When it comes to putting science into action, last year was one for the record books. From July 2023 to June 2024, 欧美口爆视频 Boulder helped to launch 35 new companies based on research at the university鈥攁 big tick up from the previous record of 20 companies in fiscal year 2021.

The new businesses are embracing technologies from the worlds of healthcare, agriculture, clean energy and more鈥攊ncluding sensors that could one day help farmers improve their crop yields and breathalyzers that can detect signs of infection in the air you breathe out.

Here鈥檚 a look at how scientists, with the help of the university鈥檚 commercialization arm Venture Partners at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, seek to use discoveries from the lab to make a difference in peoples鈥� lives.

Mana Battery: Cheaper, longer lasting batteries for clean energy

This company is set to spark a renewable energy revolution. Founded by Chunmei Ban, associate professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, along with 欧美口爆视频 alumni Nick Singstock and Tyler Evans, Mana Battery is developing a cheaper, safer and longer lasting alternative to the traditional lithium-ion battery.

Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of rechargeable battery on the planet, powering everything from TV remotes to cell phones and even electric vehicles. But the materials used in these batteries, such as lithium and cobalt, are rare and expensive. In contrast, Mana鈥檚 batteries run on sodium, an abundant mineral, offering a more affordable and sustainable alternative.

Currently, sodium-ion batteries come with a host of technological challenges. For example, they typically store less energy than lithium-ion batteries of the same size. 

Ban and her team are working on improving sodium-ion battery designs to increase the amount of energy they can store. Their goal is to develop sodium-ion batteries with the same energy density as lithium-ion batteries at just 35% to 75% of the cost. 

The renewable energy industry could reap the benefits. Sodium-ion batteries could store excess clean energy generated by solar panels or wind turbines, providing power even during cloudy or windless days.  

鈥淭he use of batteries has significantly supported, and will continue to promote, the widespread use of electric vehicles and low-cost energy storage solutions for the power grid,鈥� Ban said. 

Flari Tech: Laser-based nose to sniff out disease

Imagine a day when, instead of giving blood, saliva or other bodily fluids, you simply exhaled to get a read on what was happening with your health.

That鈥檚 the idea behind a new laser-based technology designed to harness human breath for faster, cheaper and less invasive medical diagnostics.

鈥淭here is a real, foreseeable future in which you could go to the doctor and have your breath measured along with your height and weight. 鈥� Or you could blow into a mouthpiece integrated into your phone and get information about your health in real time,鈥� said Jun Ye, a JILA fellow and adjoint professor of physics who helped develop the technology along with physics doctoral candidate Qizhong Liang.

Humans exhale more than 1,000 distinct molecules with each breath, producing a unique chemical fingerprint or 鈥渂reath print鈥� filled with clues about what鈥檚 happening deep inside them. Scientists have long sought to harness that information, turning to dogs and other animals to sniff out cancer, diabetes and more.

Liang and Ye鈥檚 鈥渇requency comb breathalyzer鈥� could someday do the sniffing instead.

It uses frequency comb lasers, which feature narrow optical lines spread across a vast spectral window, to distinguish between different kinds of breath molecules, which are known to vary in concentration when people are sick. Paired with sophisticated algorithms for machine learning and data analysis, their laser-based nose has been shown to be able to detect whether someone has COVID-19 in a matter of seconds.

Research is underway, in close collaboration with medical doctors from the 欧美口爆视频 Anschutz Medical Campus, to see if breath can also be used to detect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pediatric respiratory issues and even lung cancer. The team also plans to miniaturize their technology.

In 2023, Flari Tech Inc.鈥攏amed after the word 鈥榝lari鈥� (鈥渢o smell鈥�) in the Esperanto language鈥攚as formed to help move the technology from the lab to the bedside. Much more research is necessary, but ultimately the researchers believe their work could lead to earlier diagnoses for patients鈥攁nd save lives.

Space Dust Research & Technologies: Tools for cleaning up dust on the moon

When future astronauts travel to the moon, they鈥檒l face a little-known problem: The moon鈥檚 dust, or regolith, is made up of particles as sharp as glass that stick to everything.

鈥淎s we learned from the Apollo missions, lunar dust readily sticks to all surfaces of exploration systems, causing damage to spacesuits, degrading thermal radiators and solar panels and posing risks to crew health when inhaled,鈥� said Xu Wang, a research associate at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder.

Wang and Mih谩ly Hor谩nyi, professor of physics and a researcher at LASP, launched a company to help. will pioneer technology known as Electron-beam Lunar Dust Mitigation (ELDM). ELDM devices generate a beam of electrons that add electric charges to those sticky particles of dust鈥攃ausing them to, literally, jump off of surfaces.

This technology is versatile enough that it could work in handheld devices or in larger 鈥渃ar washes鈥� that could clean entire spacesuits or rovers.

Space Dust Research & Technologies will also develop a separate type of technology that can sort through dust on the moon and arrange grains by size鈥攁n important step in mining regolith to turn it into building materials and more. The company鈥檚 work emerged out of years of research in LASP鈥檚 NASA-funded Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust (IMPACT) lab.

Biosensor Solutions: Biodegradable sensors for tracking soil microbes

Scientists have long known that healthy soils and crops depend on vibrant communities of bacteria and other microbes living in the dirt. There鈥檚 just one problem: These microbial communities can be difficult to keep track of.

Until now. Engineer Gregory Whiting and his team at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder recently invented a way to measure soil microbial communities using low-cost, printed sensors. The trick: tasty electronics. The sensors include biodegradable resistors that soil microbes eat and degrade over time.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like a bait for microbes,鈥� said Whiting, associate professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. 鈥淎s they eat the device, the signal changes.鈥�

That, in turn, could allow farmers to get a sense of how many microbes are in their soil.

The Boulder-based company , led by co-founders David Beitz and Carl Kalin, licensed this technology in 2024. The group is currently piloting the sensors with an initial group of local companies, precision agriculture providers and growers. According to company officials, 鈥淒ata and insights from these new sensors will help growers increase yields and save resources on water, fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides.鈥�

Mesa Quantum: Navigation devices based on the behavior of atoms

One new startup could make it easier to navigate the globe, even when GPS satellites go out, such as during bad storms.

For decades, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have pioneered the technology of atomic clocks. These devices keep track of time and can help to track your location by measuring the behavior of electrons whizzing around atoms.

Svenja Knappe, associate research professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, recently helped to improve on those inventions. She discovered a way to make atomic clocks more reliable while also shrinking them down to the size of a computer chip.

Sristy Agrawal and Wale Lawal, who founded Mesa Quantum in 2024, have high hopes for these chips. They say the company's atomic clocks could one day become part of a suite of technologies that enable GPS-free navigation鈥攁llowing anyone, from farmers to airplane pilots, to pinpoint their locations on Earth more reliably and precisely than ever before.

鈥淭he agricultural sector in 欧美口爆视频 relies heavily on GPS for the operation of tractors, irrigation systems and other modern equipment,鈥� said Agrawal, who earned her doctorate in physics from 欧美口爆视频 Boulder in 2024. 鈥淎s the industry moves toward greater automation, these systems will become even more dependent on precise and reliable positioning data.鈥�

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From wagering on political outcomes to navigating complex financial markets, everyday investors are increasingly taking greater risks, blurring the lines between speculation and traditional investing, according to a 欧美口爆视频 Boulder researcher.

Both online trading platforms and prediction markets鈥攚hich allow people to bet on the outcome of future events鈥攈ave exploded in popularity in recent years.

Austin Moss, an accounting professor in the Leeds School of Business, says the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic sparked increased interest in the financial markets, with many new investors drawn by the volatility of stocks and the potential for quick returns.

鈥淧eople were bored, but also there was a lot of volatility in the market鈥攃ruise ship and airline stocks, for example, went down by huge percentages and a lot of people thought, 鈥榟ow could a company that was worth $50 billion yesterday be worth $5 billion today?鈥� That really got people interested in how the stock market works,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ince then, we鈥檝e had four years of great investment returns, so no matter what you invested in, you probably did very well.鈥�

Surge in alternative investments

The online trading platform market, valued at nearly $9.6 billion in 2023, is expected to grow 7.3% annually through 2030, fueled by mobile trading apps that are attracting a younger, tech-savvy audience looking for greater control over their investment decisions.

Meanwhile, prediction platforms like Polymarket have brought 鈥渇utures鈥� betting into the mainstream, allowing anyone to speculate on future events. In 2024, Polymarket鈥檚 cumulative trading volume surpassed $8 billion, driven by high-profile events such as the presidential election.

"You can bet on pretty much anything these days鈥攆rom the number of times Elon Musk will tweet to whether this celebrity will be raided by federal authorities," Moss said. "While not everyone is going to bet thousands of dollars on things like this, many people will make a bunch of $20 bets a day. Even if they win half, that still adds up to a loss of $100 a day鈥攁nd that significantly adds up over time.鈥�

Platforms like Robinhood, known for its commission-free trades and user-friendly mobile app, have adapted to this trend by introducing event-based contracts, such as those related to the presidential election. Moss notes that while these products may appear similar to traditional investments, they more closely resemble betting.

鈥淥n the surface, these betting products seem like investments because you鈥檙e putting down money in hopes of getting more back. But they鈥檙e actually closer to blackjack or roulette than to buying stocks,鈥� Moss said. 鈥淭he key difference is that stocks, on average, grow over time. Even if you picked them at random, you鈥檇 expect your money to increase in value. In contrast, if you randomly chose these contract-type products, you wouldn鈥檛 see that same growth. That鈥檚 really the crux: Investing generally carries an expectation of growth, while betting activities don鈥檛 have that feature.鈥�

Options trading, once considered a strategy for experienced traders, has also gained traction among retail investors, Moss said. Options can offer substantial returns but also carry the risk of significant losses. As of the end of November, 10.2 billion equity options contracts traded in 2024, roughly doubling from the early pandemic period.

The dopamine effect

The growing interest in such alternative investments鈥攖hose outside the traditional stocks, bonds and cash portfolio鈥攔eflects a broader trend toward embracing high-risk, high-reward approaches, Moss said.

鈥淚t speaks to this idea of unpredictable rewards and huge dopamine spikes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚nvesting in the S&P 500 is pretty boring鈥攜ou鈥檙e going to get a 10% to 20% return on your investment over a full year. But with these alternative, riskier investment strategies, you can theoretically triple or quadruple your money in a very short time frame.鈥�

The rise of commission-free trading apps and the ease of access to both stock trading and event betting have made these activities more widely available, Moss added. Sports betting has also become more widespread: The industry posted a record $10.9 billion in revenue for 2023, a 45% increase over the year before, according to the American Gaming Association.

鈥淪ports betting used to be illegal everywhere and states over the past 10 years have slowly legalized it,鈥� Moss said. 鈥淪tudies have shown that after sports betting became legal, people began trading more often. So you could argue that sports betting introduced them to this gambling aspect of investing. There鈥檚 only football games on certain days of the week, but the stock market is open every weekday.鈥�

While Moss acknowledged the risk of developing harmful habits, he notes that for some retail investors, traditional stock markets can offer a safer alternative to event betting.

鈥淲hile investors may experience losses in the stock market, there鈥檚 data, analysis, and a greater potential for informed decisions,鈥� he said.

鈥淎ll of these activities tap into the same psychological reward system. You see a headline, you place a bet or make a trade, and if things swing your way, you get an immediate sense of victory,鈥� Moss added. 鈥淭he problem is that the excitement can overshadow rational decision-making, causing people to chase losses or take on more risk than they intended.鈥�

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As 欧美口爆视频 grow more destructive, including the multiple fires tearing through Los Angeles County that have destroyed over 2,000 structures and claimed at least five lives, a new study underscores a critical issue that will make recovery harder for many homeowners: underinsurance.

While most people believe they have  to completely replace their house in the event of such a disaster, three-quarters of those who lost their homes in another recent urban wildfire were not fully covered for total losses, according to the , posted to the Social Science Research Network in December 2024.

Researchers analyzed data from the Marshall Fire in 欧美口爆视频, which consumed more than 1,000 homes in suburban Boulder County on Dec. 30, 2021. After examining insurance contracts from 24 insurers in the state, specifically focusing on nearly 5,000 policyholders who filed claims after the Marshall Fire, they found that 74% were underinsured. Of those, 36% were classified as severely underinsured, meaning their coverage limits were less than 75% of their home鈥檚 actual replacement cost.

鈥淚f you're 25% short of being able to rebuild, that's severe,鈥� said Tony Cookson, finance professor in the Leeds School of Business and a co-author of the study. 鈥淭o put that in context, if it costs $1 million to rebuild, that's $250,000 people have to come up with. Most households don't have ready access to those types of resources.鈥�

Cookson, along with co-authors Emily Gallagher, assistant professor of finance at Leeds, and Philip Mulder, assistant professor in the risk and insurance department at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found that underinsurance is not caused by homeowners neglecting to update their policies, nor is it solely due to rising rebuilding costs. While higher-income households are less likely to be underinsured, most of them have insufficient coverage as well.

Instead, research suggests insurance companies play a key role in underinsurance. The amount of coverage homeowners receive varies widely depending on the insurer, even for similar properties.

鈥淲hich insurance company you go with is pivotal for how much coverage you end up with,鈥� Cookson said. 鈥淭he wide variation in insurance coverage suggests that there were opportunities for consumers to shop around for better coverage.鈥�

Despite this, many people are not fully aware of how much coverage they need and tend to focus primarily on premiums when making their decisions, he added.

鈥淲hen consumers focus on premiums rather than coverage limits, insurers have a very natural incentive to cut prices by offering less insurance,鈥� Cookson said.

While the study couldn鈥檛 name specific insurers, it found that insurers with more policyholders and a longer history of insuring homes tended to provide better, more comprehensive coverage.

Insurance is a complicated financial product, and many consumers struggle to compare policies accurately, Cookson said. 鈥淚nsurers could provide quotes with transparent, apples-to-apples comparisons. We could have comparison tools that help mitigate this,鈥� he added.

鈥淚t's pretty reasonable that people wouldn't know how much it costs to rebuild a house,鈥� Cookson said. 鈥淢ost of us aren't construction contractors. So if different insurers offer you different amounts for your total loss limit, it's still really hard to compare these policies.鈥�

Rebuilding delays

The study found that homeowners with inadequate insurance coverage were 25% less likely to apply for rebuilding permits within a year and more likely to sell their properties instead of rebuilding. This delay in recovery has wider consequences, as rebuilding efforts play a crucial role in restoring homes, creating jobs and stimulating local economies.

Cookson explained that after the Marshall Fire, many people who were underinsured tried to hold onto their properties to gather the financial resources needed for rebuilding. 鈥淓ighty-three percent of people wanted to rebuild,鈥� Cookson said, 鈥淏ut by now, only about 60% to 70% have actually rebuilt. The gap in rebuilding is significantly explained by how underinsured these people were.鈥�

Looking ahead, the researchers suggest that enhancing consumer awareness and providing clearer information on coverage options could help mitigate this problem. Homeowners, the researchers argue, should be encouraged to compare policies based not just on premiums but on the actual cost per dollar of coverage. This could lead to more informed choices and better disaster recovery outcomes.

鈥淭hese fires create total losses for individuals and communities. Current disaster assistance tools are limited, with caps often lower than the underinsurance levels,鈥� Cookson said. 鈥淲ith these disasters becoming more frequent, it鈥檚 vital for homeowners to be aware of coverage gaps before disaster strikes.鈥� 

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欧美口爆视频 Boulder innovations resulted in 35 startup companies in fiscal year 2023鈥�24, shattering the previous record of 20. The milestone reflects years of strategy and investment in entrepreneurship.

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If you feel stuck in your job, you鈥檙e not alone. New research sheds light on how feelings of defeat and entrapment in the workplace can not only heighten the desire to quit but can also trigger impulsive decisions to leave.

鈥淲e often assume that quitting a job is a rational decision motivated by a better opportunity,鈥� said David Hekman, associate professor of leadership and information analytics and co-author of the study. 鈥淏ut our research shows that, for many, it鈥檚 not about finding something better. It鈥檚 about escaping a situation that feels unbearable鈥攁nd that鈥檚 often an emotional decision, not a rational one.鈥�

The study, published in July 2024 in the  and co-authored by Ryan Ragaglia, a doctoral student in organizational behavior at the Leeds School of Business, examines "perceived entrapment"鈥攁 form of negative attachment where employees feel so bound to their jobs that they see no way out.

鈥淭raditionally, attachment was seen as a positive thing. The more attached an employee is to their job, the more likely they are to stay,鈥� Ragaglia said. 鈥淲hat we found is the opposite 鈥� There's a point where you can feel so attached to your job, so stuck, that you actually start thinking about quitting.鈥�

Feelings of entrapment may stem from a variety of factors, such as lack of career advancement opportunities, overwhelming workloads or simply feeling undervalued. But according to the study, the impact of these emotions is more profound than previously thought鈥攊t can push employees to make drastic decisions that may seem like self-sabotage.

Parallels to suicide research

To understand why employees might impulsively quit their jobs, the researchers drew insights from suicide research. Ragaglia notes that just like a person contemplating suicide may make an emotional, irrational decision despite no guaranteed better outcome, employees feeling trapped by their jobs may also quit in a desperate bid for control. The decision is often rooted in emotional distress rather than a clear-headed, logical evaluation of the future.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or chat . Learn about suicide prevention resources at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder.

"The idea was based on my own experiences with suicidal ideation,鈥� Ragaglia said. It also sprung to mind during Hekman鈥檚 organizational behavior seminar. 鈥淲e were discussing withdrawal and how employees tend to pull back when considering quitting, and I thought to myself, 鈥楾his sounds a lot like what I was doing when I was contemplating suicide.鈥欌��

鈥淭hat set off a chain of thoughts in which I imagined suicide as a potential metaphor for turnover. We looked into the suicide literature, and that鈥檚 where we found the constructs of defeat and entrapment, which seemed very applicable to turnover,鈥� he said.

A vicious cycle

Employees who impulsively quit often find themselves in a worse situation, forcing them to take the first available job that comes along鈥攁 job that often doesn鈥檛 align with their values or career goals. This leads to more feelings of entrapment, creating a 鈥渧icious cycle鈥� of dissatisfaction and repetitive quitting, Hekman said.

The decision to quit can also lead to further emotional and financial instability, and again, makes them feel more trapped, he added.

The researchers are currently interviewing 鈥渃hronic quitters鈥� and studying common triggers and scenarios that lead to feelings of entrapment. So far, their findings point to a few causes.

鈥淲e鈥檝e found that boredom, lack of career advancement opportunities and financial pressures are the primary triggers for feelings of entrapment,鈥� Ragaglia said. 鈥淲hile this is still preliminary, we鈥檙e continuing to explore these factors in more depth.鈥�

How employers can help

The research has critical implications for anyone feeling overwhelmed or stuck at work. While Ragaglia and Hekman are still studying solutions for employees, they have recommendations to help organizations reduce feelings of entrapment among employees.

鈥淓mployers and supervisors should focus on helping their employees feel like they are 鈥榳inning,鈥欌�� Ragaglia said. 鈥淭his can be as simple as recognizing successes and setting achievable goals. We also suspect that employees will feel less trapped if there are opportunities for career advancement and if employers provide flexible work arrangements.鈥�

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Investors eager to align their portfolios with sustainability goals may be in for a surprise.

Researchers studying active U.S. stock mutual funds that claim to embrace environmental, social and governance principles found significant disparities in how these funds operate, revealing a tangled web of strategies that could leave investors questioning whether their values are truly reflected in their investments.

鈥淓SG labels often mean 100 different things,鈥� said Simona Abis, assistant professor of finance at the Leeds School of Business. 鈥淪ince we don鈥檛 agree on what they all mean, misunderstandings can arise, even when funds are not trying to mislead investors.鈥�

The researchers, including Abis, Andrea Buffa, also an assistant professor of finance at Leeds, and Meha Sadasivam, a PhD candidate at Columbia University, aim to classify ESG funds more accurately by analyzing the investment strategies stated in mutual fund prospectuses.

From the vast pool of mutual funds that invest primarily in U.S. stocks and are actively managed鈥攎eaning a fund manager or team picks stocks and makes investment strategy decisions鈥攖he researchers identified funds with ESG-related strategies using a dictionary of ESG terminology. They then read each prospectus, a document that provides details about a potential investment, manually. In a  describing the study, the researchers categorized the funds into three types based on what they found:

1. Exclusionary. These funds exclude certain stocks that do not align with their ethical or values-based criteria. Through screening processes, they may eliminate companies with poor labor practices, for example, or those involved in fossil fuels, tobacco and firearms.
2. Impact. Funds in this category consider ESG factors, evaluating company stocks not just for their potential returns but for their impact on society and the environment. For example, they might prioritize companies that have strong sustainability practices or positive community engagement. These funds consider ESG factors above and beyond fund returns.
3. Opportunistic. While these funds also consider ESG factors, they do so only to improve their assessment of a company鈥檚 risk factors and/or its return potential. As a result, these funds may invest in companies with lower ESG ratings if they believe they will deliver higher returns.

The researchers found that only 20% of funds using ESG terminology genuinely qualify as impact funds that prioritize non-financial ESG goals, while the majority fall into the other categories.

The ambiguity in terminology used by so-called ESG funds could potentially mislead investors who believe they are supporting funds with a mandate to select holdings aligned with ESG principles, Abis said.

鈥淭he challenge lies not just in how funds are labeled, but in the very meanings we attach to those labels,鈥� she added. 鈥淲ithout clear definitions, a fund claiming to focus on ESG might be interpreted in countless ways, leading investors to believe they are supporting impact-oriented initiatives when they might not be.鈥�

ESG investing has experienced a surge in popularity over the past decade, significantly increasing the assets managed by these funds. ESG funds鈥攎eaning any funds mentioning ESG terminology in their prospectuses鈥攔epresented about 4% of the total number of active equity mutual funds in 2015, managing less than 2% of the capital invested in this industry, according to the paper. After only seven years, ESG funds grew by a factor of 5, representing 22% of active equity mutual funds and managing almost 20% of the invested capital.

However, the portion of capital managed by impact funds鈥攖hose preferring companies with a better societal and/or environmental impact鈥攈as dwindled from 40% of the assets managed by funds mentioning ESG terminology in their prospectuses in 2015 to just 6% in 2022, according to the researchers.

Opportunistic strategies

The majority of new ESG funds are now classified as opportunistic, indicating a more flexible approach, or as 鈥渕ention-only鈥� funds, which often begin as traditional non-ESG funds and later incorporate ESG considerations into their investment processes.

鈥淭his contrast highlights a key challenge: When we hear about a surge in ESG investment, we might mistakenly believe that it鈥檚 all about saving the planet. In reality, many funds are simply integrating ESG factors for risk management rather than pursuing a dedicated impact agenda," Abis said.

In recent years, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has been developing regulations aimed at increasing transparency regarding ESG claims made by investment funds. These efforts include clearly defining 鈥淓SG fund" and ensuring that funds accurately communicate their investment strategies related to environmental, social and governance factors.

Despite this progress toward greater clarity and standardization, Abis said increased scrutiny around how ESG investing is defined and delivered is still necessary. 鈥淓ven with clearer regulations, if funds do not adopt standardized practices for measuring ESG impact, accountability will remain a significant issue,鈥� she said.

She added that responsibility also falls on investors, who 鈥渙ften overlook fund prospectuses, which contain crucial information about how a fund approaches ESG.鈥� By taking the time to understand a fund鈥檚 narrative and look beyond superficial labels, she said, investors can empower themselves to make more informed decisions.

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Despite a complex national and global economic landscape, 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 economy will continue to grow in 2025, according to the 60th annual 欧美口爆视频 Business Economic Outlook, released Monday by the Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business.

The forecast, developed by the Business Research Division in collaboration with the State of 欧美口爆视频 and insights from more than 140 leaders across the business, education and government sectors, projects job growth of 1.2% in 2025. This would mean an additional 36,700 jobs throughout the state, with 10 of 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 11 major industries expected to add jobs.

Several factors are contributing to 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 growth, including a strong labor market, population expansion and continued investment in key industries. However, after being a leading economy in recent years, 欧美口爆视频's economy is in a slowing trend, with more moderate employment and GDP growth on the horizon.

鈥淔ollowing the great financial crisis until 2023, 欧美口爆视频 was one of the top-performing state economies. More recently we have moved more to the middle of the pack, perhaps suggesting that we are leading in the slowdown as well,鈥� said Richard Wobbekind, senior economist at the Leeds School of Business and faculty director of the Business Research Division.

Slower growth could become the new norm for 欧美口爆视频, as population growth, particularly from net migration, continues to slow, posing challenges for labor force and job expansion.

鈥淥ne of 欧美口爆视频's challenges is the supply of labor," said Brian Lewandowski, executive director of the Business Research Division. "Slow net migration coupled with the wave of retirements means that labor shortage will be an ongoing phenomenon in 2025."

欧美口爆视频 added an estimated 46,800 jobs in 2024, reflecting growth of 1.6% over 2023. Jobs are expected to grow at a more modest pace in 2025, with all industries except information projected to add jobs, led by education and health services, government, and construction.

Here鈥檚 a closer look at industries that will likely grow in 2025.

Education and health services: This sector is expected to continue growing in 2025 at 2.3% as the demand for health care services increases with 欧美口爆视频's aging population. Challenges in health care include potential increases in uninsured patients due to Medicaid redeterminations. Education will also face difficulties as schools adjust to the evolving needs of online learning and fluctuating enrollment numbers.

Government: Government jobs are projected to increase by 1.3% in 2025, recovering from pandemic-related losses. Local government positions are expected to rise by 2.1%, while state government employment remains flat and federal government jobs see modest growth.

Construction: After a slight decline in 2024, construction is expected to rebound with an increase of 6,000 jobs in 2025. This is largely due to a rise in single-family home permits.

Trade, transportation and utilities: As the largest provider of jobs in 欧美口爆视频, this sector is projected to grow by 0.3%, adding 1,500 jobs. Factors impacting growth include a slowdown in retail trade, a shift in spending from goods to services and the stabilization of warehouse jobs after pandemic-era spikes.

Financial activities: This sector is expected to grow by 1.4% in 2025, with commercial banking showing strength and commercial real estate improving. The forecast calls for the addition of 2,600 jobs.

Professional and business services: With 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship, this sector is forecast to grow by 1.6%, reaching 303,600 jobs in 2025. Although growth has slowed in recent years, it remains one of the state鈥檚 key economic drivers. 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 position as one of the most innovative, educated and entrepreneurial states bodes well for the sector鈥檚 future.

Natural resources and mining: Although small in terms of total jobs, this sector contributes significantly to 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 economy. It鈥檚 expected to grow by 4.4% in 2025, adding around 1,000 jobs, as modest growth in energy production should boost demand.

欧美口爆视频鈥檚 population

Following rapid expansion during the 2010s, 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 population growth, especially from net migration, is slowing.

The population in 2025 is expected to grow 51,000, following an increase of 43,000 in 2024. Most of this growth is still driven by births, with deaths returning to pre-pandemic levels. Net migration will also contribute to the rise.

Though long-term population growth in 欧美口爆视频 is expected to slow due to challenges like declining birth rates, an aging population, and increased competition for labor, the state will likely continue to outpace the national average, growing at about twice the national rate.

Trends and challenges

The report highlights several key trends and challenges that will shape 欧美口爆视频's economic outlook in 2025:

Regulatory and policy uncertainty. There are several economic uncertainties tied to the policies of the incoming administration. The committee expects President-elect Donald Trump to follow through on his campaign promises, particularly around taxes, tariffs and immigration. Tax cuts could boost the economy in the short term by increasing demand, but the impact depends on their size and how they鈥檙e financed. Tariffs may create inflationary pressures, and the new immigration policy could have an impact on the labor force.

Worker shortage: 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 labor force participation rate remains below pre-pandemic levels, with many jobs going unfilled. The state鈥檚 labor force participation rate was 62.6% in October 2024, compared to 63.3% in January 2020.

Artificial intelligence: AI is rapidly transforming industries, and 欧美口爆视频 is taking a leading role in regulating its impact. The 欧美口爆视频 Artificial Intelligence Act, passed in May 2024, is the first comprehensive state law in the U.S. regarding AI development and deployment. The law, which takes effect in February 2026, aims to prevent algorithmic discrimination in AI systems used for job screening.

Housing: Higher mortgage rates and limited housing supply continue to pose affordability challenges, especially for workforce housing.

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When you shop, do you favor quantity or quality? Your approach to spending has big implications for your overall financial health, according to a new study forthcoming in the Journal of Consumer Research.

It finds that consumers generally fall into two camps: those who tend to invest in fewer higher-quality items and those who buy a larger amount of cheaper goods. Your disposition toward quality or quantity can predict a host of financial outcomes, including your debt and savings levels.

鈥淵our preference for quality or quantity significantly influences not just what you buy, but how well you manage your finances overall,鈥� said Rodrigo Dias, lead author of the study and assistant professor of marketing at the Leeds School of Business.

Encompassing more than 24,000 participants and 32 studies, the research found that shoppers who prioritize quantity tend to spend more, borrow more and accumulate more debt than those who favor quality.

The spending spectrum

Consumers who lean toward quantity often find themselves spending more and saving less, Dias said.

One reason for that is expense-tracking. 鈥淭he more you track your spending, the less you spend,鈥� Dias said. 鈥淗igher-quantity people are always buying and not as motivated to keep track of their purchases. And if they don鈥檛 track, they end up spending more.鈥�

The research indicates that those who consistently prefer quality across their purchases tend to manage their finances better than their quantity-focused consumers.

These consumers spend less, in part, because they tend to consider alternative ways of spending their money along with potential benefits and drawbacks鈥攚hat鈥檚 called 鈥渙pportunity cost鈥濃�攎ore so than quantity-focused shoppers.

Quantity drives debt

Consumers who prioritize quantity take on more debt to support their higher spending, Dias noted.

The researchers also found those who prefer quantity showed a concerning pattern of recurring debt accumulation over time. 鈥淎 worrisome finding is that quantity-focused consumers allocate less money toward paying off their debt,鈥� Dias said. 鈥淎s a result, over time, they are saddled with greater debt even in categories for which initial borrowing was the same.鈥�

An example of this pattern is the association with student loan debt. By analyzing a dataset with a representative sample of over 10,000 U.S. consumers, the researchers found that those who preferred quantity owed about $43,000 in their student loans, while those who preferred quality owed about $38,000. This finding held even after the researchers accounted for a host of factors that may affect consumers鈥� debt levels, such as income, age, education and marital status.

Seeking quality, choosing quantity

Many consumers struggle with a self-image that doesn鈥檛 align with their spending habits.

"People often think, 'I only buy quality clothes,' yet they may purchase cheaper household items without realizing it. This discrepancy between how they rationalize their choices and what they actually buy is striking," Dias said.

The researchers found that people generally do not exhibit a mix of the two shopping habits. Dias pointed out a fascinating consistency in the study. "If you look at the data, it becomes clear: Quality people tend to prefer quality across the board, and quantity people do the same.鈥� Over time, consumers don鈥檛 tend to change their preferences, he added.

And while many consumers aspire to favor quality, some openly admit to preferring quantity. "欧美口爆视频 25% to 30% of people tend to prefer quantity over quality," he said.

The research also uncovered some troubling personality traits linked to a preference for quantity. "We found that compulsive buying鈥攕hopping to cope with negative feelings鈥攊s associated with a preference for quantity over quality. Materialistic consumers also prioritize quantity, equating possessions with their self-worth."

In addition, the research established a significant connection between quality-quantity preferences and actual spending behavior. Those who preferred quantity spent an average of $89 in a shopping simulation, compared with $79 for those who favored quality. 鈥淭his shows that preference directly translates into spending. The more you lean towards quantity, the more you鈥檙e likely to overspend,鈥� Rodrigo noted.

Understanding your spending habits

Since the study finds that consumers generally don鈥檛 change when it comes to spending patterns, it鈥檚 important to be self-aware since 鈥渦nderstanding your own spending habits can lead to smarter financial choices," Dias said.

The researchers developed a "quality-quantity trade-offs" scale, which can help people assess their spending tendencies.

According to the researchers, the following questions will guide you in assessing your tendencies and preferences. Rate yourself on a scale of 1鈥�=鈥塻trongly disagree and 7鈥�=鈥塻trongly agree. The average score of survey respondents follows each statement.

1. When I shop for items, quantity is more important than quality. (2.95)
2. When I am buying things, I prefer to buy more items, even if it means they are slightly lower in quality. (3.06)
3. If I had to choose between quality and quantity, I鈥檇 choose quantity. (2.87)
4. I usually prefer to buy more of something, even if that means giving up on quality. (2.95)

Based on the study鈥檚 findings, here are some tips for consumers to take control of their finances:

• Reflect on your purchases. Do you typically buy fewer, higher-quality items, or do you gravitate toward deals and bulk purchases? Recognizing your natural inclination can help you make more conscious spending choices. 鈥淚n hindsight, a lot of people realize that they're just buying stuff and not getting a lot of joy out of it,鈥� Dias said.
• Understand your emotional triggers. Recognize how emotional satisfaction from purchases can lead to impulsive buying and financial strain.
• Consider the long-term costs. While buying in bulk or opting for cheaper alternatives might seem appealing in the moment, it could lead to greater spending in the long run. Higher-quality items often last longer, potentially saving you money over time.
• Shop savvy. Be critical of promotions. If you prefer quality, don鈥檛 let quantity discounts sway your decisions unless it aligns with your values. 鈥淩ecognizing these emotional connections can help you make smarter choices,鈥� Dias said.

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In 欧美口爆视频riosity, experts across the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder campus answer pressing questions about humans, our planet and the universe beyond.

As the holiday shopping season ramps up, Nicholas Reinholtz, assistant professor of marketing in the Leeds School of Business, delves into the question: 鈥淪hould you trust 5-star reviews?鈥�

There鈥檚 no understating the influence of online reviews on consumers鈥� purchase decisions. Nine out of 10 say they consider reviews before making a purchase, and 45% simply won鈥檛 purchase a product if it has no reviews available, according to from consumer research firm PowerReviews.

But there are limitations to relying solely on user ratings and online reviews to evaluate product quality, according to Nicholas Reinholtz, who including , product and price search.

Reinholtz sat down with 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Today to discuss how consumer expectations and other factors affect ratings and how biases in rating systems can lead to inaccurate assessments鈥攁nd potentially bad purchases.

  Previously in 欧美口爆视频riosity

Can humans handle the stress of traveling to Mars?

Should consumers be cautious and avoid getting too swept up in reviews?

My co-author Matt Meister, a former Leeds PhD student and current assistant professor of marketing at the University of San Francisco, and I have looked at Airbnb ratings, and we have a second paper that looks at ratings from REI. One thing both papers have in common is this idea that expectations can influence ratings.

So if you go on to Amazon and buy a $500 pair of headphones, and if there are any problems at all, you give it one star. You say, 鈥業 can't believe I paid $500 for a pair of headphones and there is a crackle.鈥� Unacceptable, right? Whereas if you paid $5 for the headphones, you give it five stars because they work.

That expectation should influence ratings does make sense. You can't have a five-point scale that encompasses the entire spectrum of human experience, right? Ratings are relative to the expectations you have going into the product purchase. There are multiple issues with that, and one of them is that when people are looking at products, they don't account for the fact that ratings reflect expectations.

With our research on Airbnb ratings, the point that we're trying to make is that it's totally fine and reasonable that people would give ratings that reflect their expectations. But it's problematic if future consumers don't recognize the role of those expectations and adjust for them accordingly.

Airbnb has this status symbol where they label certain hosts 鈥榮uperhosts.鈥� We look at Airbnbs that are superhosts in some time periods and not superhosts in other time periods, and we find that they get better ratings during the periods where they're not labeled a superhost. So presumably people are going into the experience saying, 鈥極h, I'm staying at a superhost, and so the same experience is rated slightly worse against those expectations.鈥�

Are star ratings meaningless?

We should have a mantra: When you're on Amazon, more stars doesn't mean better. I don't think star ratings are useless because they can, particularly coupled with text reviews, identify truly problematic things, like if something gets a terrible rating.

I think if you're using ratings to compare, say, a product that looks better, but it's only 4.7 stars, whereas another similar product maybe looks a little bit worse, but it's 4.9 stars. Those are the types of situations where I think we really need to exert caution for a variety of reasons instead of just blindly following the ratings.

If we rate experiences, it's really hard to disentangle contextual influences from intrinsic ones.

For example, we looked at ratings for winter jackets on REI and merged those ratings with weather data. It turns out that people rate winter jackets better on warmer days and worse on colder days. The reason we think that happens is that you go outside on a super cold day and you're cold, and when you rate the jacket you're wearing, you're like, 鈥榃ell, I'm cold, so this jacket must not be that great.鈥� Whereas you go out on a warm day, and the jacket feels great, right? It's perfect. You're totally warm.

What鈥檚 something surprising you鈥檝e found in your consumer ratings research?

The thing that surprised me the most is how uncritically people accept reviews as a measure of quality. We had a thought experiment related to headphones. We asked study participants to imagine they are looking at two pairs of headphones online. One is a $500 pair of headphones that has a 4.6 rating. The other is a $5 pair of headphones with a 4.8 rating. We asked: Which of these two pairs of headphones do you think are higher quality? We were convinced that everyone would point to the $500 pair. It turns out only about 50% of people did. The other half endorsed the idea that the $5 headphones were higher quality.

As a researcher and expert on the topic, how do you personally use reviews?

We always like to think of ourselves as more savvy. There's a powerful draw of reviews, and I still catch myself looking at them and being like, 鈥業 think I'll like it, but, you know, it's a 4.7. Maybe there's something wrong with it.鈥� I was buying carabiners the other day, and I found myself looking for higher-rated carabiners鈥�4.7 versus 4.9. And then I had to be like, 鈥楥ome on, don鈥檛 do this.鈥�

It鈥檚 a tough world out there for a consumer. And you don't have many people whose incentives are aligned with yours. These days I find myself gravitating more and more to brands, which is something I didn't do as a younger person, because I feel like you can build trust in brand quality, unlike picking a product on Amazon whose name you鈥檝e never heard of and sounds like alphabet soup.

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Holiday shopping season can turn the most rational consumers into impulsive shoppers. According to Ying Zeng, an assistant professor of marketing at the Leeds School of Business who studies consumer decision-making, a complex web of psychological triggers can send us into a buying whirlwind.

欧美口爆视频 Boulder Today sat down with Zeng to discuss the cognitive biases, social pressures and marketing tactics that drive the impulse to splurge and how consumers can navigate the shopping season without losing their sanity鈥攐r savings.

What influences shape consumer emotions and behaviors during major shopping events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Mental accounting is one factor. Consumers may have different mental "accounts" for spending. Holiday shopping often falls under "one-time big purchases," making consumers less price-sensitive as they may perceive it as a special occasion expense outside of their regular budget. There is also 鈥渇uture discounting.鈥� Consumers tend to downplay the effort required to earn money in the future, justifying overspending by believing they can easily make up the difference later. They may discount the future effort needed and overlook the true cost of their purchases.

There are also emotional aspects. One example is 鈥渟acred purchases.鈥� Events like holiday gatherings hold sentimental value, leading consumers to prioritize the emotional significance over cost-benefit calculations. They may view spending on these events as an expression of love or family bonding that transcends monetary value and is thus less sensitive to overspending.

Finally, there is social influence. The hype and crowds associated with holiday sales create a fear of missing out. Shoppers may feel pressured to buy, even if they don't need the product, due to the perceived scarcity and social pressure from others.

Following the election, some younger consumers have been 鈥榙oom spending,鈥� particularly on self-care products. Are similar psychological factors at work?

I think "shopping therapy" or cathartic shopping is slightly different from holiday shopping. Shopping therapy refers to using shopping to reduce stress, so it is more prevention-focused, meaning that it helps people recover from negative feelings. Holiday shopping is usually more promotion-focused, meaning that the goal is to build a more desired lifestyle or to create better memories during holidays. It helps create positive feelings beyond the status quo.

How do retailers tap into consumer psychology to attract shoppers during holiday sales events?

Retailers tend to center holiday sales around discretionary items like electronics, clothing and fashion. These products appeal to consumers' desire for an enhanced lifestyle, so using social media and social influence is effective for promotion.

Retailers leverage sales and promotions during peak demand periods, often at the end of the month or year when revenue pressure is high. By creating a sense of urgency and scarcity through limited-time offers, they tap into consumer psychology to drive sales.

What strategies can help consumers make more thoughtful and informed decisions during major shopping events?

Make future pain present. Visualize the effort required to earn the money for a purchase by considering how many hours or days of work it would take. Shift your mindset from a future perspective to a present one to better assess the true cost.

Also ask yourself if you would still want the product without the social pressure or hype surrounding it. Consider whether you truly desire the item or if it's merely a result of external influence.

欧美口爆视频 Boulder Today regularly publishes Q&As with our faculty members weighing in on news topics through the lens of their scholarly expertise and research/creative work. The responses here reflect the knowledge and interpretations of the expert and should not be considered the university position on the issue. All publication content is subject to edits for clarity, brevity and university style guidelines.

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