COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO -- The Colorado Springs area unemployment rate rose in August for a fourth consecutive month, climbing to the highest level in 14 months as payrolls remained flat.

The 8.9 percent rate is the highest since June 2009 and the 27,336 area residents looking for work were the third highest total ever, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported Tuesday. The area's jobless rate was 8.8 percent in July and 8.3 percent in August 2009; it's now just 0.1 percentage points below the nine percent rate reached in June 2009, the highest in more than 10 years.

Area payrolls remained unchanged from July at 243,500 in August, down 1.3 percent from a year earlier and just 500 above April's level. The 243,000 area residents on payrolls in April were the least for any month in at least 10 years. Payrolls in August declined from a year ago in every sector of the area's economy except health care and government, with the largest declines reported in the construction and manufacturing industries.

The statewide unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent in August from eight percent in July and was at the highest level since June 2009 after remaining unchanged for four consecutive month. Statewide payrolls fell for a third consecutive month to 2.19 million and are now at the lowest level in nearly six years, with declines from the previous month in most sectors of Colorado's economy.

Detailed breakdown of Colorado Springs unemployment history 

Monthly Colorado Springs unemployment rates dating back to 1990