Douglas County’s economy is setting a regional pace with more jobs and less unemployment than the metro Denver averages, according to a county study.
Employment rose 8 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared with a 3.7 increase in the region. The unemployment rate for the county was 5.6 percent in the second quarter versus 6.7 percent in the region.
“Douglas County has certainly seen more new jobs and certainly been an area that has experienced some very nice job announcements throughout the first six months of the year,” said Patty Silverstein, president and chief economist of Development Research Partners. Silverstein oversaw the county’s economic study for the second quarter of 2013.
County Commissioner Jill Repella said the drop in unemployment represents 7,300 additional jobs.
Silverstein said retail sales — up 6.1 percent — also increased faster than the rest of the region.
The county’s housing market showed better numbers than metro Denver, with 25.4 percent more single-family homes sold than in the second quarter of 2012.
Silverstein said metro Denver has posted some of the highest home sales on record, and a lot of those have taken place in Douglas County.
There also was a 9.3 percent increase from last year in the number of homes sold, from 517 to 565 single-family homes.
In 2012, office vacancies were at 9.2 percent, and in second quarter 2013 they’re down to 7.4 percent, which Silverstein said shows more companies are relocating in the county.
