2005 employment outlook for Colorado Springs is still looking up

Colorado Springs Business Journal, Mar 25, 2005 by Stephanie Cline

As Colorado continues to pull out of its recession, the employment outlook in Colorado Springs is still looking up.

According to survey results from Manpower, 47 percent of companies interviewed in Colorado Springs plan to hire more employees from April to June while only 3 percent expect to decrease their staffing levels.

Typically the second quarter is a more active quarter for most organizations, said Nancy Cruikshank, Colorado Springs branch manager for Manpower. The tourist season has an impact on hiring decisions in the city, she said, but the findings from the Manpower survey were still optimistic. I wasn't surprised that it was positive, Cruikshank said. I was a little surprised based on the numbers, pleasantly surprised.

The unemployment rate in Colorado was estimated at 4.9 percent for January, according to Vectra Bank. The bank's small business index was at 96.7 percent for February. We're seeing each month evidence of stronger Colorado job gains after a very painful 2002 and 2003, said Jeff Thredgold, corporate economist for Vectra Bank.

A 3.7 to 3.9 percent real annual growth rate is expected for the first half of 2005, according to Vectra Bank.

The Pikes Peak Workforce Center has more than 800 job openings listed. There were 765 full-time positions and 118 part-time jobs listed with the center as of March 18. About half our jobs are up to $15 (per hour) and more, said Peggy Herbertson, director of the Pikes Peak Workforce Center. There are many higher-paying jobs available in Colorado Springs, she said.

Thredgold also said the job outlook looks promising.

We're at a point where the economy is calling for the expansion of the higher-quality, higher-paying jobs, Thredgold said. The professional and business services, health care and construction sectors are all solid. The transportation trade is doing better and manufacturing in Colorado is a little softer, he said.

Cruikshank said she and Manpower have seen an increased demand for employees within the construction industry. Every single week we are called by a construction company, she said. The hospitality and health care sectors have also been looking to hire, she added. Our health care providers in this community are very proactive.

The city is on the look out for teachers and information technology professionals, Herbertson said. Education - there's a demand for teachers and we will continue to have demand for teachers, she said. We have a lot of really skilled people with us. Herbertson expects hiring to increase even more during the summer months.

Thredgold estimates that Colorado will add 45,000 to 55,000 new jobs in 2005. Something around 50,000, he said, though that number may not be optimistic enough. Some of the laggards nationwide have been leisure and hospitality and the retail trade.

The hiring outlook in Colorado Springs is the best in the state, according to the Manpower survey. In Northern Colorado, 20 percent of businesses surveyed plan to increase their work forces during the second quarter. Of the Denver businesses surveyed, 40 percent plan to hire more employees while 30 percent of companies in the Denver- Southeast area plan to hire.

Pueblo is level with the Denver-Southeast area. The state average for Colorado businesses planning to increase their staffing levels is 34 percent.

Nationwide, 16,000 employers were polled. Thirty percent plan to increase their payrolls in the second quarter, 7 percent plan to decrease their staffing levels and 58 percent expect no change in their staff levels, according to the Manpower survey. The remaining 5 percent were unsure of their plans.