On an annual average basis, employment in Mining stopped a six-year slide to rebound with a 2.1 percent increase to 13,906 in 1997. A very large proportion of employment in establishments classified in Mining in Colorado is administrative in nature and located in urban areas. There were 6,895 jobs classified in Mining within the Denver MSA.

The majority of jobs classified in Mining were in Oil and Gas Extraction at 7,783, which was almost unchanged from the previous year. Within Oil and Gas extraction, Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas is the Largest sector with 4,657 jobs which is 250 less than in 1996. This sector had an average annual salary of $70,597 and 81 percent of the employment was in the Denver MSA. The second largest sector within Oil and Gas Extraction was Oil and Gas Field Services with annual average covered employment of 3,074, an average wage of $39,913 and 43 percent of the jobs in the Denver MSA. This was an increase of 240 jobs.

The fastest growing sector within Mining in 1997 was Mining and Quarrying of Nonmetallic Minerals, Except Fuels. This sector increased by 121 jobs to 1,530 and had an average annual salary of $36,372. There were 1,246 jobs in this sector in 1993. The majority of the increase occurred in Sand and Gravel, which increased by 117 jobs to 826 in 1997. The second largest sector within Mining and Quarrying of Nonmetallic Minerals was Crushed and Broken Stone, including Riprap which increased by 3 jobs to 295.

There was an average of 2,228 covered jobs classified in Coal Mining jobs in Colorado in 1997 with an average annual salary of $59,030. The leading Coal Mining counties were Moffat at 560 and Gunnison at 458. There were 237 jobs classified in Coal Mining in the Denver MSA in 1997. Ninety-six percent of all Coal Mining employment is in Bituminous Coal and Lignite Mining, the majority of which is classified as underground verses surface.

Employment classified in Metal Mining increased by 110 jobs to 2,360 in 1997. The average annual salary was $60,326. Forty-six percent of the employment was in the Denver MSA were the average annual salary was $100,034 per year. The largest sector within Metal Mining was Gold and Silver Ores with 972 jobs. Gold and Silver Ores employment declined by 78 from the previous year. Employment in Metal Mining Services increased by 24 to 274. The second largest sector within Metal Mining was Ferroalloy Ores except Vanadium, which increased by 73 jobs to 647.