The Boulder Chamber, in partnership with CO-LABS — a nonprofit representing Boulder’s science and technology sectors — and Workforce Boulder County, is gathering local data on the impact of recent federal layoffs and funding freezes.
Boulder is home to more than a dozen federal research labs and about 1,700 federal employees, with an estimated 12,000 additional jobs tied to federal funding. The full extent of the cuts remains unclear. To better understand the effects, the Chamber and its partners are collecting firsthand insights on program cuts, policy changes and funding reductions affecting local businesses, research facilities and government institutions. A new Chamber webpage offers a platform for community input, as well as resources and support services for affected businesses and employees.
Read: Federal workers in Boulder face uncertainty as mass layoffs ripple through government agencies
Boulder Chamber President John Tayer called the federal policy changes “unprecedented,” noting that federally funded research, government services and business collaborations in Boulder generate over $2.3 billion in economic activity.
“In collaboration with CO-LABS, Workforce Boulder County, and other partners, we’re working to mitigate the impact on our local workforce and the critical research and government functions they support, while providing relief and assistance,” he said.
Dan Powers, executive director of CO-LABS, said federal firings are often compared to private-sector layoffs, but he believes that’s a false equivalency. In the private sector, layoffs typically happen when a company is unprofitable or anticipates financial losses, often due to declining demand for its services.
“However, in the government — in my experience with the federal labs — their projects and the information from the scientists are counted on by American citizens,” Powers said. “There is a demand and a reliance on what those government employees provide.”
Read: In photos: Boulder joins nationwide protests against sweeping federal job cuts