Colorado lost 3,900 jobs between August and September, according to a survey of businesses released Friday.
While the government added 1,100 jobs, the private sector lost 5,000, according to the report by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Meanwhile, according to a federal survey of households, the unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percent in September to 8.3 percent. The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.1 percent.
“The numbers do reflect the general weakness in the national economy,” said Alexandra Hall, the state’s chief labor economist. “We’re still dealing with historically high levels of unemployed. The numbers still reflect the challenges in the larger economy.”
The debt crisis in Greece and Western Europe is affecting the global economy and having an impact on how many people U.S. companies hire, Hall said.
Yet locally, there have been announcements of three companies – GE Primestar Solar, Arrow Electronics Inc. and the Coleman Co. – locating headquarters or major facilities in Colorado.
“We are going week to week with hearing bright spots combined with bad news,” Hall said. “We’ve been stuck in this period for the last 18 months or so. We need more positive signs on the economy, more positive indicators.”
Nationally, the Labor Department said unemployment rates dropped in 25 states, rose in 14 and stayed the same in 11. That’s an improvement from August, when unemployment rose in 26 states.
Nevada reported the highest unemployment rate for the 16th consecutive month. It stayed at 13.4 percent for the second consecutive month. California was next. The rate there fell from 12.1 in August to 11.9 percent. Michigan had the third-highest rate, at 11.1 percent.
North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate, staying at 3.5 percent for the second straight month. Nebraska had the second-lowest rate; it fell from 4.3 percent in August to 4.2 percent.