Department of Numbers

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Denver fell 0.0 percentage points in February 2021 to 6.7%. 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 12.3% and is now 5.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 6.6% in November 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Denver 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
Denver 6.7% 0.0 +4.3
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: 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 April 2020 at 201,537. There are now 87,755 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 112,210 in September 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,572. Denver employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Denver, Colorado) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Denver 113,782 -314 +72,486

Number of Unemployed Persons

Denver, Colorado Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Colorado
Unemployment Rate		 Denver
Unemployment Rate		 Denver
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 6.6% 6.7% 113,782
January
2021		 6.3% 6.6% 6.7% 114,096
December
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 8.5% 147,691
November
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 6.6% 112,772
October
2020		 6.9% 6.9% 6.7% 113,337
September
2020		 7.8% 7.0% 6.7% 112,210
August
2020		 8.4% 7.1% 7.2% 120,779
July
2020		 10.2% 7.4% 7.9% 130,556
June
2020		 11.1% 11.3% 11.0% 186,443
May
2020		 13.3% 11.6% 10.6% 174,016
April
2020		 14.8% 12.1% 12.3% 201,537

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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