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RETAIL TRADE
(52 - 59)

Employment growth in Retail Trade has been quite strong the last two years with increases topping 20,000. This year’s increase was 20,905 up 6.2% from 1994. The Balance of State registered 55% of the gains in Retail employment. Noticeable increases in Balance of State occurred in El Paso county up 2939, Larimer up 1936, and Boulder up 1562. Statewide only 4 counties reported employment declines, the largest being Pitkin county dropping 20 employees.

Eating & Drinking is the largest component of Retail Trade comprising 40% of the industry population. Historically and currently this sector maintains the strongest growth. Employment gains this year were 8823, slightly better than last years gain of 8402. Increases in Metro Denver were 4083 making up 46% of the Statewide gain in Eating & Drinking. Balance of State added 4740 employees or 54%.

Over the year Building Materials-Garden and Misc Retail each grew 8.5%. In absolute numbers the gains were 1198 and 3686 employees, respectively. Expansions by a number of firms such as Home Depot, Builders Square, Eagle Hardware, Brookhart’s and Sutherland contributed to the growth in Building Materials-Garden. Gains in Misc Retail were the result of new stores and higher Christmas hiring than a year ago for book, sporting goods and toy & hobby stores. Increases at two Catalog & Mail Order Houses also added employees to Misc Retail. One company had been doing business out of state and the other had been using temporary help agencies.


 19911992199319941995
Statewide292,497301,895317,412338,178359,083
Metro Denver148,980152,915159,165167,948177,289
Bal. of State143,517148,980158,247170,230181,794


Colorado Employment and Wages (ES202) Annual Average 1995