While the national employment picture is showing signs of coming out of the depths, there are indications that Douglas County has displayed some resilience in the face of a stubborn recession.

Douglas County continues to outpace other counties in the region in several key categories. Following are some numbers released by Douglas County and the State of Colorado in recent weeks that compare local trends with regional and statewide patterns.

Income

Annual aggregate income in Douglas County grew 5.4 percent from 2008 to 2009 while population increased only 2.7 percent. Aggregate income has grown 27 percent in the four years from 2005 to 2009. It went from $9.4 billion in 2005 to $11.9 billion in 2009.

The average annual wage in Douglas County was $47,112 in the second quarter of 2010; the annual salary in Adams County on the northern edge of Denver was $40,820 during the same time period.

Jobs

From 2008 to 2009, Douglas County lost 3,635 jobs. In that same time frame, the other six Denver metro area counties had a combined loss of 59,498 jobs. But between 2000 and 2009, Douglas County showed a net gain of 33,421 jobs while the other six counties had a net loss of 56,749 jobs.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported an annual average of 90,076 jobs in Douglas County in 2009. Since the year 2000, the average annual job growth rate in Douglas County has been 5.4 percent per year.

In November, Douglas County’s unemployment rate was 7 percent, compared with Colorado’s rate of 8.7 percent. Adams County had 22,000 residents out of a job, accounting for 9.8 percent unemployment.

Retail sales

Annual total retail sales for all industries climbed over the $6 billion dollar mark in 2006. Douglas County posted retail sales in excess of $6 billion for the fourth year in a row in 2009, but dropped from $6.5 billion in retail sales in 2008 to $6.1 billion in 2009. Numbers for 2010 were not yet available.

Retail sales volumes rose by 1.4 percent in December 2009 from the December 2008 dip.

Housing

DataQuick Information Systems reported a median home sales price of $308,000 for Douglas County for the third quarter of 2010, a 6 percent increase over the third quarter of 2009.

Home sales prices in Arapahoe County have dropped 12 percent from their peak in the second quarter of 2006. Homes in Douglas County sell for only 4.7 percent less than their peak in the first quarter of 2007.

For more statistics, visit the Colorado Department of Labor website or go to the Douglas County government website at www.douglas.co.us.