to February for a total of 2,228,300 jobs, according to the survey of establishments, with private sector payroll jobs increasing by 2,900.

The unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point to 9.3% based on household survey results. The labor force increased 7,100 to 2,677,900 and total employment increased 2,600. The increase in total employment was not enough to offset the increase in labor force participation, causing the number of unemployed to increase 4,500.

The national unemployment rate dropped from 9.0 to 8.9 percent over the same period. Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.6 to 33.9 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $23.69 to $24.15.

The largest over the month private sector job gains in February were in professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities, and leisure and hospitality. The largest declines were in construction and financial activities.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 13,800 with an increase of 16,400 in the private sector and a decline of 2,600 in government. The largest job gains were in education and health services, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality. The largest declines were in construction, financial activities and information.


Over the year, the unemployment rate is up three-tenths of one percentage point from 9.0 percent in February 2010. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force declined 25,800 to 2,677,900, total employment declined 30,600 to 2,430,100, and the number of unemployed increased 4,800 to 247,800. The national unemployment rate declined from 9.7 to 8.9 percent from February 2010 to 2011.

---- source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.