Employment within Mining continued to decline after an unexpected increase the previous year. Despite there being 979 less jobs classified under Mining, total wages increased by $54 million dollars due to very large bonuses within Metal Mining. The strength of Colorado’s Mining industry continues to be related to Construction while the weakest area continues to be Oil and Gas Extraction. On a pro forma basis, Mining employment and wages have never been less significant to the economy of Colorado.

Despite an 11.6 percent decrease in the number of jobs recorded in 1999, Oil and Gas Extraction is still the largest sector within Mining with an average of 6,938 jobs. The average wage within Oil and Gas Extraction increased from $58,009 to $63,997. Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas recorded the largest decline at 409 jobs to 4,227. Oil and Gas Field Services, NEC employment declined by 16.7 percent to 1,612. Drilling Oil and Gas Wells employment declined by 17.5 percent to 346 jobs. The brightest sector within Oil and Gas Extraction was Natural Gas Liquids, which added one job to average 55 in 1999.

Mining and Quarrying of Non-Metallic Minerals, Except Fuels average annual employment increased for the third consecutive year. The increase was due to an additional 158 jobs in Construction Sand and Gravel, which averaged 1,076 jobs, and a 73-job increase in Crushed and Broken Stone, NEC, which averaged 121 jobs. The increase in Crushed and Broken Stone, NEC was a result of a SIC reclassification from Wholesale Trade. The average wage in Mining and Quarrying of Non-Metallic Minerals, Except Fuels, only increased by 1.2 percent to $38,910 in 1999.

Metal Mining experienced a broad decline in covered employment in 1999. Although Metal Mining employment declined from 2,265 to 2,021, the average wage increased from $74,155 to $112,965 due to corporate bonuses. Gold Ore employment declined from 851 to 753. Over half of the Gold Ore Employment is in the five-county Denver MSA. Ferroalloy Ores, Except Vanadium employment declined from 665 to 634. The only Metal Mining codes that had increased employment levels were Iron Ores up three jobs to 28 and Metal Ores, NEC up a job to seven.

Coal Mining employment continued to decline, posting a 1.3 percent drop to 2,148. Bituminous Coal and Lignite Surface Mining employment declined by 8.0 percent to 727 while Bituminous Coal Underground Mining increased by 1.4 percent to 1,312. Coal Mining Services employment increased from 93 to 109 jobs. The average wage within Coal Mining was $52,091.