A new economic outlook from Moody's Analytics indicates that Colorado's economy is "treading water" as 22 other states are at risk for a downturn or already experiencing a recession.
State of play: The diagnosis is the latest warning to Colorado policymakers who are eyeing ongoing budget cuts at the state and local levels.
A nonpartisan legislative analysis issued in September sounded an alarm that "recession risk is high" as economic indicators put Colorado "in a precarious position."
The factors driving the economy southward include rising unemployment, partly from federal job cuts, alongside tariffs and slower immigration.
The latest: In his analysis, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, also modeled job production, industrial output, personal income and housing starts.
He found the economy expanding in 16 states and 14 "treading water."
The bottom line: "My takeaway is not that the economy is in recession, but it's pretty darn close," he says.