Department of Numbers

Boulder, Colorado Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Boulder fell 0.0 percentage points in November 2023 to 3.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points lower than the Colorado rate. The unemployment rate in Boulder peaked in May 2020 at 10.0% and is now 7.0 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.3% in July 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.7 percentage points. You can also compare Boulder unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% -0.1 +0.1
Colorado 3.3% 0.0 +0.5
Boulder 3.0% 0.0 +0.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2023 data as December 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 May 2020 at 19,093. There are now 12,822 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 4,650 in August 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,621. Boulder employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Boulder, Colorado) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Boulder 6,271 +99 +1,574

Number of Unemployed Persons

Boulder, Colorado Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Colorado
Unemployment Rate		 Boulder
Unemployment Rate		 Boulder
Unemployed
December
2023		 3.7% — — —
November
2023		 3.7% 3.3% 3.0% 6,271
October
2023		 3.8% 3.3% 3.0% 6,172
September
2023		 3.8% 3.2% 2.9% 6,002
August
2023		 3.8% 3.1% 2.8% 5,727
July
2023		 3.5% 2.9% 2.6% 5,401
June
2023		 3.6% 2.8% 2.5% 5,072
May
2023		 3.7% 2.8% 2.4% 4,882
April
2023		 3.4% 2.8% 2.3% 4,711
March
2023		 3.5% 2.8% 2.3% 4,780
February
2023		 3.6% 2.9% 2.4% 4,800
January
2023		 3.4% 2.8% 2.3% 4,678

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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