Counties with the highest unemployment in Colorado

Written by:
Stacker
May 3, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Colorado

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Colorado using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Colorado.

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#49. Jackson County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 842 people (25 unemployed)

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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#49. Kiowa County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 821 people (25 unemployed)

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#48. Pitkin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,126 people (331 unemployed)

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#47. Lincoln County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,202 people (71 unemployed)

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#46. San Juan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 540 people (18 unemployed)

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#45. Bent County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,734 people (57 unemployed)

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#44. Gilpin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,925 people (131 unemployed)

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#43. Clear Creek County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,132 people (201 unemployed)

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#42. Prowers County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,083 people (203 unemployed)

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#41. Logan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,945 people (328 unemployed)

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#40. Park County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,569 people (379 unemployed)

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Cavan-Images // Shutterstock

#39. Elbert County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,865 people (527 unemployed)

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#38. Garfield County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 32,683 people (1,109 unemployed)

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#37. Sedgwick County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,080 people (38 unemployed)

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#36. Chaffee County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,982 people (354 unemployed)

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#35. Morgan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,110 people (534 unemployed)

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Maciej Bledowski // Shutterstock

#34. Boulder County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 204,985 people (7,104 unemployed)

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#33. Larimer County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 216,330 people (7,541 unemployed)

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#32. Teller County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,677 people (499 unemployed)

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#31. Douglas County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 208,742 people (7,534 unemployed)

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#30. Jefferson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 343,628 people (12,440 unemployed)

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#29. La Plata County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,772 people (1,145 unemployed)

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#28. Broomfield County/city

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 42,734 people (1,602 unemployed)

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#27. Arapahoe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 375,432 people (14,036 unemployed)

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#26. Custer County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,080 people (78 unemployed)

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#25. Saguache County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,278 people (126 unemployed)

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#24. Hinsdale County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 355 people (14 unemployed)

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#23. Ouray County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,350 people (92 unemployed)

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#22. Archuleta County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,603 people (261 unemployed)

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#21. Montrose County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,178 people (852 unemployed)

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#20. El Paso County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 366,562 people (14,593 unemployed)

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#19. Dolores County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,045 people (43 unemployed)

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#18. Weld County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 172,373 people (6,992 unemployed)

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#17. Denver County/city

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 437,923 people (17,820 unemployed)

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#16. Rio Blanco County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,639 people (111 unemployed)

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#15. Conejos County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,718 people (157 unemployed)

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#14. Moffat County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,012 people (304 unemployed)

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#13. Mesa County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 76,219 people (3,264 unemployed)

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#12. Adams County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 282,584 people (12,102 unemployed)

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#11. Alamosa County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,736 people (347 unemployed)

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#10. Otero County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,477 people (342 unemployed)

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#9. Delta County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,510 people (623 unemployed)

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#8. Crowley County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,329 people (65 unemployed)

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#7. Costilla County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,757 people (89 unemployed)

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#6. Pueblo County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 75,523 people (3,907 unemployed)

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#5. Montezuma County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,423 people (602 unemployed)

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#4. Rio Grande County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,000 people (275 unemployed)

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#3. Fremont County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,205 people (816 unemployed)

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#2. Las Animas County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,768 people (338 unemployed)

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#1. Huerfano County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,416 people (167 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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