Colorado is struggling to hire employees more than most states, according to a recent study conducted by WalletHub.
“To see where employers are struggling the most in hiring, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the rate of job openings for the latest month and the last 12 months,” says the outlet.
Colorado ranked seventh in the country for the rate of job openings, with 4.4 job openings for every unemployed person. This is significantly higher than the national average of 2.3 job openings for every unemployed person.
“National labor force participation rates are nearing pre-pandemic levels, reaching 62.8% in September 2023. That puts us at just 0.5% below where we were at the end of 2019. Unemployment rates are lower than they were at the height of the pandemic as well, remaining between 3.4 – 3.8% so far this year,” says the outlet.
Here’s the list of the top 10:
| Rank | State | Job Openings Rate (Latest Month) | Job Openings Rate (Last 12 Months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 10.60% | 8.13% |
| 2 | West Virginia | 7.10% | 7.71% |
| 3 | South Carolina | 7.10% | 7.18% |
| 4 | Georgia | 6.60% | 7.28% |
| 5 | New Mexico | 6.80% | 6.96% |
| 6 | Louisiana | 6.60% | 7.19% |
| 7 | Montana | 6.60% | 7.08% |
| 8 | Mississippi | 6.60% | 6.84% |
| 9 | Colorado | 6.50% | 6.88% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 6.50% | 6.86% |
The study also found that Colorado is one of the top states in the country where people are moving out of. In fact, more people moved out of Colorado than moved in during the first half of 2023.
