December 2025

Released January 27, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 22.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in Hawaii and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 23 states and fell in 27. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Delaware and Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Kansas and Nebraska.

Colorado

Employment snapshot

• In December, Colorado added 1,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 3.8 percent. In the prior month, Colorado added 1,300 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Colorado added 23,000 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.8 percentage points from 4.6 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Colorado is tied for 17th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Colorado’s private sector added 300 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 18,900 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Colorado added 900 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Colorado fell by 1,298, and over the past 12 months it rose by 6,112.

• Colorado’s labor force participation rate fell to 66.9 percent in December from 67 percent and ranks 9th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 1 percentage point.

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Colorado

Payroll employment

• Colorado added 1,200 net payroll jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Colorado added 1,300 jobs. Colorado nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Colorado is tied for 17th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Colorado added 300 private sector jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Colorado added 900 jobs. Colorado private sector payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 37,000 jobs in December, or 0 percent. Colorado is tied for 18th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From November 2025 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+2,800) and Manufacturing (+1,400).
• The worst performing sectors were Leisure and Hospitality (-2,300) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,800).

From December 2024 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+14,700) and State and Local Government (+9,900).
• The worst performing sectors were Federal Government (-5,800) and Financial Activities (-3,300).

Colorado

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Colorado fell to 66.9 percent in December from 67 percent in the prior month.

• Colorado ranks 9th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Colorado was 68.8 percent occurring in November 2019, and the 10-year low was 65.4 percent in July 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4 percent in December.