Employers in Colorado added 2,200 nonfarm payroll jobs from March to April for a total of 2,228,200 jobs, according to the survey of establishments. Government declined by 100 payroll jobs and the private sector increased by 2,300.
The unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point to 8.8% based on household survey results. The labor force increased 5,300 to 2,691,800 and total employment increased 14,300. 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 to 9.0 percent over the same period.
“The increase in payroll jobs and decrease in the unemployment rate is encouraging news,” said Ellen Golombek, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. “We would like to see these trends continue for several months before reading too much into the numbers.”
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.8 to 34.2 hours and average hourly earnings remained unchanged at $23.87.
The largest over the month private sector job gains in April were in trade, transportation and utilities, other services, and leisure and hospitality. The largest decline was in construction.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 8,200 with an increase of 11,700 in the private sector and a decline of 3,500 in government. The largest job gains were in education and health services, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and trade, transportation and utilities. The largest declines were in construction, information and financial activities.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is down two-tenths of one percentage point from 9.0 percent in April 2010. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force declined 10,100, total employment declined 4,800 and the number of unemployed decreased 5,300. The national unemployment rate declined from 9.8 to 9.0 percent from April 2010 to 2011.
Prairie Gateway re-branded to Victory Crossing {Commerce City}
Commerce City "We need to be sure that we are not left behind in ED..."
Will we ever see Development @ the Prairie Gateway site in Commerce City, CO??? It has been years since the Commerce City Civic Center and Rapids stadium have been built and still no economic development. I guess patience is really a virtue.
