September 20, 2024
Experts:
Employers in Colorado added 7,400 jobs in August. The private sector grew by 7,700 while government employment decreased by 300. This follows a downward revision of July’s job numbers. Initially, Colorado was reported to have added 4,800 jobs in July, however revisions lowered this number to just 800 jobs.
While previous months had seen job growth spread amongst the various sectors, August’s growth was largely fueled by the state’s education and health services sector which grew by 3,000 jobs in August, and by the professional and business services sector which added 2,900 jobs. The decline in government employment was the first decrease in 13 months for the public sector.
Colorado’s unemployment rate yet again ticked higher to 4.0%. The increase is the sixth in the last nine months and brings the state’s unemployment rate to its highest level since January of 2022. The national unemployment rate decreased by .1 percentage points to 4.2% between July and August. Meanwhile, Colorado’s labor force participation rate held steady at 67.9% for the fourth straight month.
Colorado’s manufacturing employment declined by 100 jobs in August marking the third straight month of job losses for the sector.
Key Findings—Colorado August 2024 Employment Data
According to the BLS survey of establishments (CES), Colorado’s employment-to-population ratio has exceeded its pre-pandemic level since January 2023.
According to the BLS survey of households (LAUS), which captures both traditional jobs and self-employment, Colorado has never recovered to its pre-pandemic employment-to-population ratio.
A Deeper Dive into Colorado Industries (BLS CES Survey)
Employers added 7,400 jobs in August. The private sector added 7,700.
- The trade, transportation, and utilities sector gained 700 jobs, and the manufacturing sector lost 100.
- The public sector lost 300 jobs, despite state government employment rising by 800.
The leisure and hospitality industry added 600 jobs in the month of August.
- Employment in Colorado’s education and health services sector, which declined in the previous four months, increased by 3,000 jobs in August.
- The state’s construction sector added 1,300 jobs in August.
The pandemic caused a major shock to the composition of Colorado’s job market in early 2020 and may have induced some structural change in the long run.
Colorado Labor Force Update
Colorado’s LFPR (labor force participation rate) remained at 67.9% in August for the fourth straight month. Nationally, LFPR remained the same for the second month in a row at 62.7%.