Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: CO NONMETROPOLITAN AREA — September 2026
Nonmetro Colorado data gap masks a statewide cooling trend.
Colorado's unemployment rate rose to 4.0% in August with labor force participation down to 67.4% from 68.1% a year earlier, though no official nonmetro-specific figures exist until BLS publishes county data October 20.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Colorado unemployment rate: 4.0% — Up from 3.9% in July; national rate 4.1%
- Labor force participation: 67.4% — Down from 68.1% a year earlier (Aug 2025)
- Statewide job growth projection, 2026: 0.6% — 17,500 jobs; well below historical norms
- Colorado WARN notices, 2026: 42 notices / 5,059 workers — Down 11% from 2025 statewide
Key takeaways
Statewide data, not nonmetro-specific, is the only lens available this month.
No official BLS aggregate exists for Colorado's nonmetropolitan counties, and September figures won't post until October 20. Treat this month's read as directional context drawn from the state trend, not a confirmed local figure.
Labor force participation decline may matter more than the unemployment tick-up.
Statewide participation fell from 68.1% to 67.4% year-over-year, a signal tied to slower population growth and reduced international migration. For nonmetro counties already facing thinner labor pools, this trend is consistent with a shrinking available workforce independent of job demand.
Wage growth outpaced inflation in 2025, but the gap may be closing.
Colorado's overall price level sits roughly 30% above pre-pandemic levels, with 2026 price increases accelerating on an energy shock. If nonmetro wage gains track the state's slowing pattern, real purchasing power gains from last year could erode faster in rural markets with historically lower wage bases.
Out-migration makes Colorado an outlier among peer states.
Net domestic migration turned negative in 2025 — the only peer state to see this reversal. Rural counties, often more exposed to population shifts than metro cores, warrant particular attention as this plays out in labor supply and local consumer demand.
Median advertised pay by role — CO NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $30,623 | $37,154 | $42,640 | Moderate increase | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $31,397 | $35,360 | $39,520 | Stable | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $34,840 | $40,955 | $43,680 | Stable | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $63,000 | $81,095 | $91,000 | Moderate increase | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $30,902 | $34,834 | $37,201 | Moderate decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $38,135 | $42,640 | $45,760 | Stable | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $59,800 | $71,247 | $75,000 | Significant increase | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $31,873 | $36,041 | $39,379 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $35,748 | $39,925 | $44,811 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $31,333 | $34,698 | $36,982 | Stable | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $37,367 | $47,252 | $54,834 | Moderate increase | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $35,734 | $44,927 | $50,960 | Moderate decline | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician | $61,451 | $78,000 | $81,120 | Moderate decline | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $85,403 | $105,707 | $113,848 | Significant increase | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer | $111,400 | $152,782 | $167,500 | Moderate increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer | $99,222 | $145,652 | $159,248 | Significant increase | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $58,707 | $71,326 | $79,596 | Significant increase | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst | $72,630 | $93,619 | $102,218 | Moderate increase | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $54,641 | $82,355 | $88,192 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist | $43,369 | $58,811 | $70,334 | Stable | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $78,593 | $95,453 | $103,143 | Significant increase | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $48,092 | $60,851 | $65,163 | Moderate increase | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $62,366 | $96,000 | $118,561 | Significant increase | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $51,506 | $52,225 | $53,015 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $82,747 | $98,506 | $111,554 | Moderate increase | $98,279 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $75,172 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $107,924 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $48,880 | Moderate increase | Moderate increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $63,960 | Moderate increase | Moderate decline |
| Information | $120,100 | Significant increase | Significant decline |
| Financial Activities | $105,894 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $90,702 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $77,614 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $42,908 | Stable | Moderate increase |
| Government | $70,006 | Significant increase | Significant decline |
Local market conditions
Colorado's statewide unemployment rate climbed to 4.0% in August, up from 3.9% in July, with 1,400 nonfarm jobs lost statewide as official BLS data for nonmetro counties specifically has not yet published for this period. Rural and smaller Colorado counties continue to carry average weekly wages below the national average even as state labor force participation slipped to 67.4% from 68.1% a year earlier, consistent with softening labor supply tied to slower population growth and reduced net migration.
What it means
Statewide softening — three straight months of job losses and a rising jobless rate — suggests nonmetro Colorado communities are likely seeing similarly constrained momentum, though county-level confirmation will lag until BLS publishes October 20. For commerce leaders, this points to a cautious near-term business climate: labor force participation decline limits the local customer and worker base simultaneously, while statewide wage growth above inflation in 2025 offers a partial offset to consumer purchasing power. Consider cross-referencing county-level wage and employment releases from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment once available before drawing firm conclusions about this specific nonmetro footprint.
Looking ahead
Expected release: BLS state and metro-level employment data for September 2026 publishes October 20 — the first real opportunity to confirm whether nonmetro Colorado counties are tracking the statewide job-loss pattern or diverging from it.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide labor force participation has fallen for four consecutive quarters. Watch whether county-level data due later this fall shows nonmetro counties losing workforce faster than metro Colorado, which would compound existing wage-level gaps.
Worth watching: Colorado projects just 0.6% job growth statewide for 2026, with education/health services and government as the lead sectors. Nonmetro economies disproportionately reliant on government and public-sector payrolls may see this as a stabilizing — not a warning — signal.
Potential inflection point: The Leeds Business Confidence Index rose 1.3 points but remains below the neutral 50 mark. A continued climb toward neutral over the next two quarters would mark the first genuine sentiment turnaround since the current slowdown began.
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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