State of Colorado Demographics

Colorado may be well known these days as the first state to legalize marijuana, as well as for being home to the many of the nation’s best known ski resorts. But its economy is also heavily dependent on the financial and aerospace industries.

Based on 2013 statistics, the government sector employs the greatest percentage of workers in the state, followed by retail trade, health care and social assistance; professional and technical services; and accommodation and food services, respectively.


The latest employment scorecard for the State of Colorado for 2016-2017 is listed below, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Colorado’s employment scorecard is very strong, with an impressive 3.29% increase in the size of the labor force, along with a higher labor force participation rate and lower unemployment rate, which indicates job seekers are moving to Colorado and finding employment fairly quickly. You can view what jobs are available in Colorado, as well as which sectors of the economy are growing most quickly, on our Job Listings page.

View more Colorado demographics, largest cities and counties, news sources, investor relations sites, and a directory to the individual page for each city and county in the State of Colorado below. More employment information for the State of Colorado and each of the state’s metropolitan areas in our Employment Database.

The largest employers in the state include the State of Colorado, the Federal Government (not including the U.S. Postal Service), Wal-Mart, the Kroger Company, the University of Colorado System, Denver Public Schools, Centura Health, HCA HealthOne LLC, Jefferson County Public Schools, and University of Colorado Health. (Source: Merritt Research Services, LLC)