We made it to the halfway point of 2026. For the second month in a row, Colorado wage and salary employment has posted positive gains. In June, employment increased by 4,800 compared to the previous month. June 2026 employment is 28,600 greater than a year ago.

 

That is a step in the right direction; however, over the past 47 years, employment increased by an average annual rate of 37,500. The strongest decade of growth was during the Go-Go-1990s, and the weakest was the following decade.

 

 

This month, the focus is on sector change in employment based on the level of wages (high, medium, and low). Between 2019 and 2025, overall employment increased by 6.2%.

Employment with medium wages increased by 9.7%, employment with high wages increased by 7.9%, and employment with low wages increased by 1.3%.

 

In 2025, the employment category with medium wages accounted for 41.6% of total employment. Employment in the low-wage category was 32.1% of total employment. Employment in the high-wage category was 26.3% of total employment.