PRESS RELEASE

Colorado Department of Labor and Employment • 633 17^th Street, Suite 1200 • Denver, CO 80202 • (303) 318-8004 • Fax: (303) 318-8070

For Immediate Release

Date: January 22, 2010/ 9:00 A.M.

Contact: Office of Government and Public Relations

Phone: (303) 318-8004

Fax: (303) 318-8070

Web: http://lmigateway.coworkforce.com/lmigateway/

COLORADO LABOR FORCE DEVELOPMENTS

December 2009

Labor Force[i]

Colorado’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased six-tenths of one percentage point to 7.5 percent in December according to Donald J. Mares, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. “In addition to anticipated weakness in retail trade, employment in December was affected by a particularly severe cold snap,” said Mares. Last December the unemployment rate was 5.8 percent.

The number of working Coloradans fell 22,100 over the month to 2,458,300 out of a civilian labor force of 2,656,700. The number of residents unsuccessfully seeking work rose 14,900 to 198,400. Last December, total employment was 2,591,400, the civilian labor force was 2,751,300 and the number of unemployed was 159,900.

December is typically a month of rising unemployment in those counties not home to major winter recreation activities. The unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 55 of Colorado’s 64 counties, declined in seven and remained unchanged in two. The lowest rate was 2.8 percent in Cheyenne County and the highest was 17.0 percent in Dolores County. In December 2008, the unemployment rate increased in 46 counties, declined in 15 and was unchanged in three. Last year, the lowest rate was 2.3 percent in Yuma County and the highest was 10.3 percent in Dolores County.

Wage and Salary Employment[ii]

The monthly survey of Colorado business establishments indicates nonfarm wage and salary jobs (not seasonally adjusted) increased 2,500 in December to 2,249,000.

Employment increased in six of Colorado’s eleven major industry sectors over the month. Leisure and hospitality payrolls increased 10,800, primarily due to winter recreation activities. Trade, transportation and utilities added 3,300 jobs, driven by weaker than usual seasonal gains in retail trade and transportation, financial activities gained 2,100 and other services 400. Education and health services and mining and logging added 200 and 100 jobs, respectively. Construction continued to decline with losses of 7,500 jobs and government declined 4,100, with about half of the decrease occurring due to seasonal declines in education. Professional and business services was down 2,500 jobs and information declined 300. Manufacturing payrolls remained unchanged for the second consecutive month.

Nonfarm payroll employment decreased over the year by 3.8 percent, or 87,700, from the December 2008 level of 2,336,700.

Employment in two of Colorado’s eleven major industry sectors increased over the year. Education and health services added 6,300 jobs and government increased 2,700. Goods-producing industries accounted for slightly less than half of the job losses during the past year. Employment in construction was down 22,600, manufacturing declined 12,100 and mining and logging was down 6,300. Trade, transportation and utilities and professional and business services declined 15,800 and 15,000, respectively. Other losses included leisure and hospitality (9,300), financial activities (7,400), information (4,400), and other services (3,800).

The annual average unemployment rate for 2009 in Colorado was 7.3 percent, an increase from 4.9 percent in 2008. Nonfarm job losses for 2009 are estimated to be 89,300 or 3.8 percent. This marks the highest percent job loss since 1944.

Revised labor force and wage and salary employment data, as well as data for January 2010, will be released March 10, 2010. In October 2009 the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced preliminary estimates of a downward revision to national employment estimates. The Department of Labor and Employment anticipates a similar downward revision to Colorado 2009 employment estimates.

National[iii]

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 10.0 percent and nonfarm payroll employment declined 85,000 in December. Employment declined in construction, manufacturing, and wholesale trade, while health care and temporary help services added jobs. Temporary help services has added 166,000 jobs since July 2009.