The state’s unemployment rate dipped four-tenths of a percentage point to 8.8 percent between March and April, according a survey released today by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Employers in Colorado added 2,200 nonfarm payroll jobs during the period for a total of 2,228,200 jobs, the survey showed. Government payroll declined by 100 jobs and the private sector increased by 2,300.
The labor force increased 5,300 to 2,691,800 and total employment increased 14,300, the survey said.
The increase in total employment was greater than the increase in labor force, causing the number of unemployed to decline by 9,000.
The national unemployment rate increased from 8.8 percent to 9 percent over the same period.
“The increase in payroll jobs and decrease in the unemployment rate is encouraging news,” said state labor executive director Ellen Golombek. “We would like to see these trends continue for several months before reading too much into the numbers.”
