Colorado added 1,500 nonfarm job between July and August, but it was government employers who did the heavy lifting when it came to hiring, according to a monthly update Friday from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Private sector payroll jobs were flat, while the public sector added 1,500 jobs. August is typically the month when school districts get active again for the new school year and bring workers back.
The report estimated 5,900 people joined the labor force in August, but that only 900 more reported themselves as employed compared to July. That added 5,000 to the unemployment count and pushed up the unemployment rate to 2.9 percent in August, up from 2.8 percent. A year ago, the unemployment rate in Colorado was also 2.9 percent
Monthly estimates are often revised. July’s estimate of 2,800 jobs added was upgraded to 4,500 in the August report. For the year, Colorado has added a robust 72,200 jobs, with the strongest gains coming in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and trade, transportation, and utilities.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 33.8 to 33.9 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $27.46 to $28.89.
