Metro Denver ranked seventh among the country’s 51 largest metro areas for employment gains in 2016, trailing rivals Salt Lake City, Dallas and Seattle, according to .
Employment in metro Denver rose by 44,800 between December 2015 and December 2016, which translates into a growth rate of 3.2 percent.
Orlando led among metro areas with a 4.2 percent growth rate, which translated into 50,300 jobs, while Salt Lake City outdid Denver with a 3.4 percent growth rate and the addition of 23,700 jobs.
The Silicon Valley area and the Seattle metro area both reported 3.4 percent job growth, while Dallas and Jacksonville, Fla., also came in ahead of Denver at 3.3 percent.
Overall, it was a good year for hiring in the country’s biggest metros. Of the 51 metros tracked, only two shed jobs last year. Virginia Beach, Va., experienced a 0.4 percent decline in jobs, while Milwaukee experienced a 0.5 percent decline.
Employment gains tapered in metro Denver following the downturn in oil prices in late 2014. But expectations are that , which should restore the industry as a source of employment growth.