The Denver Case · Job market · Updated October 2026

Denver's job market, by the numbers

Denver has added jobs faster than the country since before the pandemic: +6.2% against +5.1% nationally. And its workforce shows up: labor force participation is 3rd of 13.

+6.2%
Job growth since 2019
#7 of 13 metros · U.S. +5.1%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
71.1%
Labor force participation
#3 of 13 metros · U.S. 63.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$108,167
GDP per capita
#5 of 13 metros · U.S. $86,143
Source: BEA county GDP and population

Job growth

Job growth since before the pandemic

% change in payroll jobs, Sept 2019 to Sept 2026 · Metro · Sept 2019 - Sept 2026
Denver: #7 of 13 · higher is better
Austin
+26.1%
Raleigh
+21.3%
Nashville
+14.1%
Salt Lake City
+13.9%
Phoenix
+13.1%
Charlotte
+11.8%
Denver
+6.2%
U.S.
+5.1%
San Diego
+4.9%
Seattle
+1.8%
Minneapolis
+1.8%
Portland
-0.7%
Boston
-1.5%
SF Bay Area
-3.0%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics

Real economic growth, 2019–2024

% change in inflation-adjusted GDP · Metro (sum of counties) · 2019-2024
Denver: #7 of 13 · higher is better
Austin
+36.4%
Nashville
+27.4%
Phoenix
+27.1%
Raleigh
+24.9%
Charlotte
+22.2%
Seattle
+22.0%
Denver
+19.7%
Salt Lake City
+18.4%
SF Bay Area
+15.5%
San Diego
+12.8%
U.S.
+12.8%
Boston
+12.5%
Portland
+8.8%
Minneapolis
+8.3%
BEA stopped publishing metro GDP in 2026, so this sums BEA county data using current metro definitions. Treat small gaps as approximate.
Source: BEA real GDP by county, summed to metro areas for this site

Unemployment and participation

Unemployment rate

% of labor force, not seasonally adjusted (preliminary) · Metro · September 2026, preliminary
Denver: #9 of 13 · lower is better
Raleigh
2.7%
Nashville
2.8%
Salt Lake City
3.2%
Charlotte
3.3%
Austin
3.7%
Boston
3.9%
U.S.
4.0%
Portland
4.1%
Phoenix
4.2%
Denver
4.3%
SF Bay Area
4.4%
Minneapolis
4.5%
San Diego
4.7%
Seattle
4.9%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics

Labor force participation

% of population 16+ · Metro · 2025
Denver: #3 of 13 · higher is better
Salt Lake City
72.4%
Austin
71.5%
Denver
71.1%
Minneapolis
69.5%
Nashville
69.4%
Raleigh
69.3%
Seattle
68.4%
Boston
68.0%
Charlotte
67.2%
Portland
66.2%
SF Bay Area
65.7%
San Diego
65.1%
Phoenix
64.0%
U.S.
63.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 (table S2301)

Job growth since 2019 still beats the U.S.Good to know

Since before the pandemic, the metro has added jobs faster than the country overall. Hiring has cooled in 2026. Unemployment was 4.3% in September, down from 4.6% in August and a little above the national rate.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (Sept 2026, preliminary)
Why Denver comes out on top

Other cities have a best stat. Denver has the best record.

Every metro here has a standout stat. Denver's advantage is that it rarely trails: it finishes in the top nine of 13 on 38 of 42 measures (90%), more than any other metro, and near the bottom on just 4.

This page is one stat in that record. The full scorecard has all 42.

Denver
90%
Other 12, average
68%
Top fourMiddleBottom four

Share of all 42 scored measures in each band, among the 13 metros. The number is the top-nine share. See every metro →

Where Denver stands alone

#1 in the U.S.
For domestic nonstop destinations in 2025. DEN added a record 34 international destinations in 19 countries.
Source: Denver International Airport, 2025 milestones (2025)
3,880 sq mi
Of land above 10,000 feet within 100 miles of downtown, more than the other 12 metros combined.
Source: AWS Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP elevation), calculated for this site (USGS elevation, calculated Oct 2026)
1.75M
Concertgoers at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2025, the most of any amphitheater according to Pollstar.
Source: Denver Arts & Venues (2025)

Related

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Denver vs. other metros

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