Employment in the Transportation, Communication and Public Utilities (TCPU) division increased faster than employment in Colorado as a whole at 5.7 percent or 6,785 jobs. Average wages increased by 9.8% percent to $46,154. The majority of the increase can be attributed to increases in Communications employment in Arapahoe and Denver Counties.

The largest and fastest growing sector within TCPU is Communications. Communications added 6,702 jobs to average 48,783 in 1998. About 1,500 of the additional jobs were related to SIC reclassifications. It also boasted by far the highest average annual salary at $62,367. This was an increase of $6,444, following an increase of $5,281 from 1996 to 1997. Radiotelephone Communications had the highest percentage increase at 51.4 percent to average 2,786 jobs. There were 960 jobs classified in Radiotelephone Communications in 1993. Telephone Communications, Except Radio added the most jobs with an increase of 2,954 to average 29,726 in 1998. Cable and Other Pay TV Services experienced the second largest increase at 2,280 to average 10,360 jobs. Sixty-six percent of Communications jobs were either in Denver or Arapahoe Counties.

Transportation by Air employment decreased by 425 jobs to 23,781 after increasing by 1,488 the previous year. The largest decreases were in Scheduled Air Transportation with a decline of 462 to 2,788 jobs and in Airports, Flying Fields, & Services with a decline of 253 jobs to 2,704. The average wage within Transportation by Air increased by 6.8 percent to $36,366.

Motor Freight Transportation and Warehousing reversed a downward trend and added 400 jobs to average 23,715 in 1998. The largest increase was in Courier Services, Except by Air, which increased by 245 jobs to 2,951. Other notable increases were in Local Trucking With Storage up 154 to 2,109 and Local Trucking, Without Storage up 140 to 7,013. These gains were offset by a loss of 274 jobs in Trucking, Except Local, which averaged 10,019 jobs in 1998.

Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services employment declined for the third straight year, declining by 250 jobs to 15,273. The two largest declines were in Refuse systems with a decline of 207 jobs to 5,043 and Electric and Other Services Combined with a decline of 143 to 3,883.

The steady increase in Local and Suburban Transit and Interurban Highway Passenger Transportation employment continued with an addition of 321 jobs to 5,611. The increase was attributed to an additional 319 jobs in Local Passenger Transportation, NEC.