With its focus on high-tech, this region is suffering from a boom/bust syndrome. When times are good, they are very good, but when times are bad, they are a disaster.
With layoffs in these industries, the office vacancy markets in the region's largest cities aren't pretty. Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas have office vacancy rates of at least 20 percent.
Yet, this region still has an enormous amount of residential construction. While down from their record residential construction numbers of the 1990s, Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas are still among the top homebuilding markets. Arizona and Colorado also still rank among the Top 10 fastest-growing states in the United States, in terms of in-state migration.
ELECTRICAL WHOLESALERS' SALES (in millions of dollars)
EW Estimates
Final 1998
Final 1999
Final 2000
Final 2001
Forecast 2002
Forecast 2003
Mountain
3,420.7
3,632.6
3,869.1
4,260.0
4,199.4
4,376.8
Arizona
916.2
978.8
1,042.6
1,147.9
1,131.6
1,179.4
Colorado
953.0
1,023.7
1,090.3
1,200.5
1,183.4
1,233.4
Idaho
193.5
201.4
214.5
236.2
232.8
242.6
Montana
136.5
142.1
151.4
166.7
164.3
171.2
Nevada
542.0
588.0
626.3
689.6
679.8
708.5
New Mexico
175.3
183.5
195.4
215.2
212.1
221.1
Utah
423.5
425.8
453.6
499.4
492.3
513.1
Wyoming
80.7
89.2
95.1
104.7
103.2
107.5
EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
Actual EC
in thousands
M
F/S/RT
G
Mountain
65,688
694.6
4,846.9
1,501.6
Arizona
15,768
194.8
1,285.0
366.5
Phoenix-Mesa MSA
12,112
145.7
934.5
195.4
Tucson MSA
1,881
32.3
190.9
74.3
Colorado
21,151
185.7
1,241.0
354.0
Boulder-Longmont PMSA
1,007
28.1
108.5
27.6
Colorado Springs MSA
1,467
27.0
146.6
41.1
Denver PMSA
13,651
80.6
667.7
162.1
Idaho
3,805
71.4
289.1
114.9
Boise City MSA
1,871
34.8
120.2
35.9
Montana
2,223
23.6
226.7
85.4
Billings MSA
NA
3.4
43.2
8.2
Missoula MSA
NA
3.1
31.2
8.8
Nevada
8,576
46.3
698.7
129.0
Las Vegas MSA
7,284
26.0
540.7
84.2
Reno MSA
1,254
14.6
118.9
25.3
New Mexico
6,001
41.9
410.1
191.4
Albuquerque MSA
4,013
27.6
205.2
71.7
Las Cruces MSA
443
3.2
29.4
17.9
Santa Fe MSA
352
1.8
42.8
26.8
Utah
6,408
120.1
574.8
196.2
Provo-Orem MSA
448
17.1
92.3
21.9
Salt Lake City-Ogden MSA
4,716
76.4
382.8
125.5
Wyoming
1,901
10.8
121.5
64.2
Casper MSA
355
1.7
17.6
5.7
NA — Not available MSA — Metropolitan Statistical Area PMSA — Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area CMSA — Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area EC — Electrical contractor employees. Actual numbers. M — Manufacturing employees in thousands. F/S/RT — Commercial accounts (finance, services, retail trade) employees in thousands. G — Government employees in thousands.
