Summit County unemployment high, but holding steady
No dramatic changes since 2009/10
While Summit County unemployment rates are indicative of a recession, month-to-month employment patterns are holding steady. The county's unemployment rate fell from 9.1 percent in June to 8.0 in July, according to a recently released report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
The decrease is normal for Summit County and other resort areas over those months, since many employers are still busy hiring for the summer season in June, according to Joe Winter, a senior economist with the state labor department.
But, the numbers do indicate the country, and the county, is still in a rocky place employment-wise: Rates fell from 3.1 to 2.8 percent from June to July in 2007, and then from 4.2 to 3.9 in 2008. When the economy started to tank in 2009, Summit unemployment rates were 9.2 in June and 7.6 in July.
Summit's unemployment rates may be high, but they do line up with statewide numbers: In June, Colorado's rate was 8.8 percent. In July, it decreased slightly to 8.5.
Meanwhile, as more people become unemployed or underemployed, the use of local social service programs increases. While there were big spikes in the use of programs locally from 2009-2010, assistant county manager Scott Vargo says he hasn't seen a dramatic change since then.
“It sounds like it's really stabilized and in a few areas, the activity level seems to have gone down a bit,” he said.
“We're busy on both ends of it: from applicants coming in and placing job orders from the employers standpoint,” Lucian Burt, labor and employment specialist at the Frisco Workforce Center said. A Job Seekers' Boot Camp hosted by state Rep. Millie Hamner (D-Dillon) last week was fairly well-attended by both job seekers and employers.
But, the workforce doesn't see the whole picture, Burt said.
“What we see is the people that know about us,” he said. “If they don't know about us we don't see it. We're trying to get the word out that we're here and can help people find jobs.”
In July, Summit County's labor force was 15,231; 14,008 of those were employed and 1,223 were unemployed, according to the labor department's report. The underemployment rate is not measured.
The decrease is normal for Summit County and other resort areas over those months, since many employers are still busy hiring for the summer season in June, according to Joe Winter, a senior economist with the state labor department.
But, the numbers do indicate the country, and the county, is still in a rocky place employment-wise: Rates fell from 3.1 to 2.8 percent from June to July in 2007, and then from 4.2 to 3.9 in 2008. When the economy started to tank in 2009, Summit unemployment rates were 9.2 in June and 7.6 in July.
Summit's unemployment rates may be high, but they do line up with statewide numbers: In June, Colorado's rate was 8.8 percent. In July, it decreased slightly to 8.5.
Meanwhile, as more people become unemployed or underemployed, the use of local social service programs increases. While there were big spikes in the use of programs locally from 2009-2010, assistant county manager Scott Vargo says he hasn't seen a dramatic change since then.
“It sounds like it's really stabilized and in a few areas, the activity level seems to have gone down a bit,” he said.
“We're busy on both ends of it: from applicants coming in and placing job orders from the employers standpoint,” Lucian Burt, labor and employment specialist at the Frisco Workforce Center said. A Job Seekers' Boot Camp hosted by state Rep. Millie Hamner (D-Dillon) last week was fairly well-attended by both job seekers and employers.
But, the workforce doesn't see the whole picture, Burt said.
“What we see is the people that know about us,” he said. “If they don't know about us we don't see it. We're trying to get the word out that we're here and can help people find jobs.”
In July, Summit County's labor force was 15,231; 14,008 of those were employed and 1,223 were unemployed, according to the labor department's report. The underemployment rate is not measured.
Statewide
The largest over the month private sector job gains in July were in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services and manufacturing. The largest declines were in construction, trade, transportation and utilities.
The labor force decreased by 7,600 to 2,674,400 and total employment decreased 5,300 to 2,447,900, causing the number of unemployed to drop 2,300. While the number of unemployed and labor force declined, the ratio of unemployed to the labor force remained unchanged as reflected in the unemployment rate.
The national unemployment rate decreased from 9.2 to 9.1 percent over the same period.
The labor force decreased by 7,600 to 2,674,400 and total employment decreased 5,300 to 2,447,900, causing the number of unemployed to drop 2,300. While the number of unemployed and labor force declined, the ratio of unemployed to the labor force remained unchanged as reflected in the unemployment rate.
The national unemployment rate decreased from 9.2 to 9.1 percent over the same period.
