QUIZ: What is the Colorado Employment Situation in July 2010?

Amaze your friends by having the answers to the JOB QUIZ:

Q: What is the Labor Rate?

Q: What job sectors are increasing?

Q: What job sectors are declining?

Q: What County has the lowest employment rate? Or the Highest?

(If you have a job, these figures may be a surprise to you. If you are unemployed, its not funny but it is a fact you have to face while looking for work.)

• Labor Rate was unchanged at 8.0 percent in July.
• Unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) decrease in 50 of the 64 counties.
• Unemployment rate increased in 11 counties.
• Unemployment rate unchanged in 3 counties.
• Lowest rate was 2.5 percent in Hinsdale County.
• Highest rate was 14.2 percent in Delores County.
• The number of working Coloradans decreased by 7,400 over the month to 2.4 million.
• Employment increased in 5 of 11 sectors over the month.
• Leisure and hospitality employment increased 3,100.
• Education and health services added 1,800 jobs.
• Trade, transportation and utilities gained 1,300 jobs,
• Information 400, and mining and logging 100.
• Construction employment declined 1,800.
• Government and professional and business services each declined 800.
• Other services and manufacturing each declined 500.
• Financial activities decreased 400.

============== Here are the details from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment?

Labor Force[i]

Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.0 percent in

July, according to Donald J. Mares, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of

Labor and Employment. “Four months of stability in the unemployment rate combined

with two months of notable private-sector job growth is encouraging news,” Mares said.

“Our challenge is to sustain this growth over the second half of the year,” he continued.

Last July, the unemployment rate was 8.1 percent.

The unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 50 of Colorado’s 64

counties, increased in 11 and was unchanged in 3. The lowest rate was 2.5 percent in

Hinsdale County and the highest was 14.2 percent in Dolores County. In July 2009, the

unemployment rate declined in 63 counties and remained unchanged in one. Last year,

the lowest rate was 2.5 percent in Hinsdale County and the highest was 13.1 percent in

Dolores County.

The number of working Coloradans decreased 7,400 over the month to 2,442,300. The

civilian labor force declined 6,800 to 2,655,600. The number of residents unsuccessfully

looking for work increased 600 over the month to 213,300. One year ago, total

employment was 2,484,900 and the number of unemployed was 219,900. The civilian

labor force has declined 49,200 since July 2009.

Wage and Salary Employment[ii]

The monthly survey of Colorado business establishments indicates the number of

nonfarm wage and salary jobs increased 1,900 in July to 2,205,300.

Employment increased in five of Colorado’s eleven major industry sectors over the

month. Leisure and hospitality employment increased 3,100 in July. Education and health

services added 1,800 jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities gained 1,300 jobs,

information 400, and mining and logging 100. Construction employment declined 1,800.

Government and professional and business services each declined 800. Other services

and manufacturing each declined 500, and financial activities decreased 400.

Nonfarm payroll employment decreased 1.1 percent over the year, or 25,200, from the

July 2009 level of 2,230,500.

Employment in four of Colorado’s eleven major industry sectors increased over the year.

Employment in education and health services increased 6,600, government 3,500, other

services 600 and leisure and hospitality 200. The remaining seven industry sectors

declined over the year. Construction, down 17,400, experienced the largest decline of all

industry sectors. Manufacturing declined 4,600, professional and business services 3,800,

and trade, transportation and utilities 3,600. Other losses included information (3,200),

financial activities (2,700), and mining and logging (800).

National[iii]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate held steady at 9.5

percent in July. Nonfarm payroll employment declined 131,000, reflecting a reduction of

143,000 temporary employees working on Census 2010. Private-sector payroll

employment increased 71,000 due to increases in manufacturing and health care. Private

sector payroll employment has increased by 630,000 in 2010.

[i] Labor force estimates are calculated from the household survey results, using the Bureau of Labor

Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics methods. The unadjusted statewide and county level

estimates are available at the following link:

http://lmigateway.coworkforce.com/lmigateway/gsipub/index.asp?docid=363

[ii] Wage and salary employment estimates are calculated from the establishment survey results, using the

Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics methods. The statewide adjusted and unadjusted,

and the unadjusted MSA estimates are available at the following link:

http://lmigateway.coworkforce.com/lmigateway/gsipub/index.asp?docid=364

[iii] The Bureau of Labor Statistics homepage is available at the following link: http://www.bls.gov/

Attachments: Labor Force Summary (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet)

Counties Labor Force (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet)