WHOLESALE

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(50-51)

Employment change from last quarter	+ 0.3
Employment change from year ago	+ 1.3
Wage change from year ago	+ 9.4

QUARTERLY

Employment growth in Wholesale Trade was sluggish, up 0.3% adding only 328 employees for the quarter. Employment in Durable Goods (50) up 119, slowed considerably from the past two quarters. The largest change occurred in Machinery, Equipment & Supplies, which reflected a larger than normal seasonal decrease in the distribution of farm and garden machinery. Seasonal tolerances were coupled with cutbacks and the closure of a west slope operation. Lumber & Other Construction Materials seasonally fell dropping by 12 employees. Overall, Electrical Goods rose by 80 but was effected by the transfer of about 30 employees to Special Trade Construction as part of an acquisition.

Nondurable Goods (51) added 214 employees over the quarter. Drugs, Drug Proprietaries & Druggists’ Sundries grew by 127. One employer, to cover increased demand for products through the Christmas season, hired almost 90 of the new employees. Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages rose by 100. Growth was due to seasonal stocking for the holidays.

ANNUAL

Annually, Wholesale Trade gained 1389 employees for an increase of 1.3%. Nondurable Goods (51) added 1633 employees and Durable Goods (50) lost 220. Within Nondurable Goods, Groceries & Related Products reported the largest employment gain up almost 800. A lot of expansion occurred in this subsector, however 388 employees were added in January as a result of SIC changes. Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages accounted for the second largest annual gain up 448. SIC changes encompassing almost 235 accounted for a portion of the gain. Expansions in beer distribution accounted for about 130 of the increase. Growth in beer distribution is attributed to expansions connected to the large breweries as opposed to an increase relative to the explosion of microbrewing.

Most subsectors of Durable Goods increased over the year. A loss of 1500 in Electrical Goods, however, over shadowed growth. Electrical Goods, despite its negative employment, was the strongest component of the sector overcoming the 2300 employee loss from SIC changes in January. Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies and Machinery, Equipment & Supplies each added around 375 over the year.

Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Fourth Quarter 1998