The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) released data indicating that Colorado’s unemployment rate increased to 3.4% in December, a 0.6% rise compared to the previous year. Despite this, state economists advise not to be overly worried about the recent figures, as they are likely to be revised in the future. The 3.4% rate is still lower than the national level, which remained steady at 3.7%. In December, Colorado added only 300 jobs, but subsequent corrections are expected to increase this number. The CDLE stated that both household and business establishment surveys led to these unemployment numbers. There has been increased volatility in these surveys, resulting in fewer responses, leading the CDLE to release revised data based on employers’ quarterly unemployment insurance reports for more accurate results. According to the same dataset, the Government sector saw the largest growth, adding an estimated 23,000 jobs from December 2022 to December 2023. Meanwhile, sectors affected by higher interest rates experienced more job losses; Finance and Insurance lost 7,400 jobs last year. Additions to January’s job data and revisions to the current employment situation are slated for release on March 11.