Nonfarm payroll jobs in Colorado increased by 8,800 from September to October to 2,254,700 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments.
Government added 900 payroll jobs and the private sector added 7,900.
According to the survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage point to 8.1%.
Some positive trends are beginning to emerge on the Colorado jobs front, said Ellen Golombek, executive director of the Colorado Dept. of Labor and Employment.
While we still have a ways to go to recover all of the jobs lost due to the Great Recession, job creation today is stronger than it was a year ago. Weve added over 30,000 jobs since the beginning of 2011.
The number of people actively participating in the labor force increased 16,300 to 2,697,700. Total employment increased 19,100 to 2,478,000, causing the number of unemployed to decline 2,800.
The national unemployment rate declined one-tenth of one percentage point over the same period to 9.0%.
Over the year, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased from 34.4 to 35.4 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $23.83 to $24.30.
The largest over the month private sector job gains in October were in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and construction.
The largest decline was in manufacturing.
Taken on a yearly basis, the statistics are also good. Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs increased 32,700 with an increase of 31,400 in the private sector and an increase of 1,300 in government.
The largest private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and trade, transportation and utilities. The largest declines were in construction, information and financial activities.
Over the year, the unemployment rate is down .8% from 8.9% in October, 2010.
The number of Coloradans participating in the labor force increased 25,000. Total employment increased 42,400 as the number of unemployed decreased 17,400.
The national unemployment rate declined from 9.7 to 9.0% from October, 2010 to October, 2011.
