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DENVER – The Colorado Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Aspen Technology Labs (Aspen) today released their jobs report for the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. Utilizing Aspen’s database of more than 9 million job vacancies worldwide from over 200,000 companies, the report provides real-time workforce and jobs data to better understand Colorado’s economic landscape.
Colorado was among the top 10 states for growth in job vacancies, ranking seventh for Q2 with 0.7% growth and outperforming a national decline of 2.8%. This continues from Q1, where Colorado ranked third for job vacancy growth. Median full-time salaries in job listings also saw another increase this quarter, rising 3.9% to $64,823. This growth pushed Colorado’s nationwide salary ranking up one spot, from 12th to 11th in the nation.
“Colorado’s job vacancy growth paired with our strong labor force participation and relatively high unemployment rate elevates the importance of the Chamber Foundation’s work to close the workforce talent gap statewide,” said Rachel Beck, the Foundation’s executive director. “Our focus is to ensure Coloradans are equipped with the skills employers need to fill available jobs. We will continue coordinating with industry and education leaders to align goals, identify gaps, and create new long-term career pathways to meet the needs of our growing economy.”
The Colorado Chamber Foundation recently wrapped up a series of seven regional workforce summits across the state. The summits, held across Colorado from February through June 2025, focused on a wide range of industries – from health care and advanced manufacturing to tourism and clean energy. By the end of the year, each regional partner will develop two- and five-year plans to expand specific career pathways and boost local industry workforce.
“This quarter’s data confirms that Colorado’s labor market continues to outperform broader national trends based on an analysis of data from over 100,000 corporate career sites.” said Michael Woodrow, president at Aspen Technology Labs. “With a 0.7% increase in job postings amid a nationwide decline, Colorado is cementing its place as a resilient and forward-moving labor market, setting the standard for economic momentum in a shifting national landscape.”
Among regions with the highest number of vacancies, Breckenridge led with a 20% increase in job postings, adding 247 new positions for a total of 1,502. This was followed by the Rifle and Pueblo areas, which both saw an 8% increase in job listings for Q2. Fort Collins, by comparison, saw a modest decline, losing 314 job openings – a 5% decrease. The highest median salaries in job listings were found in Boulder, Denver and Sterling, at $67,600, $67,319 and $64,490, respectively.
By industry, personal services and health care saw the largest percentage gains in postings this quarter, rising 51% and 23%, respectively. Meanwhile, demand declined in other sectors; agricultural job postings dropped 61% and animal care fell 22%.
Each quarter, the jobs report brings into focus a different sector or market to highlight and explore recent trends. This quarter’s industry spotlight looked at entry-level occupations, which have received recent media attention this year with the rise of artificial intelligence. For Colorado, entry-level job postings saw a 38% decline in Q2. Entry-level job postings are still elevated year-over-year; compared to 2024, they are up 21%. While Colorado ranked in the middle of the pack (21st) when it comes to year-over-year entry-level job growth, this quarter the state saw a sharp decline, ranking 6th for the largest decrease in these positions.
To view the Q2 jobs report in full, please visit: https://cochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/Colorado-Chamber-of-Commerce-Q2.pdf
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The Colorado Chamber Foundation is a non-profit educational foundation whose purpose is to support programs, research, educational opportunities and other initiatives that encourage and enhance a healthy business climate. The organization works collaboratively in partnership with state business leaders to advance Colorado’s economy and local communities through forward-thinking solutions.
Aspen Technology Labs is a global leader in web data management services and recruitment technology founded in 2008. The company is headquartered in Aspen, Colorado with teams throughout the U.S. and Europe. Aspen Technology provides web scraping, business intelligence, and data/analytics services for a wide variety of industries. Over 12 million job seekers use the company’s technology each year to find jobs and improve the lives of their families.