Unemployment on the decrease in recent months in the county

RBC I The unemployment rate in Rio Blanco County in April has fallen in the last two months, and the total number is more than 1 percent below the rate from one year ago.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reports that statewide, non-farm payroll jobs increased by 13,900 over the month from March to April to 2,438,100 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased by 13,300 jobs and government increased by 600. Colorado has had 30 consecutive months of payroll job gains.
The April state unemployment rate was 5.6 percent compared to 6.6 percent in March of this year and April 2013.
In April this year, Rio Blanco County had an eligible labor force of 4,563 workers and a total workforce of 4,372 employees. It had 191 unemployed and carried an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.
In March, Rio Blanco had an eligible work force of 4,560 workers and an active workforce of 4,319. There were 241 unemployed in Rio Blanco County in July and the county had an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent.
In April 2013, Rio Blanco had an eligible work force of 4,178 with 3,939 active workers. There were 239 unemployed and the county had an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent.
According to the survey of households statewide, the unemployment rate decreased two tenths of a percentage point in April to 6.0 percent. The last time the Colorado unemployment rate was 6.0 percent or lower was November 2008, when the rate was 5.7 percent.
The number of people participating in the labor force increased 8,900 over the month and the number of people reporting themselves as employed increased 14,400.
The larger increase in total employment than in the labor force caused the number of unemployed workers to decrease 5,600 and the unemployment rate to decline to 6.0 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased four tenths of a percentage point to 6.3 percent.
The CDLE reports also that over the past year, the average workweek for all employees on private non-farm payrolls decreased from 34.4 to 34.2 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $25.49 to $26.25.
The largest over-the-month private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and professional and business services. The largest over the month decline was in other services.
Over the past year, non-farm payroll jobs increased by 70,800 positions; private-sector payroll jobs increased by 65,300 and government jobs rose by 5,500. The largest private sector job gains were in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and education and health services. There were no significant over-the-year declines.
Over the year, the unemployment rate declined nine tenths of one percentage point from 6.9 percent in April 2013. The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 43,300, total employment increased 67,400 and the number of unemployed decreased 24,100.
The national unemployment rate declined from 7.5 percent in April 2013 to 6.3 percent in April 2014.
All Colorado estimates from the establishment and household surveys, including greater geographic detail, are available at: www.colmigateway.com.
Nonfarm payroll jobs estimates are based on a survey of business establishments and government agencies, and are intended to measure the number of jobs, not the number of people employed. Other series based on this survey include private sector average weekly hours, average hourly earnings and average weekly earnings.
The unemployment rate, labor force, labor force participation, total employment and the number of unemployed are based on a survey of households. The total employment estimate derived from this survey is intended to measure the number of people employed.
The business establishment survey covers about seven times the number of households surveyed and is therefore considered a more reliable indicator of economic conditions.
Because the estimates are based on two separate surveys, one measuring jobs by worksite and the other measuring persons employed and unemployed by household, estimates based on these surveys may provide seemingly conflicting results, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment states.