TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATION& PUBLIC UTILITIES

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(40 - 49)

Employment change from last quarter	+ 2.7
Employment change from year ago	+ 6.9
Wage change from year ago	+ 9.6

QUARTERLY

Employment in the TCPU industry rose 2.7% over last quarter gaining 3294 employees. The strongest sector activity was reported in Communications (48) up 2336. Substantial increases were reported in both telephone and pay television where employment jumped by 1023 and 970 employees, respectively. Service expansions for two large corporations generated most of the increase in telephone communications. Large employment increases for two cable television providers and a number of smaller gains contributed to the rise in pay television. Trucking (42) reported the second largest gain up 639 employees. Gains were the result of expansions in trash hauling, new firms providing delivery service and a short term hauling project related to the Trans Colorado Pipeline project occurring on the western slope. Air Transportation (45) added 217 employees. Air transportation and courier services gained 353 as service to some outlying areas of the state was restored and contract baggage handling service was reclaimed from a contractor. Airport and terminal services lost 180 employees due to seasonal cutbacks at ski area airports and the cessation of a contract for baggage handlers.
ANNUAL

TCPU employment added 8085 employees for a gain of 6.9% over a year ago. Gains were offset by losses occurring in three sectors. Air Transportation (45), down 927, suffered the largest loss due to the closure of a passenger airlines. Electric-Gas-Sanitary Service (49) dropped by 233 employees. Contractor cutbacks as projects at Rocky Flats completed along with some utility company layoffs caused the sector decrease. The third declining sector was Pipelines (46), which dropped by 105, due to a January SIC change moving employees to Mining. Gains were dominated by Communications (48) up 8115 employees. Telephone and cellular communications added more than half of the sector gain as many companies expanded services. Pay television expanded its corporate and service staffs creating employment for an additional 2894. Trucking-Warehousing (42) rose by 601 employees over the year. Growth in local trucking accounted for most of the sector increase with trash hauling generating a major share of the expanded workforce. Local Transportation (41) grew by 336 due to the relocation of an emergency transport corporate office to Colorado and increased coach service to gambling areas.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Third Quarter 1998