Press Release: Colorado Employment Situation — June 2025

Nonfarm Payroll Jobs Decrease by 1,500 in June;
Unemployment Rate Decreases to 4.7 Percent

Household survey data

• According to the survey of households, the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 3,400 to 155,300 from May to June. Colorado's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point over the same time period to 4.7 percent. The national unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.1 percent from May to June.
  
• Colorado's labor force increased by 200 in June to 3,282,900. The share of Coloradans participating in the labor force was 67.7 percent in June, unchanged from the month prior. The U.S. labor force participation rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 62.3 percent in June.
  
• The number of individuals employed in Colorado increased by 3,600 in June to 3,127,700, which represents 64.5 percent of the state's 16+ population. Colorado's employment-population ratio of 64.5 percent in June remained unchanged from the month prior. The national employment-population ratio of 59.7 percent remained unchanged from the month prior.

Establishment survey data

• Employers in Colorado lost 1,500 nonfarm payroll jobs from May to June for a total of 2,984,600 jobs, according to the survey of business establishments. Private sector payroll jobs decreased by 1,600, while government gained 100 jobs.
  
• May estimates were revised down to 2,986,100, and the over the month change from April to May was a decrease of 2,400 jobs rather than the originally estimated increase of 3,400 (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 (≈3,000), information (≈1,600), and professional and business services (≈1,000). The private industry sectors with significant over the month job losses was: trade, transportation, and utilities (≈2,500), educational and health services (≈1,400), construction (≈1,300), and other services (≈1,000).
  
• Since June 2024, nonfarm payroll jobs have increased 10,600, with the private sector increasing by 600 and government adding 10,000 jobs. The largest private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality (≈10,800), educational and health services (≈7,200), and information (≈4,000). During that same period, payroll jobs declined in trade, transportation, and utilities (≈8,200), construction (≈5,100), financial activities (≈3,000), professional and business services (≈2,800), and other services (≈2,800). Colorado's rate of job growth over the past year is 0.4 percent, below the U.S. rate of 1.1 percent.
  
• Over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls decreased from 34.2 to 33.8 hours, while average hourly earnings grew from $37.82 to $39.19, two dollars and eighty-nine cents more than the national average hourly earnings of $36.30.

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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 2025 Colorado Employment Situation will be released at 8:00 AM on Friday, August 15, 2025. The full schedule of release dates for calendar year 2025 estimates is available at Labor Market Information.

Technical Notes

This release provides information on industry employment and labor force statistics for June 2025, 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 2025 Press Release