U.S. labor update: Payrolls and jobless rate up

United States payrolls continue to grow, although at slightly slower pace. Nonfarm payrolls increased 311,000 in February, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate edged up two-tenths of a point to 3.6 percent as more people looked for jobs. Estimated payroll gains for the previous two […]

As interest rates rise, Mesa County real estates sales drop

Phil Castle, The Business Times Real estate sales continue to decline in Mesa County as higher interest rates make financing on home purchases less affordable. Year-over-year decreases in transactions and dollar volume are all the more dramatic given what was a robust market in early 2022. While the trend could continue, industry observers hold out […]

Positive momentum: 2022 wins buoy 2023 hopes for economic development director

Positive momentum: 2022 wins buoy 2023 hopes for economic development director

Phil Castle, The Business Times Pressed to succinctly assess the efforts of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, Curtis Englehart settles on two words: positive momentum. After scoring five of what he terms wins — business relocations or expansions — in the fourth quarter of 2022, the executive director of the economic development organization holds out […]

Report assesses tech sector in Colorado

The technology industry generated more than $75 billion in economic output and directly accounted for 9 percent of employment in Colorado, according to the results of a report prepared for an industry group. “This report provides detailed information on our growing technology industry and work force in Colorado and the immense impact the industry has […]

New director named to oversee SBDC network

A woman who’s served in leadership roles in mentoring youth and women coaches and also operates a small business has been hired to lead the Small Business Development Center network in Colorado. As the new state director, Hannah Krieger will administer programs and services offered at 14 full-time centers and 50 satellite offices across Colorado. […]

Central High School awarded for voter registration

Central High School is among the three latest winners of an award recognizing efforts to register students to vote. The school received the 2023 Eliza Pickrell Routt Award for registering 85 percent or more of eligible students to vote. Denver East High School and KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy also won the award. “It is […]

Slip sliding away at work? Walk like a penguin

Employees should walk like a penguin to avoid the winter time slips and falls that rank among the most common cause of workplace injuries, according to a Colorado workers’ compensation insurer. Pinnacol Assurance reported that a study of its claims from January 2017 through March 2021 found that 40 percent of claims resulted from slipping. […]

Applicants sought for soil health program

Conservation districts and other organizations have until April 3 to apply to participate in program offering grant funding to agricultural producers who introduce or expand soil health practices. Funding for the STAR Plus program comes from the  Climate Smart Commodities grant the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded to the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). […]