Brian Lewandowski, executive director of the Business Research Division at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business, told an audience at the Boulder Chamber’s Economic Forecast event Tuesday that that the state’s labor force has fallen 0.6% year over year as of December, propelled by a heavy loss of federal jobs.

The estimated financial losses for businesses as a result of the outages averaged about $25,000, according to the survey, which had nearly 300 respondents, 86% of whom claimed to have experienced a business interruption. Nine respondents reported $100,000 or more in negative impacts.

When the wind blows a hole in business operations and kills critical holiday traffic, our community has a shared interest in meeting the needs of our businesses. That is why the Boulder Chamber’s 2026 advocacy agenda places a priority on actions and policies that will help our business recover from last month’s power outages and prevent this sort of disruption for the future.

As the year draws to a close, the Boulder Chamber remains committed to building a strong community by supporting for-profit and nonprofit local businesses, advocating for a healthy business environment, and fostering economic vitality. As we look ahead to 2026 and the next chapter beyond our 120th anniversary year, we’re eager to build on this momentum and continue driving business success in Boulder.