YOUR GUIDE TO DENVER
Business & Economy in Denver
The Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Area labor market stood at 4.6% unemployment in August 2026, with 1,659,113 people employed. The largest sectors by jobs are Professional & Business Services (19% of nonfarm jobs), Trade, Transportation & Utilities (17% of nonfarm jobs) and Government (14% of nonfarm jobs).
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LABOR MARKET
Economic Snapshot
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Area · August 2026
Employment by Industry
TOTAL NONFARM EMPLOYMENT
1,653,500
August 2026
Professional & Business Services
318,900
19.3%
of nonfarm employment
Trade, Transportation & Utilities
287,400
17.4%
of nonfarm employment
Government
228,200
13.8%
of nonfarm employment
Education & Health Services
227,700
13.8%
of nonfarm employment
Leisure & Hospitality
186,300
11.3%
of nonfarm employment
Construction
114,200
6.9%
of nonfarm employment
Financial Activities
113,900
6.9%
of nonfarm employment
Other Services
70,200
4.2%
of nonfarm employment
Manufacturing
63,800
3.9%
of nonfarm employment
Information
42,900
2.6%
of nonfarm employment
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
August 2026
Recent Unemployment Rate
August
2025
3.8%
September
2025
3.8%
November
2025
3.8%
December
2025
3.6%
January
2026
4.2%
February
2026
4.3%
March
2026
3.7%
April
2026
3.5%
May
2026
3.6%
June
2026
3.9%
July
2026
4.1%
August
2026
4.6%
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
August 2026
Top and Major Employers
Reported for City and County of Denver · FY 2025
Employer
Employees
Share of City Employment
City and County of Denver
13,681
2.10%
Denver Public School District #1
13,367
2.00%
State of Colorado Central Payroll
11,528
1.80%
United Airlines, Inc
11,007
1.70%
Denver Health & Hospital Authority
8,334
1.30%
CHC Payroll Agent, Inc. (HCA Health One)
4,745
0.70%
Southwest Airlines
4,569
0.70%
USDA National Finance Center
4,416
0.70%
University of Denver
4,205
0.60%
ADP TotalSource
2,365
0.40%
Reported total
78,217
12.00%
Employer figures are published as a general guide and should be treated as reported estimates rather than audited headcounts.
Click for more top, major & biggest employers →Largest Employers in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area
Compiled from the principal-employers tables in the annual financial reports of the area's cities and counties. Each report counts its own city or county, so every figure is shown with the report it comes from and the figures are not added together. The number beside an employer is the largest single figure a report gives, so the employer's total across the metro area is at least that.
Employers Headquartered Outside Colorado
EmployerHeadquartersReported in the metro area
HCA HealthONE
Nashville, Tennessee
4,745 · City and County of Denver (FY 2025)
2,000 · Arapahoe County (FY 2025)
1,600 · Arapahoe County (FY 2025)
12,200 · Adams County (FY 2024)
1,600 · Douglas County (FY 2025)
2,000 · Arapahoe County (FY 2025)
1,600 · Arapahoe County (FY 2025)
12,200 · Adams County (FY 2024)
1,600 · Douglas County (FY 2025)
United Airlines
Chicago, Illinois
11,007 · City and County of Denver (FY 2025)
10,500 · Adams County (FY 2024)
10,500 · Adams County (FY 2024)
Lockheed Martin
Bethesda, Maryland
10,700 · Adams County (FY 2024)
2,250 · Douglas County (FY 2025)
2,250 · Douglas County (FY 2025)
Intermountain Health
Salt Lake City, Utah
8,400 · Adams County (FY 2024)
1,000 · City and County of Broomfield (FY 2025)
1,000 · City and County of Broomfield (FY 2025)
Comcast
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8,100 · Adams County (FY 2024)
Kaiser Permanente
Oakland, California
6,800 · Adams County (FY 2024)
1,200 · Douglas County (FY 2025)
1,200 · Douglas County (FY 2025)
Southwest Airlines
Dallas, Texas
4,569 · City and County of Denver (FY 2025)
Kiewit Companies
Omaha, Nebraska
1,400 · Douglas County (FY 2025)
Oracle America
Austin, Texas
900 · City and County of Broomfield (FY 2025)
All Reported Employers
EmployerLargest reportedReported in
UCHealth
14,100
Adams County (FY 2024): 14,100
City and County of Denver
13,681
City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 13,681
Denver Public School District #1
13,367
City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 13,367
Amazon
12,400
Adams County (FY 2024): 12,400
HCA HealthONE
HQ: Nashville, Tennessee 12,200 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 4,745
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 2,000
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 1,600
Adams County (FY 2024): 12,200
Douglas County (FY 2025): 1,600
HQ: Nashville, Tennessee 12,200 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 4,745
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 2,000
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 1,600
Adams County (FY 2024): 12,200
Douglas County (FY 2025): 1,600
State of Colorado Central Payroll
11,528
City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 11,528
United Airlines
HQ: Chicago, Illinois 11,007 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 11,007
Adams County (FY 2024): 10,500
HQ: Chicago, Illinois 11,007 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 11,007
Adams County (FY 2024): 10,500
Centura Health
10,700
Adams County (FY 2024): 10,700
Lockheed Martin
HQ: Bethesda, Maryland 10,700 Adams County (FY 2024): 10,700
Douglas County (FY 2025): 2,250
HQ: Bethesda, Maryland 10,700 Adams County (FY 2024): 10,700
Douglas County (FY 2025): 2,250
Intermountain Health
HQ: Salt Lake City, Utah 8,400 Adams County (FY 2024): 8,400
City and County of Broomfield (FY 2025): 1,000
HQ: Salt Lake City, Utah 8,400 Adams County (FY 2024): 8,400
City and County of Broomfield (FY 2025): 1,000
Denver Health & Hospital Authority
8,334
City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 8,334
Douglas County School District
8,149
Douglas County (FY 2025): 8,149
Comcast
HQ: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 8,100 Adams County (FY 2024): 8,100
HQ: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 8,100 Adams County (FY 2024): 8,100
Cherry Creek School District
7,000
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 7,000
Children's Hospital Colorado
7,000
Adams County (FY 2024): 7,000
Kaiser Permanente
HQ: Oakland, California 6,800 Adams County (FY 2024): 6,800
Douglas County (FY 2025): 1,200
HQ: Oakland, California 6,800 Adams County (FY 2024): 6,800
Douglas County (FY 2025): 1,200
Adams Arapahoe Aurora Public Schools
5,300
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 5,300
City of Aurora
4,600
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 4,600
Southwest Airlines
HQ: Dallas, Texas 4,569 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 4,569
HQ: Dallas, Texas 4,569 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 4,569
USDA National Finance Center
4,416
City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 4,416
University of Denver
HQ: Denver, Colorado 4,205 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 4,205
HQ: Denver, Colorado 4,205 City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 4,205
Charles Schwab
4,000
Douglas County (FY 2025): 4,000
Arapahoe County
2,500
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 2,500
ADP TotalSource
2,365
City and County of Denver (FY 2025): 2,365
Littleton School District
2,200
Arapahoe County (FY 2025): 2,200
Each figure is a government report's own count for its city or county and year; the reports cover different places and years, so figures are not added together. The headline number for an employer is the largest single report. Public-sector and payroll-agent entries are named as the reports print them. Headquarters are from Wikidata where the company matched by exact name.
Official Employer Report
City and County of Denver
Source vintage: FY 2025
The Guide is monitoring this official report for updates. Employer rankings will appear only after the underlying employer data has been extracted and verified.
View Official Source →