QUARTERLY Employment in the Manufacturing industry showed a small increase adding 462 employees, growing 0.2% since last quarter. Of the 19 sectors within the industry 12 increased and 7 sustained losses. Electrical Machinery (36) reported the largest quarterly gain up 464 employees. Undercounting in prior quarters added 261 and hiring for temporary projects generated the remainder of the sector increase. Printing-Publishing (27) had the second largest gain adding 372 employees. Seasonal hiring for greeting card production added 245 employees. Stone-Clay-Glass (32) increased by 215. Increases were seasonal and driven by peak demand for ready-mixed cement. Three sectors dominated industry losses: Transportation Equipment (37) down 289 employees, Instruments (38) down 228 and Non-Electrical Machinery (35) down 317. Layoffs at one major employer covered most of the drop in Transportation Equipment. Layoffs at another large employer caused half of the drop in Instruments. Multiple employer cutbacks in the manufacturing of computer and office equipment accounted for the decline in the Non-Electrical Machinery sector. ANNUAL Annually, employment in the Manufacturing industry fell 1.5% for a loss of 3123 employees. The largest sector decline occurred in Non-Electrical Machinery (35) down 2471 employees. More than half or 1523 employees were cut from computer and office equipment manufacturing due to SIC changes in January and layoffs. Layoffs in firms involved in the production of Engines & Turbines, Specialized Industrial Machinery and General Industrial Machinery and Equipment also contributed to sector losses. Transportation Equipment (37) lost 825 employees the result of yearlong layoffs. Only 8 sectors gained employment annually, the largest being Stone-Clay-Glass (32) adding 691. Employment growth was due to strong gains in Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster, particularly for ready-mixed cement, resulting from high volume demand from the Construction Industry. The second largest increase occurred in Printing-Publishing (27) up 415 employees. Expansions in Misc Publishing, which includes telephone directories, and Greeting Card publishing and printing generated most of the increase.
Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Third Quarter 1999
