QUARTERLY Employment in the Agriculture industry seasonally peaked at 37,455 employees, the outcome of weather conducive to growing. Quarterly growth stood at 13.2% having added 4368 workers. Agriculture Services (07) supported the bulk of the quarterly growth up 2991 employees. About 1400 were added as contract farm labor, an increase of more than 400 over last year. Landscape construction and expansions for lawn and garden services added another 948 to Agriculture Services. Agri Prod-Crops (01) gained 1269 employees. Vegetable & Melon production generated most of the employment growth in this sector adding 1181. Field Crops, which was driven by potato production, gained 341 employees. Horticulture Specialties seasonally fell by 545 as the push for production of bedding and planting items declined. Agri Prod-Livestock (02) gained 131 employees. Livestock Except Dairy & Poultry added 54 due to seasonal expansions in cattle ranches and a slight staffing increase in hog production. Dairy Farms gained 58. ANNUAL Since third quarter a year ago the Agriculture industry has grown 6.2% adding 2189 employees. Agriculture Services (07) grew by 2550 employees. More than half of the gain in Agriculture Services occurred due to expansions in lawn & garden services and landscaping. Increased demand for contracted manual farm labor added 369 over a year ago. Veterinary services expanded adding 322. Establishments engaged in crop and soil preparation services added 266 employees. Employment losses of 4975 in Agri Prod-Crops (01) offset industry gains. The largest subsector loss occurred in Fruit & Tree Nut production, down 246. A frost in late spring of 1999 hurt fruit production causing a weaker demand for harvest labor than in the past. Also, some of the labor demand was shifted to contractors and reported in Agriculture Services. Horticulture Specialties declined by 170 the result of a completed expansion project that peaked during the summer of 1998. Agri Prod-Livestock (02) added 127 due primarily to expansions in Dairy Farms.
Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Third Quarter 1999
