DENVER – Colorado’s unemployment rate crept up slightly in September and now stands at 2.5 percent, a one-tenth of a percentage point increase from a record-low 2.4 percent in August.
The increase in unemployment claims comes as employers in Colorado added 4,000 nonfarm payroll jobs from August to September for a total of 2,656,200 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased 8,100 and government decreased 4,100.
The increase in Colorado’s unemployment rate can be attributed to a substantial increase in the number of people actively participating in the labor force compared to the number of people reporting themselves as employed, which increased by more than 14,000.
The largest over the month private sector job gains were in professional and business services, and education and health services. The largest over the month declines were in trade, transportation, and utilities, other services, and financial activities.
The national unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage point in September to 4.2 percent.
