CONSTRUCTION

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(15 - 17)

Employment change from last quarter	+10.0
Employment change from year ago	+11.8
Wage change from year ago	+15.1

QUARTERLY

Construction employment rose 10.0% over last quarter gaining 13,372 employees. Gains were seasonal but slightly higher than for the same time a year ago. Special Trade (17), the largest sector of the Construction industry, added 8686 employees. Within Special Trade, Concrete Work reported the largest gain adding 2180 workers. Misc Special Trade had the second largest subsector increase up 1692. Work in excavation and digging foundations flourished adding almost 800 of the increase. Plumbing, Heating & Air-Conditioning grew by 1417 employees. Gains are influenced by seasonal increases for air-conditioning and lawn sprinkler installation. Heavy Construction (16) added 2709 employees over last quarter. The employment gain was seasonal and typical for this time of year when many projects are undertaken to coincide with mild weather. General Building (15) showed an increase of 1978 employees. Increases were strongest in Residential Buildings, up 1233, and specific to single family homes. Slightly more than one half of the quarterly gain occurred along the Front Range which includes Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo and Weld counties.

ANNUAL

Employment gains over a year ago were impressive, up 11.8% adding 15,510, and causing Construction to rank second in employment growth. The healthy Colorado economy coupled with still relatively low mortgage and interest rates have driven this industry to its present peak of 146,887 employees. The strongest sector growth occurred in Special Trade (17) up 10,258 employees. Demand for skilled subcontractors for new building projects and remodel work by homeowners has been strong. Electrical Work had the largest subsector gain adding 2147 employees followed by Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning up 1943. Misc Special Trade Contractors added 1768 employees. Its strength in numbers came from high demand for excavation work. Staff expansions for fencing, waterproofing, asbestos removal and construction cleanup also added to the increase. Heavy Construction (16) rose by 2715 employees. Almost 60% of the increase occurred due to Water, Sewer & Communication & Power Line installation projects. General Building (15) added 2537 employees. Residential Building dominated the sector adding 1701 employees. The bulk of the growth occurred along the Front Range.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Second Quarter 1999