Construction was the fastest growing division on a percentage basis with an increase of 10.8 percent to average 162,604 jobs in 2000. The one-year increase of 15,794 jobs was the largest ever recorded. The last time Colorado had a larger percentage of jobs in the Construction division was in 1974 at 8.1 percent.

Total wages increased by the largest percentage of any division at 18.4 percent. The average annual wage increased from $34,567 to $36,995.

Special Trades employment registered the largest increase within Construction at 12,376 jobs. The Electrical Work sector added more jobs than any other sector within Special Trades with an increase of 3,393 to average 20,597. Plumbing, Heating, Air-Conditioning is the largest segment within Special Trades at 22,709. This was an increase of 12 percent. Concrete Work employment increased from 12,418 to 13,769 while Plastering, Drywall, and Insulation employment increased from 8,760 to 10,105. The only sector within Special Trades to decline was Water Well Drilling with a decline of 13 jobs to average 489. Excavation Work employment was up by 15 percent to 6,759 and Masonry and other Stonework was up by 19.7 percent to 4,836. The average annual wage increased by 7.2 percent to $34,399.

Employment in Building Construction increased at the slowest percentage rate in four years at 7.1 percent. The three previous years’ employment increases were over nine percent. General Building Contractors of Residential Buildings experienced an increase of 9.5 percent to average 17,207 jobs. Employment with General Building Contractors of Non-Residential Buildings increased at a much slower rate, adding only 404 jobs to average 12,366 in 2000. The average wage within Building Construction increased from $39,612 to $43,345, or 9.4 percent.

Employment growth slowed in Heavy Construction from 10.0 percent to 8.0 percent. The average wage was up by only 3.5 percent to $41,332. The largest and fastest growing sector within Heavy Construction was Water, Sewer, and Utility Lines, which increased by 1,057 jobs to 8,120. Heavy Construction, NEC increased by 363 jobs to 4,334 and Highway and Street Construction increased by 144 jobs to 5,975. The only sector within Heavy Construction to record a decline was Bridge, Tunnel, and Elevated Highway construction with a loss of 160 jobs to 548.

An additional 3,140 Heavy Construction jobs were classified under Government entities.

Note: Establishments are classified by the location of their administrative office if no permanent work site exists, which may skew county aggregation toward established counties and away from rapidly growing counties.