Colorado’s workforce might be back on its feet, and as a whole, earning more than they did before the national economy crumbled in 2008, but plenty of Coloradans are still stumbling, according to a new “State of Working Colorado 2016” report by The Colorado Center on Law and Policy.

Since 2007, the state has picked up nearly 271,000 jobs, a little less than the entire population of Weld County, and last year the median household income creeped back above the pre-recession paychecks, $63,900.

“Unfortunately, once you scratch the surface of these seemingly positive numbers, it’s apparent that our state’s economy isn’t working for many Coloradans,” Claire Levy, the center’s executive director and a former state representative from Boulder.

More Coloradans now than back then face stagnant wages, jobs that pay less than they were earning before, continually rising cost of living and income gaps, and poverty that disproportionately leave minority workers farther behind.

Interestingly, as fewer people participate in the labor force, the “most prominently missing” demographic is men ages 25 to 54, according to the law and policy center.

“Labor-force participation among men of color rose more quickly than for white men during the economic recovery,” the center states. “Those who experience long-term unemployment are more likely than those who experience short-term unemployment to drop out of the labor market.”

According to the center, the report also finds:

Colorado voters in November approved a minimum-wage hike from $8.31 to $9.30 on Jan. 1 with additional automatic increases to $10.20 in 2018, $11.10 in 2019 and $12 in 2020.

Levy said in a statement it was good step forward.

“While Colorado has come a long way since the recession, too many Colorado families still struggle to pay rent or cover their other basic needs,” she stated.

“I’m encouraged that Colorado voters recognized that wages are too low and voted to increase the minimum wage, but this report shows there’s much more work to be done. We hope the ‘State of Working Colorado’ will spur a dialogue between workers, employers and policymakers on how to give Coloradans the tools they need to reach their human potential so everyone can contribute fully to our economy.”

Incoming House Speaker Crisanta Duran said Wednesday one of her top priorities in the next session would be “finding ways to create an economy that works for everyone.” In the last two sessions the Denver Democrat has led packages of training and jobs bills called “Ready to Work” and “Ready to Work 2.0.”

This year she will work on legislation to encourage training for computer software jobs and sectors of the good-paying high-tech industry.