After a promising beginning to 2015, Garfield County once again found itself headed toward job-losing territory at the end of second quarter. While the loss proved minute (just three jobs), it marks a departure from the positive expansion of the previous months. Nevertheless, the county’s high jobless rate continued to ever-so-slowly decline. In the tourist-heavy summer and fall months, first-time claims for unemployment insurance have almost disappeared; but they should start their seasonal swell in upcoming weeks. It was a strong gain in gross taxable sales that provided the strongest promise for this struggling area.
Although Garfield County managed a bit of employment expansion earlier in the quarter, by June employment levels were down 0.1 percent on a year-to-year basis.
Job losses in retail trade and professional/business services more than counteracted improvements in information and the public sectors.
Earlier in the year almost every sector showed employment gains.
Because of Garfield County’s very seasonal economy, it typically sports a high seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.
Although at 8.3 percent in September 2015, Garfield County shows the second-highest unemployment rate in the state, it has been slowly improving since the year began.
First-time claims remained low as the tourist season wound down, but should begin their typical winter swell in upcoming weeks.
The seasonal nature of tourism also means leisure and hospitality services dominate the area’s claims figures.
The county’s average monthly nonfarm wage continues to slowly improve.
The almost 9-percent year-to-year increase in second quarter gross taxable sales marked the best recent economic news for the county.
A surge in accommodations sales bucked up rather tepid overall gains in retail trade.
