An article over at the denverpost.com today shines the spotlight on Pueblo and Fort Collins, two Colorado cities which suffered lighter job losses and housing markets that didn't overheat, and who are expected to be the first metro areas in Colorado to recover their jobs - according to a study released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The report highlights how uneven the recovery has been, and Colorado offers an example of the wide variation that can exist within a single state.
"The biggest single factor or hangover is the real-estate market," said Jim Diffley, chief regional economist with Douglas County-based IHS, which researched 363 metro areas for the conference. Cities that experienced bigger declines in home values are, generally speaking, recovering more slowly, he said.
Pueblo's housing market wasn't as overheated, and it suffered the smallest decline in jobs of any Colorado metro area - 3.2 percent from peak to bottom. That said, Pueblo struggles with an unemployment rate of 9.6 percent, higher than the statewide average of 8 percent.
Much of the new hiring is in manufacturing and distribution.
Please visit DenverPost.com to read the full article: Pueblo, Fort Collins lead economic comeback in Colorado
