MANUFACTURING

---

(20 - 39)

Employment change from last quarter	- 0.0
Employment change from year ago	+ 4.1
Wage change from year ago	+ 7.7

QUARTERLY

Overall, employment in Manufacturing was stagnant this quarter dropping by 21 for a change of 0%. By sector, activity was lively with a variety of changes. The largest sector change occurred in Food Products (20), which dropped by 1069 employees. Losses were a mix of SIC changes out of the classification affecting about 350, the closure of a meat processing plant, reporting changes and a temporary January decrease by one large employer. Misc Manufacturing (39) dropped by 257 due to a plant closing. Instruments (38) lost 208 employees. Losses in Instruments resulted from SIC changes affecting about 70 employees and a layoff of about 100. Reporting changes by three large employers caused their employment to reflect increases offsetting to some degree the sector losses. The largest gain was reported in Electrical Machinery (36) up 775 employees. Two large SIC changes were introduced into this sector one covering about 500 employees from Non-Electrical Machinery (35) and the other with about 300 employees from Wholesale, Durable Goods (50). Transportation Equipment (37) added 326 due to SIC changes from Wholesale, Durable Goods.


ANNUAL

Manufacturing maintained better than a 4% annual gain for the third consecutive quarter. The actual gain was 4.1% with the addition of 8088 employees over first quarter a year ago. Electrical Machinery (36) added 2393 employees, the largest gain of any sector. Gains in Electrical Machinery were driven by activity in Electronic Components & Accessories (367) which covers the production of circuit boards, semiconductors, connectors and power supplies. Expansions over the last three quarters along with the SIC reclassification of about 800 accounted for the change. Non-Electrical Machinery (35) added 1389 employees. Growth in the production of computers and computer peripheral equipment created most of the sector expansion. Printing-Publishing (27) added 1259 employees with most subsectors reflecting yearlong expansions. Food Products reported the largest loss dropping by 455 employees. Losses occurred primarily during this quarter, reflecting a plant closure and SIC changes. Primary Metals (33) suffered the second largest loss dropping by 202. Staff reductions beginning in fourth quarter due to a strike caused the sector decline.

1997 SIC CHANGES

Manufacturing gained approximately 1042 employees and $7,528,427 in quarterly payroll as a result of reclassification.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) First Quarter 1998