Secretary Williams releases latest business indicators report

DENVER, April 18, 2017 -- Confidence among Colorado's business leaders about the economy is reaching levels not seen since 2005, while robust growth in new business filings "bodes well for future job growth in the state," according to the latest report analyzing Colorado Secretary of State data.

In the first quarter of 2017, a total of 32,450 new business filings were recorded in Colorado -- a 9.3 percent increase over the same period last year.

The Quarterly Business & Economic Indicators Report looks at a variety of factors, such as energy costs, the labor market and inflation. It won't surprise anyone who is house hunting that home prices in Colorado grew at the second-fastest pace nationally. And once again, the report shows employment growth in rural communities continues to lag.

"The economic conditions in rural Colorado warrant continued monitoring, but the solid growth in most Colorado economic indicators -- coupled with the high level of optimism from our business leaders -- is very encouraging as we move ahead in 2017," Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams said.

The Quarterly Business and Economic Indicators Report is published by the Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, using data from the Secretary of State's central business registry.

"While the indicators are positive, we continue to keep our eye on capacity issues in Colorado," said Richard Wobbekind, executive director of the Business Research Division. "We need to understand how much the low unemployment rate and the availability and affordability of housing may constrain growth in the short term."

Visit our website to view the latest report, past reports and to sign up to receive the report by email.