The economy continues to sputter in Colorado. New numbers released by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment show the unemployment rate rising at the same time 4,000 people stopped looking for work.
Reports the Denver Business Journal:
Colorado in April saw its smallest monthly gain in payroll jobs since last December, and the state's unemployment rate ticked up a 10th of a point, to 7.9 percent, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported Friday.
…And 1,100 of the 1,200 payroll jobs added last month were in government, with just a net gain of 100 jobs in private business. Colorado payroll jobs totaled 2.292 million in April, CDLE reported.
…The state's civilian labor force — people employed plus unemployed people actively seeking work — fell by 4,000 last month, to 2.731 million, and the number of unemployed grew by 2,200, to 216,000, not counting people not actively seeking a job, the household survey indicated.
These numbers paint a strikingly bad picture of the economy in Colorado. Normally when large numbers of people stop looking for work that helps decrease the unemployment rate since those people aren't counted in the rate. In this case, it was an economic double whammy with people leaving the work force and those still in it increasingly out of a job.
To make matters worse, of the jobs that were created only 8.33%, or 100 of the 1,200 jobs, were in the private sector. The rest were government jobs.
The RNC weighed in this morning via press release saying:
"It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Obama Administration’s spending and borrowing spree isn’t giving any hope to the thousands of workers in Colorado who can’t pay their bills and have stopped looking for work altogether. Despite this, President Obama is committed to doubling down on these same failed economic policies in Washington that have already given American families the worst long-term unemployment situation in decades.”
If the economy continues along this disastrous path, Barack Obama can kiss Colorado's nine electoral votes goodbye.
And since the press loves to gush on Hickenlooper, maybe someone could ask the Good Governor for a comment on the Colorado economy that is retreating on his watch.
No?
Won’t do that? Might ruin your “Hickenlooper is Amazing” storyline?
Ok, sorry, Colorado press. Nevermind.