DENVER (AP) – The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment says the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.3 percent in January from December’s 7.6 percent.

The agency said Monday that employers in Colorado added 7,100 nonfarm payroll jobs from December to January for a total of 2.3 million jobs, according to a survey of businesses.

Private sector payroll jobs increased 8,200 and government jobs dropped by 1,100.

The national unemployment rate increased one-tenth of one percentage point over the same period to 7.9 percent.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)