State Demographer: Population Shifts will Alter Workforce Makeup

Chart Depicting Migration by Age 200-2010, Courtesy of State Demography Office

As population trends continue to shift along the Front Range, a change in the makeup of the workforce will continue to change as well. While Boulder, Larimer, and Weld Counties have all seen a negative net migration of people in their late 20’s, Larimer and Weld Counties have generally seen a positive migration of the workforce-aged and aging populations over the past decade with Boulder County seeing a negative migration of workforce-aged and aging populations. According to Elizabeth Garner, a Colorado state demographer, an increase in aging population will mean higher job creation in the service industry in the coming decades. 

Weld County is expected to outpace Boulder and Larimer Counties in population by 2030. Experts believe that the increase in population in Weld County recently has been due to high job growth in the oil and gas industry. However, many factors play into the population growth rate over the region, including job availability and cost of living. While both Larimer and Weld Counties tend to see a higher migration of college-aged residents due to the University of Colorado in Boulder and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Weld County has seen a higher migration rate in the work force aged population (ages 30 to 65) due to job creation and lower costs of living. It is also expected that all three counties will see an increase in aging populations, which could mean a change in workforce dynamics and services.

You can read more about the effects of population growth in the Front Range region and its anticipated effects on the workforce here.