DENVER (AP) -- Labor officials say Colorado experienced its first year over year drop in the number of job seekers since October 2007 with 209,800 people looking for work last month, compared with 211,700 in March 2009.
Labor officials say the jobless rate in March was 7.9 percent, up 0.2 percent from February's 7.7 percent. Executive director of the state's Department of Labor and Employment Donald Mares says an improving economy encouraging more people to enter the workforce contributed to the unemployment rate.
Adjusting for seasonal differences, there were 2.44 million working Coloradans last month, compared with 2.52 million a year before.
The federal government led the way in growth with its hiring of temporary Census workers, while construction showed the biggest decline with 2,600 lost jobs.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKXRM