Department of Numbers

Boulder, Colorado Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boulder fell 0.1 percentage points in February 2021 to 5.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than the Colorado rate. The unemployment rate in Boulder peaked in April 2020 at 9.8% and is now 4.0 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.4% in November 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Boulder unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Colorado 6.6% 0.0 +3.8
Boulder 5.8% -0.1 +3.6
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Boulder, Colorado, National

Boulder, Colorado monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Boulder, Colorado Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Boulder peaked in April 2020 at 18,847. There are now 7,524 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 10,589 in November 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 734. Boulder employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boulder, Colorado) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Boulder 11,323 -217 +7,019

Number of Unemployed Persons

Boulder, Colorado Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Colorado
Unemployment Rate		 Boulder
Unemployment Rate		 Boulder
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 6.6% 5.8% 11,323
January
2021		 6.3% 6.6% 5.9% 11,540
December
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 7.2% 14,021
November
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 5.4% 10,589
October
2020		 6.9% 6.9% 5.6% 10,781
September
2020		 7.8% 7.0% 5.7% 10,991
August
2020		 8.4% 7.1% 5.8% 11,105
July
2020		 10.2% 7.4% 6.6% 12,475
June
2020		 11.1% 11.3% 9.3% 18,369
May
2020		 13.3% 11.6% 8.5% 16,402
April
2020		 14.8% 12.1% 9.8% 18,847

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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