New research released last week by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) in partnership with NRTA, AARP’s Educator Community, provides a snapshot of the economic impact of pensions in Colorado, outlining the importance of a defined benefit plan to attract and retain teachers, and the economic impact of spending by PERA retirees. This updated research builds on the NIRS Pensionomics report published in 2016.

Highlights include:

• Pensions in Colorado provide $6.3 billion in economic output from retirees’ spending in the state.
• Public retirees spending their retirement income in Colorado support 41,719 jobs.
• An additional $1.2 billion in federal, state, and local taxes are generated by public employee retiree benefits.
• $1 in employer contributions to public retirement plans in the state generates $6.82 in economic output.
• Pensions play a fundamental role in retaining high-quality, experienced teachers in Colorado classrooms.

Download the Colorado-specific fact sheet here.
See other state fact sheets here.
Review the NIRS Pensionomics data on Colorado here.

Previous PERA on the Issues posts:
Retiree spending boosts Colorado’s economy, sustains jobs
The Economic Impact of Colorado PERA