Denver County vs. Colorado
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Total Employment Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Denver County vs. Colorado
Denver County:
2022 Jobs = 758,454
2022 Percent of State = 18.11%
Colorado:
2022 Jobs = 4,187,944
2022 Percent of U.S. = 1.97%
Employment numbers remain the most popular and frequently cited statistics used for tracking local area economic conditions and trends. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) employment estimates reported measure the number of full- and part-time wage and salary employees, plus the number of proprietors of unincorporated businesses. People holding more than one job are counted in the employment estimates for each job they hold. This means BEA employment estimates represent a job count, not a people count. Also, BEA employment is by place-of-work, rather than by place-of-residence. Jobs held by neighboring county residents who commute to Denver County to work are included in the employment count for Denver County.
Data Definition:
The BEA employment series for states and local areas comprises estimates of the number of jobs, full-time plus part-time, by place of work. Full-time and part-time jobs are counted at equal weight. Employees, sole proprietors, and active partners are included, but unpaid family workers and volunteers are not included. Proprietors employment consists of the number of sole proprietorships and the number of partners in partnerships. The description "by place of work" applies to the wage and salary portion of the series and, with relatively little error, to the entire series. The proprietors employment portion of the series, however, is more nearly by place of residence because, for nonfarm sole proprietorships, the estimates are based on IRS tax data that reflect the address from which the proprietor's individual tax return is filed, which is usually the proprietor's residence. The nonfarm partnership portion of the proprietors employment series reflects the tax-filing address of the partnership, which may be either the residence of one of the partners or the business address of the partnership. The employment estimates are designed to be consistent with the estimates of wages and salaries and proprietors' income that are part of the personal income series. The employment estimates are based on the same sets of source data as the corresponding earnings estimates and are prepared with parallel methodologies. Two forms of proprietors' income-the income of limited partnerships and the income of tax-exempt cooperatives-have no corresponding employment estimates.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 tracks Denver County's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Denver County's total employment rose from 386,696 in 1969 to 758,454 in 2022, for a net gain of 371,758, or 96.14%.
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Total Employment, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 traces Colorado's annual total employment for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate total employment patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Colorado's total employment rose from 1,001,380 in 1969 to 4,187,944 in 2022, for a net gain of 3,186,564, or 318.22%.
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Total Employment Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 portrays Denver County's total employment growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Colorado, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's total employment in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the total employments in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in total employment growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Denver County's overall total employment growth was 96.14% over 1969-2022 trailed Colorado's increase of 318.22%, and fell below the United States' increase of 133.32%.
Total Employment as a Percent of the Colorado Total: 1969-2022
Total Employment as a Percent of the Colorado Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of comparing the total employment growth of Denver County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Colorado's statewide total employment over time, as shown in Figure 4. A rising share means a region's total employment grew faster, or declined less, than Colorado's total employment, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Denver County's total employment totaled 38.62% of Colorado's total employment, while in 2022 it comprised 18.11% thereby yielding a -20.51% share-shift.
   
 
Total Employment Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-20.51%
=
18.11%
-
38.62%
 
   
Denver County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Denver County Total Employment:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 5 again depicts the annual percent change in Denver County's total employment since 1970, but this time they are displayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Denver County's annual total employment growth rate averaged 2.23%. It averaged -0.20% in the 1980s, 1.54% in the 1990s, -0.11% in the 2000s, 2.72% during the 2010s, 2.73% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 6.
Figure 6 compares the decade average growth rates for Denver County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Colorado and the nation. As the chart reveals, Denver County's average annual total employment growth amounted to less than Colorado's average in the 1970s (2.23% vs. 4.77%), fell below Colorado's average in the 1980s (-0.20% vs. 2.33%), amounted to less than Colorado's average during the 1990s (1.54% vs. 3.44%), posted below Colorado's average throughout the 2000s (-0.11% vs. 1.22%), surpassed Colorado's average during the 2010s (2.72% vs. 2.10%), and outperformed Colorado's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (2.73% vs. 2.50%).
Finally, relative to nationwide total employment growth trends, Denver County outgained the nation in the 1970s (2.23% vs. 2.21%), fell below the nation over the 1980s (-0.20% vs. 1.88%), fell below the nation in the 1990s (1.54% vs. 1.73%), trailed the nation throughout the 2000s (-0.11% vs. 0.74%), topped the nation during the 2010s (2.72% vs. 1.51%), and surpassed the nation over 2020-2022 (2.73% vs. 1.82%).
   
 
Total Employment Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.32
2.23
-0.20
1.54
-0.11
2.72
2.73
7.34
 
2.76
4.77
2.33
3.44
1.22
2.10
2.50
4.99
 
1.62
2.21
1.88
1.73
0.74
1.51
1.82
4.78
 
   
Job Ratios (Employment/Population): 1969-2022
Job Ratios (Employment/Population): 1969-2022
Figure 7.
The job ratios shown in Figure 7 for Denver County, Colorado and the nation not only portray a number of important trends, they also serves as a thumbnail guide to evaluating an economy's capacity to generate enough jobs fast enough to absorb the increasing number of workers attendant to a growing population. The job ratio is the number of full-time and part-time jobs by place of work, divided by population.
Nationally, the job ratio rose from 0.45 to 0.64 between 1969 and 2022. Denver County's job ratio registered 0.76 in 1969, and 1.06 in 2022. Underlying the rising job ratio over the past several decades have been the increases in the labor force participation rates, with the number and proportion of women in the labor market playing a leading role.
An assortment of other factors can contribute to regional differences in the job ratio. They include differences in the proportion of elderly and retirees who no longer work and participate in the labor force, differences in the number and proportion of part-time vs. full-time workers, differences in industry composition, and differences in age and sex distribution and degree of urbanization. Also, a disproportionate number of workers commuting to work outside a county tends to lower its local county job ratio, while a net inflow of workers commuting to work inside the county tends to augment its local county job ratio.
Avoid interpreting the job ratio as the fraction (or percent) of the local population employed. This interpretation should only apply to the "employment-population ratio" statistic compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from the Current Population Survey (CPS).
Job Ratios (Employment/Population)
as a Percent of the U.S. Average:
1969-2022
Job Ratios (Employment/Population)
as a Percent of the U.S. Average:
1969-2022
Figure 8.
To highlight trends in a local job ratio relative to nationwide trends, Figure 8 tracks Denver County's, Colorado's job ratio as a percent of the national job ratio over 1969-2022.

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Denver County:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
386,696
100.0
N
38.62
0.76
167.22
1970
 
388,273
100.4
0.41
37.63
0.75
168.15
1971
 
400,817
103.7
3.23
37.40
0.76
172.22
1972
 
413,618
107.0
3.19
35.99
0.79
174.54
1973
 
438,386
113.4
5.99
35.26
0.83
179.21
1974
 
430,902
111.4
-1.71
33.77
0.84
178.41
1975
 
405,662
104.9
-5.86
31.56
0.81
176.54
1976
 
411,211
106.3
1.37
30.70
0.82
175.72
1977
 
426,157
110.2
3.63
30.21
0.85
178.77
1978
 
453,460
117.3
6.41
30.11
0.92
185.42
1979
 
479,237
123.9
5.68
30.09
0.97
192.09
1980
 
487,309
126.0
1.68
29.52
0.99
196.56
1981
 
496,936
128.5
1.98
28.95
1.00
198.85
1982
 
502,765
130.0
1.17
28.57
1.00
202.20
1983
 
496,470
128.4
-1.25
27.77
0.97
196.41
1984
 
512,716
132.6
3.27
27.23
1.01
198.45
1985
 
512,000
132.4
-0.14
26.73
1.01
195.07
1986
 
495,305
128.1
-3.26
25.88
0.99
188.41
1987
 
474,660
122.7
-4.17
24.95
0.96
180.42
1988
 
474,703
122.8
0.01
24.12
0.99
181.14
1989
 
468,423
121.1
-1.32
23.39
0.99
179.62
1990
 
469,091
121.3
0.14
23.00
1.00
180.82
1991
 
468,273
121.1
-0.17
22.44
0.98
179.96
1992
 
470,892
121.8
0.56
22.06
0.95
176.51
1993
 
485,079
125.4
3.01
21.72
0.95
176.17
1994
 
490,612
126.9
1.14
20.92
0.96
174.62
1995
 
497,721
128.7
1.45
20.53
0.96
172.65
1996
 
507,702
131.3
2.01
20.15
0.96
171.60
1997
 
520,219
134.5
2.47
19.79
0.97
171.01
1998
 
540,604
139.8
3.92
19.78
1.00
173.97
1999
 
545,286
141.0
0.87
19.42
0.99
171.63
2000
 
561,928
145.3
3.05
19.26
1.01
172.55
2001
 
555,918
143.8
-1.07
18.90
0.99
170.31
2002
 
532,781
137.8
-4.16
18.27
0.96
166.71
2003
 
521,999
135.0
-2.02
17.95
0.94
165.17
2004
 
523,778
135.4
0.34
17.70
0.95
164.93
2005
 
529,584
137.0
1.11
17.44
0.96
164.60
2006
 
540,631
139.8
2.09
17.39
0.97
164.71
2007
 
560,183
144.9
3.62
17.41
0.99
166.52
2008
 
560,768
145.0
0.10
17.25
0.97
165.28
2009
 
537,747
139.1
-4.11
16.99
0.91
161.30
2010
 
533,517
138.0
-0.79
16.97
0.89
158.41
2011
 
544,950
140.9
2.14
17.01
0.88
156.07
2012
 
562,881
145.6
3.29
17.25
0.89
156.55
2013
 
581,852
150.5
3.37
17.33
0.90
156.92
2014
 
608,314
157.3
4.55
17.54
0.92
158.56
2015
 
634,895
164.2
4.37
17.76
0.94
159.14
2016
 
658,987
170.4
3.79
17.97
0.96
161.16
2017
 
675,350
174.6
2.48
17.96
0.98
162.19
2018
 
694,835
179.7
2.89
18.01
0.99
162.34
2019
 
702,244
181.6
1.07
18.03
0.99
162.14
2020
 
670,756
173.5
-4.48
17.55
0.93
158.68
2021
 
706,592
182.7
5.34
17.71
0.99
162.67
2022
 
758,454
196.1
7.34
18.11
1.06
166.83
Source: Calculations by the Colorado Regional Economic Analysis Project (CO-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1000_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Colorado:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
1,001,380
100.0
N
1.10
0.46
102.21
1970
 
1,031,727
103.0
3.03
1.13
0.46
103.58
1971
 
1,071,644
107.0
3.87
1.17
0.47
105.06
1972
 
1,149,119
114.8
7.23
1.22
0.48
106.04
1973
 
1,243,393
124.2
8.20
1.26
0.50
106.97
1974
 
1,275,871
127.4
2.61
1.27
0.50
106.98
1975
 
1,285,326
128.4
0.74
1.30
0.50
108.27
1976
 
1,339,513
133.8
4.22
1.32
0.51
108.98
1977
 
1,410,620
140.9
5.31
1.34
0.52
109.47
1978
 
1,506,123
150.4
6.77
1.37
0.54
110.23
1979
 
1,592,700
159.1
5.75
1.41
0.56
110.95
1980
 
1,650,988
164.9
3.66
1.45
0.57
113.15
1981
 
1,716,627
171.4
3.98
1.49
0.58
115.11
1982
 
1,759,629
175.7
2.51
1.54
0.57
116.63
1983
 
1,788,112
178.6
1.62
1.55
0.57
115.36
1984
 
1,883,141
188.1
5.31
1.56
0.59
116.23
1985
 
1,915,363
191.3
1.71
1.55
0.60
114.72
1986
 
1,913,687
191.1
-0.09
1.52
0.59
112.45
1987
 
1,902,784
190.0
-0.57
1.47
0.58
109.15
1988
 
1,968,280
196.6
3.44
1.47
0.60
110.45
1989
 
2,002,612
200.0
1.74
1.47
0.61
110.80
1990
 
2,039,626
203.7
1.85
1.47
0.62
111.28
1991
 
2,086,939
208.4
2.32
1.52
0.62
113.27
1992
 
2,134,517
213.2
2.28
1.54
0.61
113.36
1993
 
2,233,513
223.0
4.64
1.59
0.62
114.12
1994
 
2,345,496
234.2
5.01
1.63
0.63
114.92
1995
 
2,424,617
242.1
3.37
1.64
0.63
114.06
1996
 
2,519,426
251.6
3.91
1.67
0.64
114.62
1997
 
2,629,239
262.6
4.36
1.70
0.65
115.44
1998
 
2,732,491
272.9
3.93
1.72
0.66
115.54
1999
 
2,808,435
280.5
2.78
1.74
0.66
114.80
2000
 
2,918,002
291.4
3.90
1.76
0.67
115.07
2001
 
2,941,583
293.8
0.81
1.78
0.66
114.43
2002
 
2,916,933
291.3
-0.84
1.77
0.65
113.17
2003
 
2,908,611
290.5
-0.29
1.75
0.64
112.30
2004
 
2,958,370
295.4
1.71
1.75
0.65
112.14
2005
 
3,036,659
303.2
2.65
1.76
0.66
112.42
2006
 
3,109,365
310.5
2.39
1.77
0.66
111.76
2007
 
3,217,965
321.4
3.49
1.79
0.67
112.39
2008
 
3,251,120
324.7
1.03
1.81
0.66
112.82
2009
 
3,164,474
316.0
-2.67
1.82
0.64
112.44
2010
 
3,143,662
313.9
-0.66
1.82
0.62
111.45
2011
 
3,204,104
320.0
1.92
1.82
0.63
110.84
2012
 
3,262,912
325.8
1.84
1.82
0.63
110.45
2013
 
3,357,156
335.3
2.89
1.84
0.64
110.80
2014
 
3,467,715
346.3
3.29
1.86
0.65
111.26
2015
 
3,574,253
356.9
3.07
1.88
0.66
111.06
2016
 
3,666,709
366.2
2.59
1.90
0.66
111.21
2017
 
3,760,708
375.6
2.56
1.91
0.67
111.68
2018
 
3,857,981
385.3
2.59
1.93
0.68
111.47
2019
 
3,894,748
388.9
0.95
1.93
0.68
111.21
2020
 
3,821,481
381.6
-1.88
1.96
0.66
112.14
2021
 
3,988,907
398.3
4.38
1.97
0.69
112.41
2022
 
4,187,944
418.2
4.99
1.97
0.72
112.51
Source: Calculations by the Colorado Regional Economic Analysis Project (CO-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1000_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Total Employment, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
91,053,200
100.0
N
0.45
1970
 
91,277,600
100.2
0.25
0.45
1971
 
91,581,400
100.6
0.33
0.44
1972
 
94,312,200
103.6
2.98
0.45
1973
 
98,427,500
108.1
4.36
0.47
1974
 
100,111,800
109.9
1.71
0.47
1975
 
98,900,600
108.6
-1.21
0.46
1976
 
101,591,200
111.6
2.72
0.47
1977
 
105,042,200
115.4
3.40
0.48
1978
 
109,686,600
120.5
4.42
0.49
1979
 
113,147,100
124.3
3.15
0.50
1980
 
113,983,200
125.2
0.74
0.50
1981
 
114,914,000
126.2
0.82
0.50
1982
 
114,163,300
125.4
-0.65
0.49
1983
 
115,645,700
127.0
1.30
0.49
1984
 
120,528,100
132.4
4.22
0.51
1985
 
123,796,700
136.0
2.71
0.52
1986
 
126,232,300
138.6
1.97
0.53
1987
 
129,548,400
142.3
2.63
0.53
1988
 
133,563,900
146.7
3.10
0.55
1989
 
136,177,800
149.6
1.96
0.55
1990
 
138,330,900
151.9
1.58
0.55
1991
 
137,612,800
151.1
-0.52
0.54
1992
 
138,166,100
151.7
0.40
0.54
1993
 
140,774,400
154.6
1.89
0.54
1994
 
144,196,600
158.4
2.43
0.55
1995
 
147,915,800
162.4
2.58
0.56
1996
 
151,056,200
165.9
2.12
0.56
1997
 
154,541,200
169.7
2.31
0.57
1998
 
158,481,200
174.1
2.55
0.57
1999
 
161,531,300
177.4
1.92
0.58
2000
 
165,370,800
181.6
2.38
0.59
2001
 
165,522,200
181.8
0.09
0.58
2002
 
165,095,100
181.3
-0.26
0.57
2003
 
165,921,500
182.2
0.50
0.57
2004
 
168,839,700
185.4
1.76
0.58
2005
 
172,338,400
189.3
2.07
0.58
2006
 
175,868,600
193.1
2.05
0.59
2007
 
179,543,700
197.2
2.09
0.60
2008
 
179,213,900
196.8
-0.18
0.59
2009
 
173,636,700
190.7
-3.11
0.57
2010
 
172,901,700
189.9
-0.42
0.56
2011
 
176,091,700
193.4
1.84
0.56
2012
 
178,979,700
196.6
1.64
0.57
2013
 
182,328,100
200.2
1.87
0.58
2014
 
186,239,800
204.5
2.15
0.58
2015
 
190,325,800
209.0
2.19
0.59
2016
 
193,425,900
212.4
1.63
0.60
2017
 
196,394,100
215.7
1.53
0.60
2018
 
200,292,200
220.0
1.98
0.61
2019
 
201,635,200
221.4
0.67
0.61
2020
 
195,286,600
214.5
-3.15
0.59
2021
 
202,752,100
222.7
3.82
0.61
2022
 
212,442,000
233.3
4.78
0.64
Source: Calculations by the Colorado Regional Economic Analysis Project (CO-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_1000_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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