State jobless rate falls to 4.7%; county at 6%
Colorado gained 14,600 jobs in September and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.7 percent, with most of the gains coming from the private sector, state officials said Tuesday.
The jobless rate fell from 5.1 percent in August to its lowest level since June 2008, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said.
The national unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point in September, to 5.9 percent.
The state has now had 35 consecutive months of payroll job gains, Gov. John Hickenlooper said.
“This is a testament to the resilience, the work ethic, and to the innovative spirit of Coloradans all across this incredible state,” he said in a statement.
The governor said that it is time “to seize momentum” so every community in Colorado sees the benefits of economic growth.
In August, Montezuma County’s unemployment rate was 6 percent.
Over the year, the average workweek for all Colorado employees on private nonfarm payrolls dropped from 35.2 to 34.3 hours and average hourly earnings increased from $26.11 to $26.39.
Across the nation, a 6.1 percent unemployment rate was reported in August.
Dolores coffee shop hits 2-year anniversary
The Pony Expresso, 795 Railroad Ave., Dolores, will be celebrating its two-year anniversary on Oct. 31, 2014, Halloween, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Everyone is welcome, there will be candy for the kids, free samples of our food, free coffee and free hot chocolate.
The shop also will have a pinata and lots of fun activities. As part of our celebration, we are having a pumpkin decorating contest.
Here are the rules:
You must provide your own pumpkin.
Pumpkins have to be decorated on the outside only, no carving!
All pumpkins should be delivered to The Pony Expresso no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29. The pumpkins will be used as part of our Halloween celebration, but may be picked up on Saturday Nov. 1 if you would like them back.
Judging will be on Halloween night and various prizes will be awarded, Grand Prize will be a $25 Gift Certificate for the shop.
Cortez Pizza Hut open again after remodel
Pizza Hut in Cortez is open again and back in business. The restaurant was closed for one week for a remodel of the kitchen and reopened last week.
IFA store opens haunted house to public
What is under all that black plastic out in front of the IFA Country Store?
Well, it is a haunted house of course. The admission is a non-perishable food donation. The house first opened on Oct. 18 and 221 people went through that night and the staff at the store raised 150 pounds of food for Hope’s Kitchen,
The house was open again Oct. 25 for the first annual Fall Festival at IFA with games, prizes, a little kids haunted house in the daytime and the second run of the main haunted house from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Admission is a donation to For Pet’s Sake shelter. Suggested donation is $5.
For more information, contact Dave Caldwell, branch manager or Jayne Hopkins, office manager at IFA Country Store.
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The Cortez Journal