Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Carnahan
Grand Junction has seen a 7% reduction in job postings since Jan. 1 — leading all major cities in Colorado.
That’s according to a quarterly jobs report by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and technology firm Aspen Technology Labs (ATL), which compiled job and salary data from around the state to paint a picture of Colorado’s economic standing as well as the economic standing of its cities. Statewide, job postings are down 2% from the start of the year, meaning Grand Junction is in particularly good shape in that regard.
“What that says is that our economy remains nimble and strong and that we’re continuing to make the most out of our workforce,” said Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Carnahan.
“It also speaks to the diversification that we’ve been working on for the past few decades to make sure that we’re really able to ride out these boom and bust cycles and remain vibrant and strong as the economy continues to change.”
Carnahan and the Grand Junction Chamber hosted the Colorado Chamber, including President and CEO Loren Furman, on Wednesday for a meeting to discuss the state chamber’s Blueprint for a Better Business Climate plan that aims to create a more business-friendly environment in the state.
The plan includes recommendations for reducing regulatory burdens, improving access to capital, expanding workforce development programs and increasing investment in infrastructure.
Various business owners, entrepreneurs, city and Mesa County Valley School District 51 officials, and members of other Western Slope chambers of commerce were also in attendance to discuss concerns the city and state must address in order to become more business-friendly.
Several attendees mentioned that the consistently increasing cost of living in the Grand Valley and lower median salaries across many professions have formed a toxic combination that threatens to drive away much of the region’s current workforce and prevent the potential future workforce from seriously considering moving to Grand Junction.
According to ATL’s study, Grand Junction didn’t crack the top 10 cities in the state in median salary. Western Slope neighbors Glenwood Springs and Montrose ranked fifth and ninth, respectively.
Carnahan said one of the biggest benefits of hosting the Colorado Chamber of Commerce was that it allowed them the opportunity to hear both the hopes and concerns of the Western Slope’s business community.
“It’s incredibly valuable for the state chamber to have these conversations within our community over here on the Western Slope,” Carnahan said. “The future health of our state and business climate in making sure we remain attractive for business is a full state conversation, so we’re thrilled to be included in that and continue to contribute to those conversations.”
