Employment and wages in the Wholesale Trade Division increased faster than the State average during 1997 due to substantial gains in Durable Goods. Relatively low interest rates, in-migration, and increased industrial and construction activity contributed to the increases. The average wage increased by 6.4 percent to $40,212 annually. In general, the sectors that experienced the largest increases were those with higher average salaries and the sectors that declined or remained relatively unchanged had the lower average salaries. The Non-Durable goods sector expanded considerably slower than the division as a whole.

Of the 3,807 jobs added in Durable Goods in 1997, 1,189 were in Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies. The average wage in this sector increased by 20.3 percent to $56,750 and the average number of jobs was 16,550. The fastest growing sector within durable Goods on a percentage basis was Electrical Goods posting a 11.7 percent increase to average 10,086 jobs in 1997. The Lumber and Construction Materials sector continued to experience strong growth posting an 11 percent gain following last year's 13 percent increase. There were 5,798 jobs in this sector in 1997, which is an increase of 53 percent over 1993. The only sector that experienced a decline within Durable Goods was the Miscellaneous sector which declined by 80 jobs to 3,870.

The Non-Durable Goods sector within the Wholesale Trade Division increased at about a third of the rate of the Durable Goods sector and half the rate of Colorado employment in aggregate. Employment increased by 800 jobs to 38,190 and the average annual wage increased by $2,165 to $ 35,489. Sixty percent of the net increase in Non-Durable Goods occurred in Drugs, Drug Proprietaries, and Druggist' Sundries. This sector increased to 3,437 jobs with an average wage of $50,313. The largest number of jobs within Non-Durable Goods are in Groceries and Related Items which makes up 32 percent of the sector. Groceries and Related Products increased by 181 jobs to 12,381. Sectors with declining employment levels were Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages down 3.1 percent to 2,589, Farm-Product Raw Materials down 2.1 percent to 1,932, and Apparel, Piece Goods and Notions, down .8 percent to 1,955.

Sixty eight percent of all Wholesale jobs were in the Denver MSA and the average salary was $9,286 more than in the balance of the state, or $43,205 per year. Counties outside the Denver MSA with large numbers of jobs in Wholesale Trade were Boulder at 6,178 and El Paso at 6,170.