Work Force

Castle Rock has a well-educated, experienced, and diverse work force. A July 2007 Workforce Study found that 87% of the workforce has at least some college or post secondary training; 52% has a bachelor’s degree or higher. While most residents are employed in white collar occupations, fewer than 10% work in any one industry and 31% work in jobs or industries that would be considered "high-tech".

In total, 158,000 people make up the Douglas County labor force. The Castle Rock workforce is estimated to be between 14,793 and 18,576 depending upon what household count is used (Town, DRCOG, or ESRI). 80% of all households have at least one wage earner; 62% have two or more. 11% of households have someone who is not currently working who would be willing to take a full-time or part-time job if available in Castle Rock.

Many of those living in Castle Rock currently commute outside the county to work. Nearly 69% of commuters would prefer to work in Castle Rock and 27% would consider taking a 10% pay cut to do so. 49% of employed Castle Rock residents work in the metro Denver area and 8% work in the Colorado Springs area.

43% of employed Castle Rock residents work in Castle Rock, including 12% who work at home. Roughly 60% of those who work from home have a home-based business; 40% telecommute. Castle Rock has over 1500 home-based businesses. 12% of the people surveyed had a home-based business in addition to other jobs. Those who work in Castle Rock are more likely to be self-employed or work in sales, support, education, retail, or service industries. They are also more likely than commuters to work part-time, be over 55 years old, have less experience or education, and earn less.

Castle Rock has been ranked Number 1 in Job Growth by CNN Money Magazine in its 2005 report on the best places to live. The report shows that Castle Rock has seen a 244% increase in jobs since 1990.