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How many federal employees have been furloughed in Colorado?

By October 2, 2025 | updated 2 months ago

The Denver Federal Center on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)

It remains unclear how many federal employees exactly have been furloughed or fired following the failure of Democrats and Republicans to reach a deal to fund government operations.

But some information have begun to trickle in.

A military spokesperson said 1,529 civilians have been placed on furlough from Peterson Space Force Base due to the lapse in appropriations.

The vast majority of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder are either out of work or working without pay, according to a spokesperson from U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse’s office, the Daily Camera reported Thursday.

The federal government officially shut down at 10:01 p.m. on Tuesday in Colorado.

The Trump administration has threatened to initiate mass firings and not simply furlough workers.

Depending on the source, Colorado has anywhere between 54,000 to 61,000 workers in the state. Most sources don’t include the military population, only civilians.

The Denver Federal Center — located off of West 6th Avenue and Kipling Street in Lakewood — has the nation’s largest concentration of federal offices outside Washington, D.C., with 55 buildings on its 600-acre campus. The complex is home to key agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management and Department of the Interior.

The governor’s office said it is closely monitoring the shutdown’s impact on Colorado, and the state unemployment office is also tracking the number of people who have filed claims.

As of the morning of Oct. 2, eight federal employees have filed unemployment claims, according to a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The agency said it is prepared to assist federal workers living in the state who have been furloughed due to the federal government shutdown.

Below is a breakdown of the federal workforce by county in Colorado. The data was compiled by the Economic Policy Institute.

CountyNo. of workersShare of federal employment
El Paso14,8424%
Arapahoe 7,4852%
Denver7,3302%
Jefferson5,5872%
Adams3,9331%
Larimer3,6132%
Douglas3,5722%
Weld 2,1331%
Mesa 1,8723%
Boulder 1,8531%
Pueblo1,6072%
Montezuma1,03810%
Broomfield8692%
La Plata 5682%
Fremont4613%
Teller4464%
Montrose3422%
Garfield3411%
Summit 2682%
Eagle2331%
Chaffee801%
Morgan771%
Delta 681%
Logan681%
Routt550.3%
Elbert360.3%

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