Colorado’s unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 9.2 percent in March based on household survey results, the Colorado Department of Labor said today.
The labor force increased 8,700 to 2,686,400 and total employment increased by 10,100, said the department.
Colorado employers added 500 nonfarm payroll jobs from February to March for a total of 2,228,200 jobs.
Government increased by 1,100 payroll jobs and the private sector declined by 600.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.5 to 34 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $23.76 to $23.88.
The largest gain in March over the month private sector was in manufacturing. The largest declines were in professional and business services and construction.
During the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 11,100 with an increase of 14,200 in the private sector and a decline of 3,100 in government. The largest job gains were in education and health services, leisure and hospitality and professional and business services.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is up two-tenths of one percentage point from 9.0 percent in March 2010.
The number of Coloradans participating in the workforce declined 18,100, total employment declined 20,600 and the number of unemployed increased 2,500.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
