WASHINGTON — Unemployment rates fell in April for more than 90 percent of the nation’s 372 largest metro areas, including Denver, as hiring picked up around the country.
The Labor Department says the jobless rate dropped in 346 areas last month. It rose in 12 and remained flat in 14.
In March, unemployment fell in 257 areas and rose in 89.
The unemployment rate in the Denver-Aurora- Broomfield metro area fell to 7.8 percent in April from 8.5 percent in March.
The decrease, however, likely reflects fewer workers actively looking for work rather than a surge in job creation. Nonfarm jobs in metro Denver declined by 2,100 on a seasonally adjusted basis between March and April.
That difference can be explained in part by the lack of a significant manufacturing base in Colorado. Much of the job growth nationally was seen in Midwestern regions with significant manufacturing operations.
Staff and wire reports
