The wait is over. Colorado gained a tepid 500 nonfarm jobs and the state’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.1% in September, according to a much-anticipated report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment .

The holdup was a result of the federal government shutdown, which prevented several agencies from gathering data and issuing reports, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which works closely with the CDLE in compiling the monthly report.

Private sector employers in Colorado cut their payrolls by a net 200 jobs, while government employers, who are under increasing fiscal pressures, added 700 jobs. For the year, the private sector has added 10,400 jobs, while the public sector, which accounts for just under one in five jobs in the state, has added 7,700 jobs.

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