Colorado’s economy will continue to crawl along next year, with GDP growth strengthening but job gains remaining sluggish as some of the state’s highest-paying sectors shed jobs, according to the 2026 Colorado Business Economic Outlook from the University of Colorado.

Adjusting for inflation, Colorado’s economy grew 2% last year and an estimated 2.1% this year. It is expected to reach a 2.9% pace next year, according to the panel of experts assembled by the Leeds School of Business. At that pace, state GDP would be close to the historical average of 3% a year since 1990.

But that stronger growth won’t generate the same number of new jobs as it used to. Colorado’s GDP may be beating strong, but the economy appears to have developed a case of arteriosclerosis when it comes to creating jo

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