A lot of people in Colorado acted on resolutions to start a new business with the new year, according to the latest Colorado Secretary of State’s Indicators Report.

Colorado saw 32,450 new-business filings in the first quarter, an increase of 31 percent from the fourth quarter and a level of activity that should support continued hiring through the year, according to the report.

Compared to a year ago, new business filings are up 9.3 percent, the biggest annual bump for a first quarter in the state since 2013, said Brian Lewandowski, associate director of the business research division at the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business.

Of the new-business filings in the first quarter, 24,899 were for limited liability companies, which are popular with individuals. Limited liability corporation (LLC) formations are up 10.3 percent year-over-year in Colorado.

At the start of 2013, the state’s unemployment rate was 7.3 percent and more than 200,000 workers were actively looking for a job. Starting a business offered an alternative for those who couldn’t otherwise find a paycheck.

But in February, the state unemployment rate was 2.9 percent, which represented 84,700 workers actively looking for a job. Full employment should deter business formations. One explanation could be that more employed people started side businesses to supplement their incomes.