What’s Working, a column on Colorado jobs, work and the pandemic economy
What’s Working: Colorado has some of the lowest high gas prices in the U.S.
Wages are up 10% and the state’s unemployment rate fell to 3.6%. Plus: How McDonald’s plans to fill nearly 6,000 openings statewide, who’s hiring and more!
What’s Working: Colorado needs transit and truck drivers. How’s a $5,000 bonus sound?
Here’s how Denver and RTD are handling the driver shortage. Plus: Inflation continues, new business laws and more.
What’s Working: The politics of unemployment debt in Colorado
Business bills galore as Colorado lawmakers head into the last week of the legislative session. Plus: Who’s hiring, who needs a job, who’s getting a check.
What’s Working: Unpacking Colorado’s “muddled” economy
New business filings remain at higher than usual levels but dissolutions rising too. Plus: Business bills, top cities to start a business and more!
What’s Working: Diversity tools to get past Denver’s $45,000 “scrape-by” wage
Plus: Colorado had one of the largest declines in job openings nationwide, but even as the state’s job economy has recovered, we’re not back to normal yet
What’s Working: Colorado gets closer to pre-pandemic economy as jobless rate falls to 3.7%
Plus: Lots of talk about rising inflation this week, as the Denver-area rate hit 9.1%. But what does that really mean?
What’s Working: Colorado program is looking for a few good older workers
Data shows moms and women 65 and over are heading back to work. Plus: State apprenticeship grants update, more workers unionize and more.
What’s Working: Colorado business leaders lose optimism about economy — but 55% expect to raise wages anyway
See the results from the latest CU business school survey. Plus: Colorado hotel workers reach a new high with a 10% quit rate, a case for offering more employee perks and a real life job fair.
What’s Working: Colorado is offering up to $50,000 to tap into an old-timey resource — apprenticeships
Plus: $50 million in workers-comp refunds on the way, Colorado's 4.1% unemployment rate for February, 102% pandemic job recovery and more!
What’s Working: Colorado didn’t hit a record-high labor force in 2021 after all
Ongoing revisions to economic data changed some of the trends we thought were happening in the state last year. Plus: Colorado’s job churn declines as wages rise.
What’s Working: Women in construction — where gender pay equity is 94.3%
The male-dominated construction industry is short 650,000 workers — it needs women. Plus: Job paths for those with disabilities, Coors janitors unionize and more!
What’s Working: Follow the money to find where more Colorado jobs are
Colorado had a record year for venture capital investments, at more than $6 billion. Plus: unemployment fraud arrests, Target’s $24 hourly wage, another Starbucks unionizing and more.
What’s Working: Colorado’s missing workers may just be disengaged
Colorado makes revisions and has now recovered 95.3% of jobs lost in the pandemic. Plus: Colorado labor department sticks with the controversial IDme verification service.
What’s Working: Colorado had the nation’s top layoff rate in December, but fewer people quit their jobs
The latest JOLTS report continued to put Colorado at the top of some charts. Plus, remote work updates, more than 120,000 job openings and more.
What’s Working: Colorado’s inflation rate is higher than the nation’s
Higher wages do play a part in rising inflation. Plus: Lower-wage workers see biggest pay-rate increases, 1099-Gs for the unemployed and more.
What’s Working: Where Colorado’s COVID economic recovery is better and worse than the rest of the country
Here’s a brag: Colorado’s inflation rate is lower than the nation’s for the first time in nine years. Plus: Small business pessimism, worker hours in decline and more.
What’s Working: Rising rents and other costs outpace wage gains in Colorado
Plus: Union membership has been in decline but after a successful King Soopers strike, others in the service industry are organizing, including two Denver-area Starbucks.
What’s Working: Colorado has recovered 89% of jobs lost during COVID-19
Plus: What exactly is a "livable wage" in Colorado, unemployment rate falls to 4.8%, a $3,000 bonus for restaurant apprenticeships and much more!
What’s Working: The King Soopers labor strike isn’t Colorado’s first. Here’s why we’ll probably see more.
If employee labor strikes seem uncommon, they’re not. One site counted 260 in the past year. Plus: Colorado job quitters, pandemic unemployment updates and a $10,000 job bonus!
What’s Working: Who quit their job last year in Colorado
The latest labor data found the U.S. hit a record high for quitters in November. Plus: Business leaders are optimistic, job resources and more.