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Job Gains In Colorado Highest Since 2011

Nick Dawson
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Flickr - Creative Commons

Colorado added nearly 14,000 payroll jobs in April, marking the largest spike of monthly employment since 2011. It’s not just job availability either, Coloradans are working less and getting paid more, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Most of the job gains come from the rising business, leisure and hospitality fields. Those job categories make up 32.5 percent of the job growth between March and April.

Economic research by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reveals that the average worker’s hourly earnings in Colorado increased from $25.49 to $26.25 over the year. The typical workweek dropped from 34.4 to 34.2 hours.

Most of the job gains come from the rising business, leisure and hospitality fields. Those job categories make up 32.5 percent of the job growth between March and April.

The trend of rising jobs and lower unemployment rates spans across the country. Research from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 43 states saw a decline in unemployment, including Colorado.

Colorado Department of Labor and Employment economist Alexandra Hall says the unemployment rate hasn’t been this low since right before the 2008 recession.

“Colorado has just had month after month now, over the past year and a half or so, of pretty solid, steady growth – even strong growth,” Hall said. “This is the 30th consecutive month in Colorado of payroll job gains.”

The national unemployment rate hovers at 6.3 percent while Colorado’s rate dropped to 6 percent. Prospects are even rosier in Wyoming where unemployment there is the fourth lowest in the nation at 3.7 percent, right after Nebraska, Vermont and North Dakota.

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