RETAIL TRADE

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(52 - 59)

Employment change from last quarter	+ 1.4
Employment change from year ago	+ 3.8
Wage change from year ago	+10.0

QUARTERLY

Wholesale Trade realized a quarterly increase of 1.4% and the addition of 1485 employees. Durable Goods (50) showed the largest gain moving up 945 employees. Within Durable Goods, Machinery, Equipment & Supplies reported the largest gain, up 281. Seasonal hiring for construction & mining and farm and garden machinery and equipment and short term hiring in industrial machinery and equipment created the gain. Lumber & Other Construction Materials had the second largest increase up 216. Increased demand for materials related to the fast-paced construction industry helped employment levels rise. Much of the gain this quarter was found in firms supplying stone and concrete materials. Electrical Goods rose by 175 due in part to expansions in the distribution of satellite dishes. A number of expansions in companies specializing in the distribution of computer equipment and software generated most of the increase of 158 in Professional and Commercial Equipment & Supplies.

Nondurable Goods (51) added 540 employees over the quarter. Misc Nondurable Goods incurred the largest subsector gain adding 324. Seasonal hiring to cover increased sales of farm supplies and equipment and nursery stock generated most of the growth. Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages rose by 87 due to extra hiring to cover a transport strike and small seasonal increases at beer distribution centers.

ANNUAL

Annual employment gains in Wholesale Trade were the lowest reported since first quarter 1992. Employment rose by only 626 for a gain of 0.6%. SIC changes in January moving about 2200 employees to other industries will effect annual growth figures for the entire year. Durable Goods rose by 489 employees over second quarter a year ago. Its strongest component in size, at 17,243 employees was Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies, which includes computer and peripheral equipment. It added 546 employees annually with about 130 from SIC changes. Lumber & Other Construction Materials increased by 424 and Hardware, Plumbing, Heating Equipment & Supplies rose by 364 supported by SIC changes into the sectors of 205 and 28, respectively. Machinery, Equipment & Supplies was down 139 from last year but increases this quarter offset the loss of 314 due to January SIC changes.

Annually, Nondurable Goods added 137 employees. This sector was effected by SIC changes moving over 400 to Mining, reducing employment in Petroleum and Petroleum Products by 470. Losses were offset by gains due to expansions in Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages distribution, up 253. Drug, Drug Proprietaries & Druggists Sundries added 430 over the year with little influence from S IC changes. Groceries & Related Products, the largest subsector or Nondurable Goods reported an over the year gain of 17.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Second Quarter 1999