COLORADO SPRINGS AND PUEBLO — The Colorado Chamber of Commerce released its quarterly jobs report for Q2 and noted that job vacancies are down 8% since April 1st. That's cutting down on unemployment rates in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
"It's encouraging, right? That's really the economic developers' dream," said Theresa Metcalf, Vice President for Economic Development at the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC.
Colorado Springs saw a decrease in job postings at 10%, and Pueblo saw a decrease of 11%. Both Chambers of Commerce I spoke with told me that they're excited about the news, but they still have more work ahead.
"You know I think it's difficult for employers, they see the data that shows 11% but they're still shorthanded. So it's great that we see this 11% decrease in job vacancies, but there are still employers that are hurting for employees absolutely in this city," said President of the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Duane Nava.
He said that Pueblo is working to solve the problem by focusing on attracting more talent through education and outreach programs.
"I think that we need to figure out more ways to attract people to come to Pueblo, especially a skilled workforce for skilled jobs," said Nava.
The Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC says they're working to bring more job opportunities to the area, hoping that major industry players will entice other businesses to move to the front range.
"We're seeing some really positive conversations, and hearing some really great conversations about people coming into our community, and the growth rate for our community," said Metcalf. "We are creating project development, right, working to recruit new businesses and help existing businesses expand. So we'll always see some opportunities for additional growth".
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