2025 Market Facts VRP - Flipbook - Page 6
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
ECO NO MI C PRO FI L E & MA R K ET FACT S 2025 | 1
Uncertainty dampens economic outlook
Industry battles
headwinds, crosswinds
C
olorado business leaders need to brush up on some weather
terminology. Winds are blowing the economy in a myriad of
directions, making forecasting extremely difficult.
Take headwinds, for example. In economic terms, a headwind
refers to a fact or condition that hinders growth. We have plenty of
those, with high interest rates perhaps most prominent, along with
signs of reduced consumer demand.
Then there are the tailwinds, positive factors that propel the economy — or a specific industry or community — forward. Colorado
has several tailwinds, such as its designation as a hub for quantum
research.
Then there are the crosswinds, those unexpected gusts that
threaten to blow us off course. And we have loads of those: on-again,
off-again tariffs; unforeseen budget cuts affecting state and local
governments, federal laboratories, scientific research and other areas;
inflation; geopolitical tensions; and slowing global growth.
It’s enough to make “uncertainty” the latest buzzword for business
executives attending BizWest’s semi-monthly CEO Roundtables.
That uncertainty should leave business leaders with a hunger for
something tangible, some cold, hard facts that could help them look
over the horizon.
That’s where the Economic Profile & Market Facts publication
Christopher Wood
Jeff Nuttall
comes in, with features on local towns and cities, as well as dominant
industries. And charts. Lots of charts.
This print edition and the complementary EconoWatch.com website are the places to look for insights on the local economy. Want to
know the latest bankruptcy statistics? Look no further. Need a quick
reference for local GDP numbers? You’ve got it. Is your boss seeking
updated population data for a potential expansion? Here ya go.
If you’re attempting to make sense of what’s happening in the
region’s economy, we hope that this publication serves as a valuable
resource, an essential weather gauge for forecasting any economic
storm — or better weather ahead.
Jeff Nuttall and Christopher Wood are publishers of BizWest, the
Business Journal of the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado. Reach
them at jnuttall@bizwest.com or cwood@bizwest.com.
