Department of Numbers

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Denver fell 0.2 percentage points in August 2021 to 6.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points higher than the Colorado rate. The unemployment rate in Denver peaked in April 2020 at 12.4% and is now 6.4 percentage points lower. You can also compare Denver unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate August 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 5.2% -0.2 -3.2
Colorado 5.9% -0.2 -1.2
Denver 6.0% -0.2 -1.6
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with August 2021 data as September metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Denver, Colorado, National

Denver, Colorado monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Denver, Colorado Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Denver peaked in May 2020 at 205,152. There are now 101,955 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Denver employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Denver, Colorado) is also available.

Unemployed Persons August 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Denver 103,197 -3,507 -23,531

Number of Unemployed Persons

Denver, Colorado Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Colorado
Unemployment Rate		 Denver
Unemployment Rate		 Denver
Unemployed
September
2021		 4.8% 5.6% — —
August
2021		 5.2% 5.9% 6.0% 103,197
July
2021		 5.4% 6.1% 6.2% 106,704
June
2021		 5.9% 6.2% 6.3% 108,804
May
2021		 5.8% 6.2% 6.5% 110,972
April
2021		 6.1% 6.4% 6.6% 113,705
March
2021		 6.0% 6.4% 6.8% 115,422
February
2021		 6.2% 6.4% 6.9% 117,776
January
2021		 6.3% 6.6% 7.1% 120,927
December
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 7.3% 123,582
November
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 7.3% 123,278
October
2020		 6.9% 6.9% 7.3% 123,305

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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