Denver Post: Colorado Unemployment Rate Dips To 2.5%

Lead story Sunday in the Post. The unemployment rate has dipped to 2.5%, lowest ever. And some rural eastern counties in the state have dipped down to even lower, 1.5%. Amazing to see such low unemployment in the rural counties. Usually the young have to head to urban areas to find work. It would be nice to see if this encourages some reverse migration. I would think young people could be attracted to locations where the housing wasn't so expensive.
And you can get so much more for your money, a house with a garage instead of a small one bedroom apartment. Of course, you have to be tough to live on the plains with blizzards and tornados. Or living up here, with blizzards and wildfires.

FredHayek wrote: Lead story Sunday in the Post. The unemployment rate has dipped to 2.5%, lowest ever. And some rural eastern counties in the state have dipped down to even lower, 1.5%. Amazing to see such low unemployment in the rural counties. Usually the young have to head to urban areas to find work. It would be nice to see if this encourages some reverse migration. I would think young people could be attracted to locations where the housing wasn't so expensive.
And you can get so much more for your money, a house with a garage instead of a small one bedroom apartment. Of course, you have to be tough to live on the plains with blizzards and tornados. Or living up here, with blizzards and wildfires.

Perhaps that is true on the FRONT RANGE.....over here (western slope) NOT so much....


www.montrosepress.com/news/many-hands-ra...46-072124dca515.html

Uhm, just to clarify. Are you saying that the unemployment rate is high on the entire western slope because of one plant closing? It's not like its a manufacturing plant were all other businesses in the area depend on it for sales. We have that situation here with BMW. If they decided to close up shop, we would be looking at double digit unemployment instead of the 1.6% we currently have.

worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/montrose-co-population/

Here are some current demographics to help you understand how we differ from the front range.
OVER 20% POVERTY LEVEL and avg. income less than $30k or so.....the area is expanding
rapidly because of RETIREES (front range,Calif. Texas Florida and east coast) So those individuals with JOBS, who are NOT retired, are in the class of the working poor.

REAL ESTATE is booming and prices have exceeded what the avg. working citizen can afford.
same for rentals.....I believe it is that way thru out most of the US....we are no exception,but
we are SMALL and this closure WILL drastically impact the overall picture....specifically those
individuals on SNAP (people who are food insecure). The fed is changing the rules for SNAP
and it will go into effect APRIL 1.....THAT is a huge concern for this present problem....the city
is brain storming ways to attract ANOTHER manufacturing concern.

We just had a tax increase of .58....which brings total taxes to almost 9%. It just barely passed
by an extremely narrow margarine....the burden of THIS closure is not good ...as stated in the article....we were in the process of almost recovering (economical).

Well, I hope they can find a replacement employer. I know how hard a single shutdown can hit in a small area like that. I remember back in the '80's when the energy bust hit and you could buy real estate all over the front range for pennies on the dollar. Now the economy of the front range is much less centric around one industry. You kind of make a trade to live in more remote places. Less economic security for the hustle and bustle of metro life. The Conifer/Bailey area was a good compromise for me but the weather got to be too much after 20 years of commuting.

towermonkey wrote: Well, I hope they can find a replacement employer. I know how hard a single shutdown can hit in a small area like that. I remember back in the '80's when the energy bust hit and you could buy real estate all over the front range for pennies on the dollar. Now the economy of the front range is much less centric around one industry. You kind of make a trade to live in more remote places. Less economic security for the hustle and bustle of metro life. The Conifer/Bailey area was a good compromise for me but the weather got to be too much after 20 years of commuting.

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We arrived on the mountain in 1997....windy point was a two lane...OMG what was I thinking
winter drive....we FEEL IN LOVE with bailey....then they widen 285 and the 18 wheelers and
autobahn traffic,camper/rv parade became unbearable. The lack of common sense and
defensive driving (specifically in winter) was the nail in the coffin...we moved in 2015 to
Montrose. Montrose was just coming out of a slump,still undiscovered....our approx.2,000
sq. foot house on 1/3 of acre was reasonable...coming in at just under $250

Within 18 months or so,we started encountering "front rangers" (LOTS) who had burnt out
on the obscene traffic in Denver and Colo Spg......and it hasn't stopped....glad we came over when we did. I desperately miss the dark skies,wind whispering thru the pines from afar and
THEN hitting your property,the wildlife that passed thru and THAT magnificent panoramic view
as you crest RICHMOND HILL and see the drop dead view of the mountainrange ....when all
things CITY drop away and you exhale with relief. There is a hole in my heart....as a 3rd gen
Coloradan, I no longer recognize this state.