West region · state data
Colorado unemployment rate and jobs
Colorado's unemployment rate was 4.1% in Sep 2026, 0.1 percentage points below the U.S. rate of 4.2%. That was up from 3.8% a year earlier.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Employment Statistics) via FRED®. Monthly data, seasonally adjusted. Latest observation Sep 2026; snapshot taken Oct 27, 2026, 2:15 AM EDT.
Unemployment rate (Sep 2026)
4.1%
U.S. rate, same month
4.2%
Difference from U.S.
-0.1 pt
A year earlier
3.8%
Rank (1 = lowest rate)
31st of 51
Nonfarm jobs (Sep 2026)
2.97 million
Job growth, 12 months
+0.4%
Record low rate
2.4% (May 2017)
Unemployment rate: Colorado vs. the U.S.
4.1% Sep 2026 · Percent
Colorado unemployment rate U.S. unemployment rate
Percent of the labor force, seasonally adjusted. Colorado data from Jan 1976 to Sep 2026; the dashed line is the national rate (UNRATE).
How Colorado compares
In Sep 2026, Colorado had the 21st highest rate of the 51 states and DC. Across the 13 states in the West region, the simple average was 4.1%, so Colorado was right at the regional average.
Since the state series began in 1976, Colorado's rate has ranged from a low of 2.4% in May 2017 to a high of 11.7% in May 2020. Just before the pandemic, in February 2020, it was 3.2%, 0.9 points lower than now. Over the last 12 months the rate averaged 3.9% and was above the national rate in 0 of them.
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Jobs in Colorado
Employers in Colorado reported 2.97 million nonfarm payroll jobs in Sep 2026, seasonally adjusted. That is 11,200 more than a year earlier (+0.4%), compared with +0.3% for the nation as a whole. Its 12-month job growth rate ranked 28th of 51. The record high was 2.98 million in Jun 2024. Compared with February 2020, payrolls are up 5.5%.
2,973.8K Sep 2026 · Thousands of persons
Total nonfarm payroll jobs, thousands, seasonally adjusted, from the BLS survey of employers. Data from Jan 1990.
| Month | Unemployment rate | U.S. rate | Nonfarm jobs | Monthly job change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 4.1% | 4.2% | 2.97 million | +2,400 |
| Aug 2026 | 4.0% | 4.1% | 2.97 million | -300 |
| Jul 2026 | 3.9% | 4.1% | 2.97 million | +3,800 |
| Jun 2026 | 3.9% | 4.2% | 2.97 million | +1,900 |
| May 2026 | 3.9% | 4.3% | 2.97 million | -900 |
| Apr 2026 | 3.9% | 4.3% | 2.97 million | +10,900 |
| Mar 2026 | 3.9% | 4.3% | 2.96 million | +2,800 |
| Feb 2026 | 3.9% | 4.4% | 2.95 million | -7,500 |
| Jan 2026 | 3.9% | 4.3% | 2.96 million | +1,300 |
| Dec 2025 | 3.8% | 4.4% | 2.96 million | -1,700 |
| Nov 2025 | 3.8% | 4.5% | 2.96 million | -1,500 |
| Sep 2025 | 3.8% | 4.4% | 2.96 million | -1,100 |
Record high unemployment rate: 11.7% (May 2020). Monthly figures are revised each year when BLS benchmarks the state data.
States with similar unemployment rates
Other West states
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This page shows public labor market data for general information. It is not financial or career advice and does not predict future values.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in Colorado [COUR], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/COUR, Oct 27, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees: Total Nonfarm in Colorado [CONA], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CONA, Oct 27, 2026.
- View COUR on FRED® · View CONA on FRED® · BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · BLS State and Metro Area Employment
FRED® is a registered trademark of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Neither the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis nor the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics endorses OpenEcon.
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