Women continue to earn less than men in Colorado and the wage gap has widened slightly, according to the latest federal labor statistics. Colorado women working full time for wages and salaries had median weekly earnings of $750 in 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Men received $958 in median weekly earnings, meaning […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times A small business advocacy group warns a court ruling threatens a constitutional right to vote on tax increases in Colorado. The ultimate outcome of the litigation could be higher taxes imposed by a Colorado Legislature unchecked by constitutional limits or voters, said Tony Gagliardi, state director of the National Federation of […]
A measure of local hotel and motel businesses has slipped following three straight months of increases. According to a report from the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau for February, $59,053 in lodging taxes were collected. That’s almost 2.3 percent less than what was reported for the same month last year. Because lodging tax reports […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times What local government officials hoped might be a trend of increasing sales tax collections has ended. If there’s a consolation, declines reported in February come during what’s usually one the lowest months for collections anyway. The City of Grand Junction reported a 2.3 percent decrease in February sales tax collections compared […]
A monthly measure of optimism among small business owners has dropped on less upbeat expectations for hiring, sales and the overall economy. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that its Small Business Optimism Index fell 2.7 points in February to 91.4, a reading historically associated with recession, not recovery. The index is based on […]
The pace of job growth in the United States has picked up, but hasn’t yet matched average monthly payroll gains for 2013. According to the latest statistical snapshot from the Department of Labor, nonfarm payrolls grew 175,000 in February, the biggest gain in three months. Moreover, initial estimates for job growth in January and December […]
Colorado ranks ninth among the 50 states in the latest census tracking the number of people employed in manufacturing and installing solar energy systems. While more than 3,600 people in the state worked in the sector in 2013, job growth has leveled off. “The sky’s the limit on solar power. But to get solar growing […]
Visitors to national monuments and parks in Colorado during 2012 spent a total of nearly $350 million and supported almost 5,000 jobs in the state, according to a new report from the National Park Service. “From Mesa Verde to Dinosaur National Monument, the national parks of Colorado attract millions of visitors a year from across […]
A former Western Colorado resident who founded an international charity that provides free health care from a hospital ship will share his experiences at an annual event celebrating entrepreneurship. Don Stephens, founder and president of Mercy Ships, will deliver the keynote address at Colorado Mesa University Entrepreneurship Day events in Grand Junction and Montrose. Entrepreneurship […]
An economic development group plans to research the potential benefits to the Western Colorado economy of increased liquefied natural gas exports. The Grand Junction Economic Partnership received a one-year, $15,000 grant from the Unconventional Energy Center at Colorado Mesa University to fund the effort. John Harpole, president of Mercator Energy, will lead the project. His […]