Welcome back to the Fresh Jobs Update from Andrew Hudson's Jobs List!   We have a lot of useful information in today's list, and as always, there's TONS of new Colorado opportunities on today's list.

We recently completed the Colorado Job Seeker Confidence Survey, asking 218 job seekers what it is actually like to look for work in Colorado today.  For more information on this survey, CLICK HERE.

On Friday, the Department of Labor released it's monthly labor statistics that show the unemployment rate has risen to 4.2 percent.  Colorado's unemployment rate is now at 4 percent.

And while traditional employment statistics tell us how many people have jobs we created this survey to tell us what it actually feels like to be looking for one.

And the results tell a story that traditional employment statistics don't always capture: experienced, educated professionals in Colorado are struggling to connect their skills and experience with the opportunities they're seeking.

Let me be clear: I’m sounding the alarm. Elected officials, economic development professionals, chambers of commerce, business executives, workforce development experts—and everyone who cares about the long-term health of Colorado’s economy—need to listen to what Colorado job seekers are experiencing right now and respond with urgency.

Here are some of the findings that stood out

• Colorado may have a significant pool of underutilized talent. 65% of respondents don't currently have the full-time primary employment they're seeking. That includes 41.28% who are unemployed and actively looking, as well as professionals working contract, temporary, gig or part-time jobs while seeking their primary career position. For workforce and economic-development leaders, the question is whether Colorado is fully utilizing the talent already here.
• Long job searches suggest a potential disconnect between available talent and available opportunities. 47% have been searching for more than seven months, including 27% who have been looking for more than a year. Prolonged searches among skilled workers raise questions about skills alignment, industry demand, hiring practices and whether workers have the support they need to transition into growing sectors.
• The challenge may not simply be a lack of candidates—it may be how employers and candidates are connecting. 61.01% cite employers not responding to applications as a major concern, while 31% received no interviews during the previous three months. That suggests an opportunity for workforce organizations and employers to improve how qualified talent is identified, screened and connected to actual openings.
• Experienced workers may face particular barriers to reemployment. 55.05% cite perceived age discrimination, while 47.71% cite excessive competition. For a state that values an experienced workforce, this raises questions about whether employers are fully recognizing transferable skills, leadership experience and institutional knowledge—or whether experienced workers need additional help repositioning those assets for today's market.
• This is fundamentally a human-capital issue. Nearly 92% of respondents identifying a target career level are seeking mid-career through executive positions. These aren't predominantly workers who need to enter the workforce for the first time; many have substantial education, skills and professional experience. Workforce development therefore needs to include career transition, reskilling, transferable-skills identification, networking and career-pivot support for experienced professionals.
• Prolonged job searching risks eroding the very human capital Colorado depends upon. Roughly 7 in 10 respondents say the search has diminished their confidence in their professional value. Beyond the personal impact, prolonged unemployment and underemployment can mean lost productivity, reduced household spending, delayed retirement savings and valuable skills sitting on the sidelines.

Colorado has spent decades building and promoting a highly educated, highly skilled workforce. But what is that investment worth if our economy isn't creating enough opportunities for those workers to put their education, experience and skills to work?

The Job Search Has Changed
For experienced professionals, there's another message in these results.

If you haven't seriously looked for a job in 10, 15 or 20 years, you're entering a dramatically different hiring environment. Applicant tracking systems, LinkedIn, AI, remote competition and increasingly specialized job descriptions have changed how employers find and evaluate candidates.

That's why simply applying for more jobs isn't necessarily the answer.

Respondents said their most promising opportunities came from several places: 45.58% cited LinkedIn job postings, 42.33% personal networking and 37.67% AH JOBS LIST.

An effective search needs a focused plan. Know the positions and organizations you're targeting. Understand your transferable skills. Build and use your network. Customize how you present yourself. Learn new technologies. Follow up. And be willing to consider opportunities—including career pivots—that may not look exactly like your last job.

Don't Let a Difficult Market Define Your Value
This may be the most important message I can give job seekers.

A rejection—or an employer who never responds—isn't a measure of your professional worth.

You can't control whether an employer calls you back. But you can control whether you make the call, send the résumé, attend the event, ask for the introduction, reconnect with a former colleague, learn a new skill or follow up on an opportunity.

And if you're struggling right now, one thing is abundantly clear from these results:

You're not the only one. But you must keep moving your search forward.

If your job search feels stuck, CLICK HERE for my 10-A-Day Job Search Challenge. You'll find dozens of practical actions you can take every day to build connections, find new opportunities and create momentum — because every action you take moves your search one step forward.

When Life, Work and Family Pull Us in Different Directions

My longtime friend Katie Trexler has written a book that is being released today that asks questions many of us carry quietly: Did I make the right choice? What happened to the person I wanted to become? Can I be there for the people I love and still make room for myself?

In her new memoir, What Do I Tell My Daughter?, Katie shares her experience leaving a successful television news career to raise her young twins—and the loss of identity and difficult emotions that followed. She explores what it takes to find your way back to yourself after giving so much to others.

Through my work at AH Jobs List, I’ve heard from thousands of people struggling with their own versions of these questions.

The parent who needs a paycheck but aches to spend more time with their children. The professional whose job has consumed so much of their life that they barely recognize themselves. The job seeker who lies awake wondering how they’ll support their family—and whether they’ll ever feel confident or valued again.

These struggles are deeply personal. Work can give us purpose, pride and belonging.

Family can bring us our greatest joy and our heaviest responsibilities. When those needs collide, we can love the life we’ve built and still grieve something we gave up along the way.

That’s why I’m glad Katie is opening this conversation. Her story gives us a reason to pause, speak honestly and ask what we need now. It also invites us to think about what our children learn from watching us: how we care for others, how we handle disappointment and whether we believe our own hopes still deserve a place in our lives.

What Do I Tell My Daughter? is out now. Learn more at KatieTrexler.com.

New Jobs on AH JOBS LIST!

"AH Jobs List is the must-go-to website now viewed by thousands of job-seeking professionals and employers.  On a weekly basis, Andrew sends his job seekers a round-up of the week’s best jobs from across the state."  
Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.