La Plata County’s unemployment rate dropped more than the state’s jobless rate in March, according to statistics released by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
The unemployment rate in Colorado dipped to 9.2 percent in March, as employers added about 500 nonfarm payroll jobs during the month, the labor department said Tuesday. The state’s unemployment rate was 9.3 percent in February.
In La Plata County, the trend was even more exaggerated, with unemployment dropping to 7.8 percent in March from 8.4 percent in February. In March 2010, unemployment was 8.3 percent.
The county’s numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, however, because they are not seasonally adjusted, said Fort Lewis College economics professor Robert Sonora.
The drop in unemployment could be caused by a renewed increase in seasonal industries such as construction, forestry and tourism, rather than a true improvement in the economy here, Sonora said.
In general, Durango’s unemployment numbers follow a sawtooth pattern because the economy waxes and wanes so dramatically with the seasons, Sonora said.
Right now, it’s hard to say whether the local statistics signal a larger trend in the county’s unemployment rate, he said.
“I’ll know it when I see it,” he said.
La Plata County’s unemployment rate historically has been lower than the state average over the last few years, Sonora said. Strong levels of local construction, a boom in the oil and gas industry, and tourism over the last decade have generally put the county on better footing, he said.
Overall, the state lost an estimated 600 private-sector jobs in March but gained 1,100 government payroll jobs, the Department of Labor and Employment said.
About 2.44 million Coloradans are working, down from 2.46 million in March 2010, when the unemployment rate was 9 percent. About 246,000 Coloradans are looking for work, up from nearly 244,000 a year ago.
However, Coloradans are earning slightly more per hour than a year ago, the department said.
Employees on private, nonfarm payrolls worked an average 34 hours a week, up from 33.5 hours a year ago, and average hourly earnings were $23.88, up from $23.76, the department said.
Nationally, the unemployment rate fell to a two-year low of 8.8 percent in March, down from 9.7 percent in the year-ago period.
Economists say Colorado was late to enter the recession and has been behind the nation in recovering.
