Boulder County, CO jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meBoulder County economy
4.4%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.9% the month before
186,817
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
328,317
people in Boulder County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$102,772
median household income
Source: Census ACS
57%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Boulder County ranks
Where Boulder County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #3Counties with the most job openings per unemployed person in the Mountain West8 per 100 · of 15
- #3Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Mountain West57% · of 55
- #5Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Mountain West33% · of 40
- #9Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Mountain West53 / 100 · of 15
- #15Best county job markets for job seekers in the Mountain West34 / 100 · of 15
- #22Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the Mountain West2.4 per 10,000 · of 36
Boulder County outlook: Cooling
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs down 2.4% from 2022 to 2025
- Population down 0.7% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.4%, up 0.5 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+2,005 jobs), arts & recreation (+338 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: manufacturing (−1,809 jobs), information (−1,597 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Boulder County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Boulder County union employees protest layoff plansColorado Hometown Weekly on MSN · Oct 26, 2026
- Boulder County cement plant to lay off a least 70 employees next monthDenver7 · Oct 13, 2026
- Boulder County cement plant to lay off 70 workersThe Business Journals · Oct 8, 2026
- Boulder Valley announces preschool locations following school closure decisionColorado Hometown Weekly on MSN · Oct 4, 2026
Learn and get funded in Boulder County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Boulder County layoffs
1
Layoff notices, last 12 months
70
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
1
employer
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CemexTakes effect Nov 2, 2026 | Boulder | 70 | Staff Rebalancing at Lyons Cement Plant | State record |
Employers hiring most in Boulder County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- BAE Systems48 open roles
- Scitec Innovations37 open roles
- Atom Computing29 open roles
- Sens Usa22 open roles
- Infleqtion20 open roles
- Watchmaker Genomics18 open roles
- Garmin17 open roles
- Northrop Grumman14 open roles
- Sierra Space13 open roles
- Sikorsky Aircraft13 open roles
Colleges in Boulder County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| Naropa University | Boulder | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture | Louisville | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in Boulder County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Boulder County. 1 with dates announced.
- Sundance Film Festival
Jan 21 to Jan 31, 2027 · Boulder, CO
Paid ticket. Pass pricing not in results.
- Rocky Mountain ETA Conference
Usually November (next dates not announced) · Boulder, CO
Ticket About $149. General admission $149; one-day event with breakfast, lunch and evening reception.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Boulder County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Colorado? How to file for unemployment in Colorado (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
Workforce Boulder County
Boulder · Comprehensive · 770-776-0822
8:00-4:30PM Monday-Friday
Workforce Boulder County Longmont
Longmont · Comprehensive · 720-776-0822
8:00-4:30PM Monday-Friday
Cities in Boulder County
Other Colorado counties
Laid off or looking for work in Boulder County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Colorado’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Colorado unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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