The contentious contract negotiations between King Soopers management and the union representing 17,000 grocery workers in Colorado and Wyoming remains unresolved. And now, the S word has been uttered. Officials with United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 said Thursday that a pre-authorization strike vote will be held Sunday in Denver and Monday in […]
labor force
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado’s job recovery rate is the nation’s 10th fastest. So why is our jobless rate the 15th highest?
Colorado has come a long way since the start of the pandemic when, as with every state, the unemployment rate increased. The state’s rate jumped to 12.1% in April 2020, from 2.8% before the pandemic. The state’s jobless rate dropped to 5.4% in October, from September’s 5.6%. That, plus a bunch of other economic data, […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado’s labor force is missing older adults, parents of young kids and international workers
The labor stories keep getting shared, and not just here on What’s Working. If you wander over to Facebook, the conversation has been quite lively around some of The Colorado Sun’s recent job stories, such as this one and this one. There are a number of folks who cannot find a job, so if you’re […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: 24,000 unemployed Coloradans must pay back pandemic jobless benefits
The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t end on Sept. 4, even though federal unemployment benefits did. Last week, the jobless scene may have seemed quiet to outsiders, but it wasn’t. And this week, it became much worse, as 24,000 folks who’d received pandemic unemployment aid learned they must repay some of the money. But more on that […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Growth, Housing, News
Housing demand is greater than ever but Colorado is building fewer homes than expected. Here’s why.
In a past life, Susan Ohlhaber helped people as a mental health counselor. Actually, it wasn’t that long ago. It was just last year. Then the COVID-19 pandemic began and she was laid off. Ohlhaber, who lives in Morrison, is now learning the difference between a jig saw, a circular saw and a reciprocating saw. […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Colorado AFL-CIO will withhold donations to Democratic campaign committees through May 2022, saying unions have been “excluded”
The Colorado branch of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of unions, will not donate to Democratic legislative campaign committees until at least May 2022 in protest of what the organization sees as the party’s exclusion of labor interests from state policy discussions. “We have … been excluded from caucus discussions about policy creation in […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News, Technology
What’s Working: Guild Education’s latest $150 million round means more Colorado jobs
One of the fastest growing technology companies in Denver just got another burst of funding of $150 million in venture capital this week. Guild Education, which helps large employers offer education as an employee perk, will use the money to double its size. What that really means is more jobs, said Rachel Carlson, Guild’s co-founder […]
Posted inBusiness, Culture, Economy, Food and Restaurants, News
What’s Working: Seasonal hiring sputtering for restaurants, resorts across Colorado
It’s opening weekend for Colorado businesses that hire seasonal summer workers. But many industries that do are still in desperate need of help, including construction companies, hotels and, especially, restaurants. Bob Kato, who operates two restaurants in Frisco, shared his dire-straits details with me for a story published earlier this week. He still needed four […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
Unemployed Coloradans want work that pays a livable wage as employers struggle to fill openings
With the summer season just days away, Island Grill at the Frisco Bay Marina is short 70% of its usual seven-person kitchen crew. Owner Bob Kato, who also operates the Tavern West restaurant on West Main Street, says the labor crunch is especially hard this year. Both restaurants are hiring just as other businesses in […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Economy, Housing, News
In Colorado’s uneven coronavirus economic recovery, some thrive while others can’t make ends meet
By the time 2020 ended, the U.S. stock market was at an all-time high, Colorado’s housing market experienced double-digit gains, credit scores were on the rise and overall personal income had inched up again, up 0.6% in December from November. The state’s outlook is relatively positive for 2021. Lost jobs are expected to return. The […]