Retail Trade employment seasonally declined following the end of the Christmas buying season. Employment dropped 1.8% terminating 7267 from its payrolls. Employment in General Merchandise (53), which includes department stores, fell by 3751. Layoffs following the high volume Christmas sales season accounted for the losses. Apparel & Accessories (56) declined by 1439. Misc Retail (59) lost 987 employees. Losses were seasonal, typically falling in Hobby, Toy & Game Shops; Gift, Novelty & Souvenir Shops; and Misc Retail Stores Not Elsewhere Classified (NEC). Misc Retail Stores (NEC) includes businesses specializing in the sales of items such as candles, cosmetics, sunglasses, seasonal items, pets and pet foods. Within Misc Retail the subsector Sporting Goods Stores & Bicycle Shops ran contrary to the first quarter seasonal lull adding 627 due to the ski season. Employment in Food Stores (54) declined by 1063 and Auto Dealers-Service Stations (55) fell by 679. The only sector to report over-the-quarter gains was Eating & Drinking (58) up 1331. Increases were seasonal and driven by the ski industry.
ANNUAL
Retail Trade was the third largest growing industry in Colorado adding 12,331 employees over first quarter 1999 for a gain of 3.2%. Eating & Drinking (58) was the largest gaining sector of the industry adding 4965 employees. More than two thirds of the expansion occurred in Metro Denver. Misc Retail (59) incurred the second largest sector increase with 2515 new employees. Expansions in sporting goods stores, jewelry, book, office supply, catalog & mail-order houses and tobacco stores contributed to the rise in employment. Furniture Stores (57) grew by 1594. Home Furniture & Furnishings Stores added 815 to the sector and Radio, Television, Consumer Electronics & Music Stores added 767. General Merchandise (53) added 1430 employees over the year. The opening of five new department stores generated about 800 new hires with expansions filling the rest of the increase. Apparel & Accessories (56) was the only sector to record an annual decline. Employment fell by 517. Shoe stores suffered the largest subsector loss due to severe cutbacks associated with a large chain filing for bankruptcy.
1999 SIC CHANGES Due to reclassification Retail Trade lost approximately 121 employees and $3,375,459 in quarterly payroll.
Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) First Quarter 2000
