Durango Employment

Durango / La Plata County Employment

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May 2007	La Plata County	State of Colorado	Nationwide
Unemployed	747	89,035	N/A
Employed	30,294	2,570,085	N/A
Total Labor Force	31,041	2,659,120	N/A
Unemployment Rates	2.4%	3.3%	4.5%

Employment and unemployment rates in La Plata County tend to follow trends in the national and state rates, but not perfectly. This may be due to the tourist orientation of the local economy. The local labor market has been strong for the past several years. Both the Colorado and La Plata County unemployment rates have usually been lower than the national rates for the past several years, reflecting the strong performance of the Colorado and La Plata County economies.

Labor Supply and Demand
The Durango area has always been a community which has been able to attract many more people (professional, white collar and blue collar) than the area can employ, especially at average salaries. However, most who have come here feel that the reduction in wages is well worth it. Those who leave do so with great reluctance.

Local labor market information is estimated by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The Durango/La Plata County labor market has shown substantial growth in recent years.

The quality of life in Durango is superb. We have an abundant labor supply because of our lifestyle. In spite of what has been referred to as the "pine cone wage differential," even the highly qualified Ph.D.s at Fort Lewis College spend their professional lives in Durango. The abundant labor supply which is attracted to the Durango/La Plata County area results in relatively lower labor costs for area employers. The lower labor costs provide a significant competitive advantage to local employers, particularly in manufacturing.

The Durango area has major employers in education, medical services government, groceries and tourism.

Major Employers

Employer	Est. 2005 Employees FT to total w/PT	Est. 2004 Employees FT to total w/PT	Estimated 2000 Employees
Southern Ute Indian Tribe	1,091	950-1020	935
Mercy Medical Center	750	738	830
Durango School District 9R	660	605-657	800
Fort Lewis College	650	453-609	625
U.S. Government	459	372	***
Wal-Mart	***	300-400	400
La Plata County	400	389	374
CO State Government	238	272	***
City of Durango	270	265-565	241
Durango Mountain Resort	125-690	125-800	300-1000

Source: Individual employer statistics, Colorado Dept. of Labor and Employment, Colorado Employment and Wages, 2004.
Notes: *** Figures not available

Also see
La Plata County Average Annual Wage Table By Industry Sector

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