Jefferson County’s labor market has shifted from a summer lull to a highly competitive environment, with the percentage of major firms looking for talent increasing sixfold since August. According to a six-month analysis of 500 high-visibility companies (the Jeffco 500)—the Jeffco 500 Hiring Index—the regional hiring benchmark climbed from a modest 5% in mid-August 2025 to a current average of 30% in February 2026.
This “hiring density” metric—which tracks the average percentage of firms in a given area with active job openings—peaked in mid-November at 41%, indicating that nearly half of the county’s most prominent employers were simultaneously in the market for new talent during the late autumn surge.
Broomfield currently leads the county in hiring intensity. After starting the period with only 4% of its major firms hiring, the city saw a massive spike, ending the period with 37% of its high-visibility business sector actively recruiting.
Westminster has also maintained a commanding lead in regional activity. Throughout the winter, an average of 31.57% of Westminster’s tracked firms were in hiring mode, consistently outperforming the regional average and peaking at a significant 43% during the November hiring blitz.
The data highlights a dramatic “wake-up” in cities that were virtually dormant in late summer:
- Wheat Ridge: Saw the most extreme shift, moving from just 1% of firms hiring in August to a high of 18%, currently settling at 17%.
- Lakewood & Littleton: Both cities saw their hiring density jump from 2% in August to 20% and 18% respectively, marking a ten-fold increase in the likelihood of a local firm having an open position.
- Arvada & Evergreen: These areas showed a steady climb to 13% and 12% hiring density, suggesting a more conservative but nonetheless significant expansion of their local workforces.
While the regional hiring percentage has cooled slightly from its November peak of 41%, the current 30% benchmark represents a robust “new baseline” for 2026. For local job seekers, this means that nearly one in every three major firms in Jefferson County is currently looking to expand—a stark contrast to the one in twenty firms that were hiring just six months ago.
The sustained high percentages in Broomfield and Westminster suggest these cities remain the primary hubs for professional opportunity heading into the spring quarter.
Source: Jeffco 500 Hiring Index
