Press Release: Colorado Employment Situation – June 2026

Nonfarm Payroll Jobs Increase by 4,800 in June; Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 3.9 Percent

Household survey data

• According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 1,200 to 124,800 from May to June. Colorado's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged over the same time period at 3.9 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.2 percent from May to June.
  
• Colorado's labor force decreased by 12,900 in June to 3,193,300. The share of Coloradans participating in the labor force was 65.6 percent in June, three-tenths of a percentage point lower than in May. This marks the lowest labor force participation rate since July 2020. The U.S. labor force participation rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point to 61.5 percent in June.
  
• The number of individuals employed in Colorado decreased by 11,800 in June to 3,068,500, which represents 63.0 percent of the state's 16+ population. Colorado's employment-population ratio of 63.0 percent in June decreased three-tenths of a percentage point from June. The national employment-population ratio decreased two-tenths of a percentage point from the month prior to 59.0 percent in June.

Establishment survey data

• Employers in Colorado gained 4,800 nonfarm payroll jobs from May to June for a total of 2,970,800 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs increased by 4,700, while government increased by 100.
  
• May estimates were revised down to 2,966,000, and the over the month change from April to May was a decrease of 900 jobs rather than the originally estimated decrease of 400 (monthly revisions are based on additional responses from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates).
  
• The private industry sectors with significant over the month job gains in June were: leisure and hospitality (≈4,000), construction (≈1,500), other services (≈1,200) and manufacturing (≈1,000). The private industry sectors with significant over the month job losses were: trade, transportation, and utilities (≈1,700) and information (≈1,700).
  
• Since June 2025, nonfarm payroll jobs have increased by 28,600, with the private sector increasing by 29,700 and government decreasing by 1,100 jobs. The largest private sector job gains were in education and health services (≈20,800), leisure and hospitality (≈13,000), construction (≈6,100), and professional and business services (≈4,000). During that same period, payroll jobs declined in information (≈5,300), financial activities (≈4,500), other services (≈2,200), and manufacturing (≈1,100). Colorado's rate of job growth over the past year is 1.0 percent, above the U.S. rate of 0.3 percent.
  
• Over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 33.9 to 33.5 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $39.15 to $39.33, one dollar and sixty-nine cents more than the national average hourly earnings of $37.64.

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Informational Section

All Colorado estimates from the establishment and household surveys, including greater geographic detail, are available at Colorado LMI Gateway. Estimates for all states and the nation are available at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For data visualizations, visit CDLE's Labor Market Information on Tableau.

The July 2026 Colorado Employment Situation will be released at 8:00 AM on Friday, August 21, 2026. The full schedule of release dates for calendar year 2026 estimates is available at Labor Market Information.

Technical Notes

This release provides information on industry employment and labor force statistics for June 2026, the most current estimates available from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The reference period for the establishment survey was the pay period or week that includes the 12th of the month.

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.

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 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.

Resources Mentioned

June 2026 Press Release