Home

Routt County's unemployment rate increased from 6 percent in March to 7.6 percent in April. That figure is not adjusted for typical seasonal employment changes.

"That's quite a jump," said Brian Bradbury, an employment specialist at the Colorado Workforce Center. It could reflect an adjustment from ski season to mud season in the area, he acknowledged.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Colorado decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.4 percent in April, Donald Mares, executive director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, said in a news release.

"While this marks the first time since October 2007 that the unemployment rate has fallen, continued job losses will likely push Colorado's unemployment rate still higher in the upcoming months," Mares said in the release. Colorado's rate was 4.7 percent a year ago.

Moffat County's unemployment rate decreased to 6.7 percent from 7.1 percent in March, Bradbury said. Moffat's labor force is about 8,500, and Routt County's is about 15,000, he said. Dolores County reported the highest April rate, 14.9 percent, and Cheyenne County had the lowest rate, 3.3 percent.

The April numbers reflect 1,144 unemployed people in Routt, he said. Those numbers are only part of the picture of how the recession has affected county employees, Bradbury said.

"That's not the real story," he said. "There's people that have lost their benefits, been denied their benefits, where their jobs have gone from full time to part time."

The Workforce Center is putting on a resource fair for job seekers from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Olympian Hall. Those who need help also can visit the center's office at 425 Anglers Drive.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment offers a Web site, www.coworkforce.com, to help people with unemployment benefits. Those filing new claims also can call 1-866-422-0401. People who have old claims, who have questions or who need to reopen existing claims can call 1-800-388-5515.