Mesa County Unemployment Still Higher Than the State Average

Colorado's job market is mixed with some growth, but not all of the state is experiencing it at the same rate.

According to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), employers added 2,500 non-farm payroll in January and February. This is the 52nd month of payroll gains in the state

The report said statewide, unemployment decreased 0.20 percent in February bringing Colorado's unemployment rate to 3.0 percent.

For Mesa County, the unemployment rate dropped from 5.6 percent to 5.4 percent from January 2016 to February 2016. Western Colorado is seeing a reduction in unemployment similar to the Front Range.  However, the percentage of people unemployed is higher than the both the statewide and national average.

The CDLE report shows the largest growth over the year came from jobs in health services, education leisure and hospitality. Jobs in mining and logging declined.