To be honest, the last few days haven’t brought a lot of good news on the local job front. Two major employers announced significant layoffs. And then the state released figures indicating that Pueblo County’s unemployment rate rose above 5 percent again in January.

With all that going on, ActivArmor’s plans to expand its operations are a welcome antidote. The local manufacturer of 3-D casts and splints intends to hire 23 employees and eventually move into an 8,000-square-foot section of the former Qual-Med building Downtown.

There’s a lot to like about this development, which was announced late Monday afternoon. For starters, the type of jobs being created are the kind Pueblo needs. The new workers, including computer-aided design drafters and support personnel, will get average salaries and benefits around $62,000 annually.

Read more at The Pueblo Chieftain.