Colorado Job Seeker Confidence Survey Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, September 29, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:
Andrew Hudson
(720)289-5877 (cell/text)
ahudson@ahjobslist.com

New Survey Reveals Growing Struggle Among Colorado’s Experienced, Highly Educated Job Seekers

Colorado jobseekers reveal a snapshot of what it is really like to look for work in Colorado — from long searches and intense competition to age concerns, remote working, changing hiring practices and declining professional confidence

DENVER, Colo. — Colorado has built its economic reputation in part on the strength of its highly educated workforce. But a new survey reveals a troubling disconnect: experienced, highly educated professionals are struggling to turn their credentials, skills and years of experience into their next job.

The Colorado Job Seeker Confidence Survey, conducted by AH JOBS LIST, surveyed 218 job seekers about their experiences navigating today's employment market — not simply whether they are working, but what happens when they apply, how employers respond, what barriers they encounter and how the process affects them personally.

The results reveal a troubling disconnect: highly educated, experienced professionals are struggling to find their place in Colorado's job market. Nearly two-thirds of respondents are seeking employment without currently holding the full-time primary position they want, many have been searching for months or even more than a year, and roughly seven in 10 say the experience has diminished their confidence in their professional value. Along the way, they report intense competition, concerns about age discrimination, unanswered applications and an increasingly impersonal hiring process.

“Traditional employment statistics tell us how many people have jobs,” said Andrew Hudson, Founder and President of AH JOBS LIST. “We wanted to understand something those numbers can't tell us: What is it actually like to look for a job in Colorado right now? These results give us a window into that experience.”

The findings are particularly notable because this is predominantly an experienced, highly educated group of job seekers.

Nearly 92% of respondents seeking a defined career level are pursuing mid-career, management, senior leadership or executive positions. Only 2.3% are primarily seeking entry-level or early-career positions. Bachelor's and master's degrees overwhelmingly dominate respondents' educational attainment.

“Colorado rightly prides itself on having a highly educated and talented workforce,” Hudson said. “But having an educated workforce and fully utilizing that education, experience and talent are two different things. These results raise an important question: Are we effectively connecting Colorado's experienced professional talent with the jobs where that talent can contribute?”

A Difficult Market — and Nearly Two-Thirds Are Seeking the Primary Employment They Need
The survey shows that the challenge extends well beyond people who are technically unemployed. Nearly two-thirds — about 65% — of respondents are seeking employment without currently holding the full-time primary position they want.

That includes 41.28% who are unemployed and actively looking, another 15.60% doing gig, temporary, contract or hourly work while seeking a primary career position, as well as respondents working part time, reentering the workforce, recently graduated or retired but seeking employment.

For many, entering the job market wasn't a choice. 37.33% say their current search began because they were laid off or their position was eliminated, by far the most frequently cited reason.

And finding the next opportunity can take a long time. “More than one year” is the largest job-search-duration category in the survey.

Respondents also see the market itself as exceptionally challenging. Asked to characterize the current job market for someone with their experience and qualifications, “very difficult” dominates the responses, followed by “somewhat difficult.” Compared with one year ago, “much harder” is the most common response when respondents are asked about finding an appropriate position.

Independent economic reports provide important context for what job seekers are experiencing.

The September 2026 Colorado Legislative Council Staff Economic and Revenue Forecast describes Colorado as having a “low-hire, low-fire” labor market and forecasts employment growth of just 0.1% for 2026. The report says Colorado was adding an average of about 2,000 jobs per month through July, compared with roughly 5,000 per month in 2018 and 2019.

The University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business paints a similarly restrained picture. Its 2026 Midyear Economic Update forecasts just 6,300 additional Colorado jobs for the entire year — growth of only 0.2% — with employment growth projected in only three major sectors and declines projected in seven.

Leeds also reports that Colorado lost 7,700 jobs in 2025 and that employment was essentially flat through the first half of 2026.

“The headline unemployment rate doesn't capture everyone who is struggling to find the employment they need,” said Andrew Hudson, Founder and President of AH JOBS LIST. “Our survey found nearly two-thirds of respondents are looking for a primary employment opportunity they don't currently have. Some are completely unemployed, but others are piecing together contract, gig, temporary or part-time work while they search. The statewide economic reports tell us hiring is unusually slow. Our survey shows us what that means for the people actually trying to find their next job.”

Employer Silence Is the No. 1 Concern
When respondents were asked what concerns them most about today's job market, employers not responding to applications ranked first at 61.01%.

The leading concerns were:

61.01% — Employers not responding to applications
55.05% — Age discrimination
47.71% — Too much competition
45.41% — Job postings that may not represent genuine openings
40.37% — Too few appropriate job openings
40.37% — Lengthy or complicated hiring processes
34.40% — Salaries are too low
33.49% — Layoffs or economic uncertainty
31.19% — Artificial intelligence changing or eliminating jobs

Perhaps equally revealing are the concerns near the bottom of the list.

Only 5.05% cite a lack of required experience and just 4.13% cite a lack of current technical skills.

“These job seekers generally aren't saying, ‘I don't have enough experience,’” Hudson said.
“They're saying, ‘I have the education. I have the experience. I have a track record. How do I get somebody to see it?’ That's a very different workforce challenge.”

Dozens of Applications — Few Interviews
The survey reveals a significant disconnect between the amount of activity job seekers are generating and the employer response they receive.
A sizable group reports submitting more than 50 applications in just the previous three months.

But interviews are considerably less frequent. The two largest categories are respondents who received two to three interviews and those who received no interviews at all during the same period.

When asked how often employers personally respond to applications beyond an automated acknowledgment, “rarely” is overwhelmingly the most common answer.
The written comments put a human voice behind those statistics.

One respondent reported being “more than a year unemployed and 1K applications sent and no job in sight.”

Another wrote: “After 500+ applications and 40+ interviews, just trying not to give up.”

A third described the biggest challenge as “the near disappearance of respectful human contact in the hiring process.”

“Rejection is part of every job search,” Hudson said. “But what we're hearing is something different. People are submitting application after application and frequently have no idea whether a human being ever saw their résumé. That uncertainty becomes incredibly discouraging.”

Mid-Career Professionals Are Discovering That Job Searching Has Changed
One of the most important implications of the survey involves people who haven't needed to conduct a serious job search for years.

Only 2.30% of respondents are primarily seeking entry-level or early-career positions.
By comparison:

28.11% are seeking mid-career professional positions.
29.03% are seeking manager or mid-level management positions.
28.57% are seeking senior leader/director/vice president positions.
5.99% are seeking executive/C-suite positions.

A professional who has been steadily employed for 10, 15 or 20 years may suddenly enter a market transformed by applicant-tracking systems, LinkedIn, AI-assisted screening, remote competition, online assessments and increasingly specialized job descriptions.

“Many experienced professionals know how to do their jobs extremely well, but job searching itself has become a completely different skill,” Hudson said. “How you present yourself, how you describe your accomplishments, how you build relationships, how you identify opportunities and even how you think about your own career have all changed.”

The survey illustrates why relying solely on online applications can be limiting.

When respondents were asked which methods had produced their most promising opportunities:

45.58% — LinkedIn job postings
42.33% — Personal networking
37.67% — AH JOBS LIST
23.26% — Other online job boards
18.14% — Employer career websites
14.88% — Recruiters or staffing firms
13.95% — Employee referrals

“The data show there isn't one magic place where jobs come from,” Hudson said. “Job seeking is a full-contact sport: online applications matter, but so do relationships, referrals, research and direct contact. Experienced job seekers need to understand not just what jobs are posted, but where their skills create value.”

Transferable Skills and Career Pivots Are Becoming More Important
For mid-career and senior professionals, the next job may not be another version of the position they just left.

That can require job seekers to separate their skills from their titles.

Leadership, communications, project management, strategic planning, operations, relationship management, budgeting, problem solving and team development can transfer across industries and functions — even when an applicant has never held the exact title an employer is advertising.

The respondents themselves describe the challenge.

One wrote:
“My past experiences are eclectic and not necessarily representative of what I want to do. For example, I was a CEO for a few years, but have zero desire to be the CEO. I'm interested in HR and while I've done five years of it, I've never had it in my title.”

Another said:
“I'd really love to pivot. I no longer enjoy this work, but I'm finding it incredibly difficult to make that change without taking a pay cut at the age of 50.”

Another criticized what they called “unicorn wishlist job descriptions,” saying employers increasingly demand exact software and industry experience rather than recognizing transferable skills.

“For some professionals, the opportunity isn't going to have the same title or even be in the same industry,” Hudson said. “One of the most important things an experienced job seeker can do is understand: What are the skills I have built over my career? What problems can I solve? Where else are those capabilities valuable? A career pivot doesn't necessarily mean starting over.”

Age Discrimination Looms Large
One of the survey's strongest findings involves age.

55.05% identify age discrimination as a concern, second only to employer nonresponse.

The survey population does skew older, with ages 55–64 representing the largest group, followed by respondents ages 45–54.

The 55% result should therefore not be interpreted as evidence that 55% of all Colorado workers experience age discrimination. Rather, it demonstrates how prominent perceived age discrimination is among this population of experienced job seekers.
Several written responses were stark.

One respondent wrote:
“I'm 63 years old. My work experience is solid, but when employers see me, they think I won't be around long.”

Another wrote:
“Ageism. At 50 I'm too young to retire but too old to be hired.”

The September Legislative Council forecast provides additional context, separately noting longer unemployment durations and greater labor-market challenges for younger and older workers.

“For a state that prides itself on human capital, we should be asking whether decades of professional experience, judgment, relationships and institutional knowledge are being fully valued,” Hudson said.

Colorado Is Creating Jobs — But Growth Is Highly Concentrated
The economic data help explain why statewide employment numbers and individual job-search experiences can appear contradictory.

Leeds reports that Health Care and Social Assistance accounted for 56% of the jobs added among Colorado's growing sectors through June.

The Legislative Council forecast similarly reports that Education and Health Services accounted for 15,500 year-over-year jobs through July and that, without that supersector, Colorado would have experienced a net loss of approximately 3,400 jobs.

That matters because AH JOBS LIST survey respondents are disproportionately seeking professional positions. Communications, marketing and public relations represent 31.19% of respondents, followed by nonprofit/community service at 12.84%, IT/data/cybersecurity at 7.80%, operations/project management at 6.42%, and human resources at 5.05%.

“The important question isn't simply, ‘Is Colorado adding jobs?’” Hudson said. “It's also, ‘What kinds of jobs are we creating, and do they align with the skills and experience of the workforce we already have?’”

AI Is Both a Threat and a Tool
Artificial intelligence is creating another contradiction.
31.19% cite AI changing or eliminating jobs as a concern.

At the same time:

60.83% use AI for résumé writing or revision
60.83% use it for cover letters
48.85% use it for interview preparation
39.17% use it for employer research
34.10% use it for LinkedIn profiles
Only 16.13% say they aren't using AI in their job search.

Leeds reports an intriguing parallel in Colorado's Information sector: economic output increased 10.6% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026 while employment declined 5.3% year-to-date. Leeds notes that automation, cloud computing and AI are allowing firms to generate greater output with fewer employees.

Workers Value Flexibility — But Most Won't Rule Out the Office
The survey also challenges assumptions about remote work.
37.61% identify remote or hybrid work as one of their three most important considerations in a new position.

But when asked whether they would reject an otherwise attractive job because it required more office time than preferred, “probably not” was overwhelmingly the most common response, followed by “definitely not.”

“The message isn't that people refuse to come into an office,” Hudson said. “They value flexibility, but most appear willing to compromise when the job, compensation, leadership and opportunity are right.”

Salary Leads — But Meaningful Work Is No. 2
When respondents selected their three most important priorities for their next job:

66.51% — Salary
51.38% — Meaningful work
44.50% — Health and retirement benefits
37.61% — Remote or hybrid work
32.11% — Work-life balance
28.90% — Workplace culture
25.69% — Quality of leadership
24.77% — Job security

“People obviously need to pay their bills,” Hudson said. “But more than half also told us meaningful work is one of their three most important priorities. Experienced professionals aren't just looking for a paycheck. They're looking for a place where their experience matters.”

The Human Cost: Confidence Is Eroding
Perhaps the survey's most troubling finding involves something economic statistics don't measure.

Roughly seven in 10 respondents say their job search has reduced their confidence in their professional value, either somewhat or significantly.

One respondent described the challenge simply as:
“Motivation after so much rejection.”

Another wrote:
“I feel like nothing is working. I'm at a loss and don't know what to do.”

“That may be the most important finding in the survey,” Hudson said. “These are people who have spent 20 or 30 years building careers. Months of applications, automated responses, rejection and silence can make even accomplished professionals begin questioning their own value.”

“Traditional employment statistics tell us how many people have jobs. This survey tells us what it feels like to be looking for one,” Hudson said.

About the Colorado Job Seeker Confidence Survey
The Colorado Job Seeker Confidence Survey received 218 responses and examines employment status, job-search duration, hiring experiences, job-search strategies, workplace flexibility, artificial intelligence, age discrimination and professional confidence.

Respondents skew toward experienced, highly educated professionals and are concentrated in the Denver metropolitan area. The survey is not a random scientific sample of Colorado's entire workforce and should therefore be interpreted as a snapshot of the experiences and perceptions of participating job seekers rather than a statistically representative measure of all Colorado workers.

About AH JOBS LIST
Founded in 1998 by Andrew Hudson, AH JOBS LIST is a Colorado-focused employment and career resource connecting job seekers with employers throughout the state. The organization provides Colorado job listings as well as career coaching, résumé and LinkedIn development, job-search strategy, career-pivot and transferable-skills counseling, interviewing support and professional development programs.

For more than 25 years, Hudson has worked with Colorado employers, recruiters and job seekers to better understand the state's changing workforce and hiring environment. AH JOBS LIST has built a community of more than 35,000 subscribers and 5,000 recruiters and employers, while providing access to approximately 1,000 Colorado job opportunities each month.

Hudson also serves on the Board of Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, where he participates in regional workforce-development efforts focused on connecting employers with talent, strengthening workforce services and addressing the changing needs of workers and businesses.

Hudson's professional background includes senior communications, marketing and public-affairs positions in both the public and private sectors, including leadership roles with the Regional Transportation District, U.S. Senator Tim Wirth, Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, Frontier Airlines and ARCADIS U.S.

The Colorado Job Seeker Confidence Survey was developed by AH JOBS LIST to examine an aspect of Colorado's labor market that traditional economic statistics cannot fully capture: what it is actually like to look for work.