The Services Division continued to expand in 1998, adding 25,234 jobs and $2.33 billion in wages to what was already the largest division. The average wage within Services increased by 9.4 percent to $31,483.

The largest increase within Services occurred within Business Services with an increase of 12,719 jobs to 179,155. The increase in Business Services was lessened by the reclassification of Several Professional Service Organizations (PEO), which had been classified as Help Supply Services, into the SIC codes that described their clients' activities. Help Supply Services employment declined by 753 to 45,524. Large gains within Business Services included Prepackaged Software up 3,762 to 13,676, Business Services, NEC up 3,481 to 31,058, and Computer Related Services, NEC up 3,231 to 11,751.

Employment growth within Health Services slowed considerably in 1998, registering a 1.0 percent gain to 129,026. The largest increases were in Offices & Clinics of Medical Doctors, up 1,248 to 28,138 and Offices and Clinics of Dentists, up 429 to 11,285. The largest declines were in Skilled Nursing Care Facilities down 504 to 17,726 jobs and General Medical & Surgical Hospitals down 467 to 38,952 jobs.

Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management, and Related Services employment increased by 3,760 jobs to 61,950. Engineering Services employment increased by 1,127 to 21,057 while the associated annual average wage increased by 10.8 percent to $58,237. Accounting, Auditing, & Bookkeeping employment increased by 8.0 percent to 9,653. Business Consulting, NEC increased by 13.7 percent to 5,514 jobs.

Hotels and Motels employment, which may contain Restaurants of the same establishment, recorded a gain of 956 jobs to 38,634 in 1998. Hotels and Motels make up 95.7 percent of the Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps, and Other Lodging Places Sector.

Educational Services classified under private industry recorded a gain of 888 jobs to average 16,128 in 1998. Thirty-four percent were classified in Colleges and Universities, 25 percent were in Schools & Educational Services, NEC, and 22 percent were in Elementary and Secondary Schools.

Amusement and Recreation Services employment increased by 1,067 to 18,849. The average salaries varied enormously within the sector with the Sports Clubs, Managers, & Promoters average salary increasing by $15,808 to $145,983 and Dance Studios, Schools, and Halls average salary increasing by $277 to $8,854.