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The Denver skyline.
Downtown Denver as seen from Highland Park in July 2021. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun via Report for America)

This is a segment from our weekly What’s Working column. Read the full column.

 Colorado tops nation for growth in quitters, tied for 3rd for layoffs. 

That’s according to the July Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But these are growth rates, which caused the BLS to call the state out.

But in looking at the data, Colorado ranked a bit lower for the month of July, the latest available.

For job quitters, Colorado’s rate ranked second highest at 3.2% compared with number one Alaska at 3.5%.

For all job separations, the state tied for fifth at 4.7%. Alaska, again, took the lead at 5.9%.

While the monthly JOLTS data relies on small survey samples, the monthly trends help economists figure the state’s job situation. In July, that amounted to 1.7 job openings per unemployed Coloradan, or about where it’s been for months, according to our analysis. 

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Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Tamara Chuang writes about Colorado business and the local economy for The Colorado Sun, which she cofounded in 2018 with a mission to make sure quality local journalism is a sustainable business. Her focus on the economy during the pandemic helped Coloradans struggling with job loss or business disruptions stay informed and her stories have won recognition...