QUARTERLY After two quarters of growth Mining employment slipped 1.4% losing 189 employees. All sectors declined over the quarter with the largest loss in Mining & Quarry Nonmetal (14). Mining & Quarry Nonmetal dropped by 100 employees. The drop was seasonal due to weather related cutbacks in mining and quarrying crushed and broken stone, and weather related slowing in the construction industry causing decreased demand for sand and gravel. The expansion of a mine in Chemical & Fertilizer Mineral Mining added 51 and offset losses in Mining & Quarry Nonmetal. Employment in Oil & Gas (13) fell by 47. Losses were confined to Drilling Oil and Gas Wells on a contract basis as erratic work slowed for one business. Metal Mining (10) dropped by 23 employees. Small staff cutbacks in contracted Metal Mining Services by a number of firms represented the major portion of the quarterly sector loss. Coal Mining (12) fell by 20 employees. Surface mining suffered most of the decline dropping by 30 but contracted Coal Mining Services rose by 10 due to a large job occurring in November. ANNUAL For the second consecutive quarter and the second time in two years the Mining industry reported an annual gain. Employment levels are up 0.9% over fourth quarter a year ago having added 115. Sector activity was mixed with two sectors losing employment and two gaining. Oil & Gas Extraction (13) was the largest growing component of the Mining industry adding 552. Contracted Oil & Gas Field Services gained 401 employees. Operating oil and gas field properties added 148 employees. Mining & Quarry Nonmetal (14) grew by 111 over a year ago. Most of its increase resulted from mining expansions by one firm in Chemical & Fertilizer Mineral Mining. Metal Mining (10) sustained a large loss dropping 455 employees. All subsectors except Iron Ores declined. Ferroalloy Ores endured layoffs due to mine closures resulting in a loss of 264. Copper Ores decreased by 56 and Gold & Silver Ores by 51 due to corporate office closures. Mine closures accounted for employment losses in Lead & Zinc Ores down 39 and Misc Metal Ores down 37. Employment in Coal Mining (12) fell by 93.
Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Fourth Quarter 2000
