Local Government was once again the fastest growing government sector at 2.7 percent or 4,978 jobs. Nearly one out of every eleven jobs was in Local Government in 1998. The average wage increased by 3.5 percent to $28,525. The average private industry wage increased 8.2 percent during this period. The General Government category contained one third of all local Government employment or 62,968 jobs.

The majority of Local Government employment was classified in Educational Services. Average annualized employment in Educational Services increased by 2,536 to 99,697 in 1998. The average annual wage increased 2.6 percent to $26,534. Within this sector, 96.6 percent of the jobs were in Elementary and Secondary Schools.

The second largest sector within Local Government was the catchall category of Executive, Legislative, and General Government, except Finance, which averaged 62,968 jobs in 1998. Most City and County employees are counted in this section regardless of their function. The average wage in this sector increased by $1,461 to $31,063.

Health Services employed 8,191 people on an annual average basis in 1998. This was an increase of 669 jobs. The annual average wage increased by 2.4 percent to $28,111. Thirty-five percent of this employment was at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. Denver Health and Hospital Authority employed an average of 1,650 at an annual average wage of $39,354.

There were 5,191 jobs classified under Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services in 1998 compared to 4,935 in 1997. The largest employer was the City of Colorado Spring's Department of Public Utilities with about 1,850 employees. The second largest employer is the Denver Water Department with 1,081 employees.

Other large discernible sectors within Local Government include Amusement and Recreation Services with 2,831 employees, Fire Protection with 1,653 and Local and Suburban Transit (RTD) with 2,234 employees. Amusement and Recreation primarily consists of municipal parks departments.