April 2026 | Released May 22, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In April, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 15, rose in 9, and remained unchanged in 27.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in April.

• In April, payroll jobs rose in 42 states and fell in 9. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in New Mexico. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.4 percent in North Dakota.

Colorado

Employment snapshot

• In April, Colorado added 11,800 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.9 percent. In the prior month, Colorado added 2,800 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Colorado added 3,900 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points from 4.2 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 115,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Colorado is tied for 22nd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In April, Colorado’s private sector added 12,000 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 6,600 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Colorado added 3,000 net private payroll jobs.

• In April, employment in Colorado fell by 11,549, and over the past 12 months it fell by 40,297.

• Colorado’s labor force participation rate fell to 66.1 percent in April from 66.3 percent and is tied for 9th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 1.3 percentage points.

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Colorado

Payroll employment

• Colorado added 11,800 net payroll jobs, or 0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Colorado added 2,800 jobs. Colorado nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 115,000 in April, or 0.1 percent. Colorado is tied for 22nd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Colorado added 12,000 private sector jobs, or 0.5 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during April. In the prior month, Colorado added 3,000 jobs. Colorado private sector payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 123,000 jobs in April, or 0.1 percent. Colorado is tied for 23rd in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From March 2026 to April 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+4,700) and Private Education and Health Services (+3,900).
• The worst performing sectors were Information (-300) and Mining and Logging (-300).

From April 2025 to April 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+19,200) and Construction (+3,800).
• The worst performing sectors were Federal Government (-5,900) and Financial Activities (-3,900).

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 66.1 percent in April from 66.3 percent in the prior month.

• Colorado is tied for 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 61.8 percent in April.