GOVERNMENT

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Employment change from last quarter	+ 1.9
Employment change from year ago	+ 2.0
Wage change from year ago	+ 6.0

QUARTERLY

Employment in Government advanced over last quarter by 5890 for a gain of 1.9%. All three sectors of government added employees with gains in Local government leading. Local government added 4420 employees. Seasonal hiring for summer recreation programs and outdoor maintenance activities accounted for most of the increase. Typically, small increases are reported during second quarter for water and soil conservation projects in some of the rural areas. Federal government employment grew by 772 over last quarter. The National Parks Service, Forest Service, Soil Conservation and the Bureau of Land Management seasonally increased. State government added 698 employees. The strongest increase occurred in Natural Resources due to hiring for the summer season at state parks. Education saw a slight employment jump due to high April and May employment at the University of Colorado, Boulder. A new youth prison in Pueblo County added about 70 State employees.


ANNUAL

Growth in Government employment was 2% over second quarter a year ago with 6089 new employees. Local government, which constitutes about 62% of Government employment, generated 75% of the growth. Employment in Local government rose by 4647. Education generated more than half of the employment increase up 2569 as schools expanded to handle the increased student population. General government added 840 and Health Services added 587. State government added 1343 employees. Increases in education staff generated 705 employees. The addition of Northeastern Junior College to the State education system in third quarter 1997 from local government administration aided growth in this sector by adding about 370. Prison expansions in Fremont county and the opening of youth incarceration facilities in Pueblo county contributed to the gain of another 638 to State government. Federal government gained 99 employees annually. Increases in the Postal Service were offset by losses at Housing & Urban Development, the US Geologic Survey and Fitzsimmons Hospital.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Second Quarter 1998