![Mesa County Employment Takes a Step Backwards Heading Into 2017](http://townsquare.media/site/508/files/2017/01/RS6048_467926585.jpg?w=630&h=380&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Mesa County Employment Takes a Step Backwards Heading Into 2017
Job seekers in Mesa County hoping employment opportunities in 2017 might be better than the previous year will have to wait. The latest job statistics show a small decrease in the percentage of workers with jobs.
Statewide, the number of people unemployed in Colorado decreased from 3.2 percent in November 2016 to 3.0 percent in December. For the year, statewide unemployment decreased 0.5 percent.
Mesa County went the opposite direction with unemployment increasing from 4.3 percent in November to 4.5 percent in December. The national unemployment rate also increased from 4.6 percent to 4.7 percent.
Of the seven metropolitan statistical areas tracked by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Ft. Collins, and Greeley had no change. Pueblo had a decrease in unemployment and Grand Junction had increased unemployment.
Unemployment statistics for other Western Colorado counties November 2016/December 2016 are as follows:
- Delta - 4.3% to 4.7%
- Eagle - 3.2% to 2.1%
- Garfield - 3.0% to 2.9%
- Gunnison - 2.0% to 1.8%
- Mesa - 4.3% to 4.5%
- Montrose - 3.3% to 3.6%
- Ouray - 3.1% to 2.9%
- Pitkin - 5.3% to 2.7%
- Rio Blanco - 4.1% to 4.5%
- Routt - 2.7% to 2.1%
- San Miguel - 5.3% to 2.5%
Even though there was a rise in unemployment from November to December, the percentage of those unemployed in most Colorado counties is still lower than the end of 2015.
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