• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
denver

This City Is a Millennial Hiring Paradise

By
Mack Gelber
Mack Gelber
and
Monster
Monster
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mack Gelber
Mack Gelber
and
Monster
Monster
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 19, 2016, 11:00 AM ET
USA, Colorado, Denver, City view and Rocky Mountains from east
USA, Colorado, Denver, city view and Rocky Mountains from the eastWalter Bibikow — Getty Images/AWL Images

This piece originally appeared on Monster.com.

The city of Denver, Colorado might call to mind images of ski trips and snowy mountains, but its job market couldn’t be hotter. According to the Wall Street Journal, 32,000 new companies have opened in Denver in the past four years, with over 165,000 jobs to match. That hiring environment—combined with its high quality of life—have made the city a magnet for job-seeking millennials.

Nearly 13,000 millennials flocked to Denver between 2009 and 2014, according to analysis from real estate site Zillow. And while the city’s experienced the spiking rents that come with a population boom, its job market is still extraordinarily strong for a city of its size (US Census data ranks Denver the 19th largest city by population).

According to Monster data pulled using CEB TalentNeuron, nearly 4,300 job listings were posted in the Denver area in the past 120 days. That puts it in the same league as larger cities like Philadelphia and Phoenix, and even ahead of a tech job hub like San Jose. All told, Denver ranks 19th out of all US cities for job listings added to Monster.

“Denver was in a major recession in the ’80s,” said urban planner Carrie Makarewicz told the New York Times. “The main industry was gas and oil, so when the energy sector bombed, the business community and government got together and decided they needed to diversify and make some major investments.”

For more on Millennials, watch this Fortune video:

Monster data ranks the tech space as Denver’s largest source of job listings, with over 1,000 posted in the past 120 days. That’s no surprise—commercial real estate broker CBRE says tech companies leased over a million square feet of office space last year, representing a nearly 6% jump over the previous year.

Of course, it’s nearly impossible to talk about the Denver job market without mentioning Colorado’s legal marijuana industry. Last month, the city hosted a cannabis career fair featuring more than 50 companies and over 1,000 jobs, some retail-oriented (the “bud tenders” behind the dispensary counter), some sleekly corporate (pot companies need social media managers too).

“Marijuana is now, for the most part, mainstream acceptable, and with that the talent pool has followed suit,” Tripp Keber, the founder of Denver-based marijuana edibles company Dixie Brands, told CBS last month.

Read More: These Cities Have Become Magnets for Job-Seeking College Graduates

And while Colorado’s pot industry is still relatively small, there’s evidence that it’s actually propping up the state’s flagging retail and manufacturing industries. One report from the Colorado Business Review describes a boost in retail sales and employment in areas where marijuana is legalized (recreational pot sales began in the state in 2014), while a Denver Post story points to edibles as a possible explanation for an uptick in food manufacturing jobs. All told, weed-derived revenue totaled $486 million in Colorado for the first five months of 2016.

More from Monster:
• Ask Vicki: Can I get a job outside of my college degree?
• 7 companies that will send you abroad for a year or two
• 100 companies making big hires in August

But regardless of whether you choose to tap into Colorado’s pot job boom, its capital city has experienced more than 50 consecutive months of job growth and positioned itself as a beacon for hungry young talent. Maybe it’s time to turn that ski trip into an extended stay.

About the Authors
By Mack Gelber
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Monster
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

UK moves warship to Middle East for potential Hormuz mission
PoliticsMilitary
UK moves warship to Middle East for potential Hormuz mission
By Ellen Milligan and BloombergMay 9, 2026
2 hours ago
Iran war is draining world’s oil buffer at an unprecedented pace
EnergyOil
Iran war is draining world’s oil buffer at an unprecedented pace
By Grant Smith, Yongchang Chin and BloombergMay 9, 2026
2 hours ago
Trump Media posts $405 million loss driven by crypto holdings
CryptoDonald Trump
Trump Media posts $405 million loss driven by crypto holdings
By Yash Roy and BloombergMay 9, 2026
2 hours ago
The federal government must issue more debt than it expected as cash flow weakens, and ‘the bond market is shouting’
InvestingDebt
The federal government must issue more debt than it expected as cash flow weakens, and ‘the bond market is shouting’
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
3 hours ago
A federal judge weighing the future of a D.C. golf course doesn’t want to be Amy Poehler, but Trump might be interested as he remakes parks
PoliticsDonald Trump
A federal judge weighing the future of a D.C. golf course doesn’t want to be Amy Poehler, but Trump might be interested as he remakes parks
By Steven Sloan and The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
5 hours ago
Trump sees ‘beginning of the end’ in Russia’s war on Ukraine as both sides agrees to his request for a 3-day ceasefire
EuropeRussia
Trump sees ‘beginning of the end’ in Russia’s war on Ukraine as both sides agrees to his request for a 3-day ceasefire
By Darlene Superville and The Associated PressMay 9, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
12 hours ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
8 hours ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
4 days ago
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
North America
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
By Sasha RogelbergMay 7, 2026
2 days ago
You're probably safe from the Hantavirus outbreak, but here's what you absolutely must not do, experts say
Politics
You're probably safe from the Hantavirus outbreak, but here's what you absolutely must not do, experts say
By Catherina GioinoMay 8, 2026
1 day ago
The CEO of Maersk, which ships 14% of everything you buy, said the Iran war is adding $500 million in monthly costs it's trying not to pass down
Energy
The CEO of Maersk, which ships 14% of everything you buy, said the Iran war is adding $500 million in monthly costs it's trying not to pass down
By Sasha RogelbergMay 8, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.