DENVER — Colorado's unemployment rate rose slightly to 7.9 percent in April, the first increase in the figure in three months.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said Friday that although the jobless rate for April increased, it was down from 8.4 percent in April 2011. The rate had held steady at 7.8 percent in January, February and March.
The department says Colorado gained about 1,200 nonfarm payroll jobs from March to April, and the largest private sector job gains were in trade, transportation and utilities, education, health services and construction.
The national unemployment rate for April was 8.1 percent, down from 8.2 percent in March.