Larimer County Employers
Date posted: 10/01/2008
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Major Employers, in the context of this measure page, are those establishments in Larimer County that employ the largest number of people. Requests for employment numbers were made directly to each establishment. Responses ranged from an exact number or a refusal, to a range of numbers or a state-wide total. Hence, it must be noted that the process of determining who the major employers are is not an exact science, and the numbers provided should be taken as approximations, not exact counts.
Data for the remaining charts are from the United States Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (CBP), a series that provides state and local economic data by industry (NAICS). Some NAICS industries are excluded. CBP's employee count consists of those who are on the payroll in the pay period including March 12; therefore employment numbers by industry on this page may not match data presented on the Employment and Average Wages by Industry Compass page, which presents annual average data. Additionally, data are released annually; however, because it is a composite of several sources, the data are two years behind the current year.
What this chart shows: Major Employers by Employee Count, Larimer County, 2007
Data Source: Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation
What these data tell us:
Seven of the ten largest employers in Larimer County are involved in education, health services, or local government. Colorado State University, the largest employer, had 7,945 regular faculty and staff, as well as 4,700 student workers (graduate teachers, researchers, and other student employees) who are not counted as regular employees.As stated earlier, these numbers are approximations. Employee counts are fluid throughout the year for various reasons such as retirement, whether or not school is in session, and the use of temporary and seasonal labor. Additionally, the definition of 'employee' has an impact on the numbers given by the employers. For example, in the data table below, Poudre Valley Health System (PVHS) shows a drop and gain of over 1,700 employees between 2002 and 2004. When the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation collected data in 2003, PVHS's 'full-time equivalent' employees were excluded. The inclusion of temporary student employees raised Colorado State University's employee count for 2003, as did seasonal hourly workers for the City of Fort Collins in the same period. Poudre School District was contacted early in June 2004, while school was still in session; hence their employee count included part-time aids and temporary hourly workers.
What this chart shows: Businesses Employing less than 10 Persons, United States, Colorado, Larimer County, 2002-2006
Data Source: United States Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, Number of Establishments by Employment-Size Class
What these data tell us:
The national percentage of businesses employing less than ten persons was a consistent 73% during the five years between 2002 and 2006. Colorado and Larimer County percentages were 2-3 points higher than the national percentage during the same period.What this chart shows: Employers by Size (Number of Employees), Larimer County, 2006
Data Source: United States Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, Number of Establishments by Employment-Size Class
What these data tell us:
Businesses with up to four employees accounted for 56% of all establishments in Larimer County in 2006. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of Larimer County business establishments had fewer than 100 employees, which mirrored Colorado (98%) and the nation (98%) during the same period.What this table shows: Establishment & Employee Count by Industry (NAICS), Larimer County, 2006
|
Industry Code Description |
Number of Employees |
Number of Establishments |
|
55 |
18 |
|
|
223 |
30 |
|
|
194 |
11 |
|
|
9,251 |
1,243 |
|
|
11,509 |
410 |
|
|
6,076 |
370 |
|
|
16,891 |
1,275 |
|
|
2,358 |
177 |
|
|
2,734 |
156 |
|
|
3,601 |
578 |
|
|
2,085 |
542 |
|
|
10,388 |
1,270 |
|
|
954 |
34 |
|
|
6,915 |
537 |
|
|
1,663 |
104 |
|
|
13,112 |
868 |
|
|
1,673 |
152 |
|
|
13,945 |
784 |
|
|
4,623 |
775 |
|
|
Unclassified establishments |
32 |
15 |
Data Source: United States Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
What these data tell us:
In 2006, Larimer County's Retail sector employed the most people (16,891). The Accommodations & Food Services sector had the second highest employment numbers at 13,945 with Health Care & Social Assistance a close third at 13,112. The Manufacturing sector ranked second in the number of people employed until 2002, when the number of workers fell below 12,000 for the first time. In 2006, that sector ranked fourth with 11,509, employees.The Retail sector also had the largest number of establishments (1,275) in the County in 2006. The Professional, Scientific & Technical Services sector had the second highest number of establishments in the County (1,270). Construction had the third highest number of establishments at 1,243.
The predominance of the Retail sector in the number of establishments and the number of employees is reflected in statewide numbers as well, with 19,309 Colorado retail businesses employing 256,958 people in 2006. Retail business accounted for 15.6% of the employees and 13.6% of all establishments in Larimer County, compared to 12.7% of employees and 12.5% establishments statewide.
Please note that the County Business Pattern's employee count consists of those who are on the payroll in the pay period including March 12; therefore employment numbers by industry on this page may not match data presented on the Employment and Average Wages by Industry Compass page, which presents annual average data.
Additional Information:
On Compass-
- Agriculture in Larimer County
- Educational Attainment
- Employment & Wages by Industry
- Population Size & Growth
- Unemployment Rate
- Work Commute
Outside Compass-
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
- Employers' & Job-seeker/Workers' most requested links
- Labor Market Information for Employers - Occupational wages in Colorado, job vacancy surveys, employee recruitment, labor certification, tax credits, info about unemployment insurance and more.
- Larimer County Workforce Center - employment and workforce development services.
- The Progressive Polity Institute's 'The 2002 State New Economy Index' uses 21 economic indicators to assess each state's progress as they adapt to the new economic order.
Additional Definitions:
County Business Patterns data are extracted from the Business Register, the Census Bureau's file of all known single and multi-establishment companies. The annual Company Organization Survey and quinquennial (five year) Economic Censuses provide individual establishment data for multi-location firms. Data for single-location firms are obtained from various programs conducted by the Census Bureau, such as the Economic Censuses, the Annual Survey of Manufactures, and Current Business Surveys. Additional data are obtained from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
County Business Patterns covers all NAICS industries except crop and animal production (NAICS 111,112), rail transportation (NAICS 482), Postal Service (NAICS 491), pension, health, welfare, and vacation funds (NAICS 525110, 525120, 525190), trusts, estates, and agency accounts (NAICS 525920), private households (NAICS 814), and public administration (NAICS 92).
For more information, see the Census website for County Business Patterns.
NAICS Industrial Classification SystemThe North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) replaced the United States Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system in 2001. There are 350 new industries separately recognized for the first time, and 10 new sectors added for clearer definition: businesses that use similar production processes are grouped together. NAICS was developed jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to provide new comparability in statistics about business activity across North America (United States Census Bureau).
Full-time Equivalent EmploymentFull-time equivalent employment is a computed statistic representing the number of full-time employees that could have been employed if the reported number of hours worked by part-time employees had been worked by full-time employees.
Data Tables:
Major Employers by Employee Count, Larimer County, 2002-2007
- 2002 data: Trends 2002, City of Fort Collins Advance Planning Department, p. 25
- 2003 data: Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation
- 2004 data: Larimer County Health & Human Services Administration, direct calls
- 2006 & 2007 data: Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation
|
Employers in Larimer County |
Number of Employees |
||||
|
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2006* |
2007 |
|
|
Platte River Power Authority |
197 |
n/a |
190 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
The Coloradoan |
237 |
n/a |
230 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
LSI Logic |
283 |
341 |
290 |
341 |
n/a |
|
First National Bank |
356 |
367 |
355 |
367 |
487 |
|
US Postal Service |
n/a |
412 |
438 |
412 |
412 |
|
Waterpik Technologies |
550 |
585 |
460 |
585 |
n/a |
|
Front Range Community College |
595 |
481 |
480 |
481 |
481 |
|
Celestica |
500 |
650 |
650 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
City of Loveland |
n/a |
890 |
678 |
890 |
643 |
|
Anheuser-Busch |
740 |
760 |
743 |
760 |
760 |
|
Hach Chemical Company |
n/a |
550 |
793 |
550 |
900 |
|
Advanced Energy |
775 |
825 |
800 |
825 |
594 |
|
Woodward Governor |
575 |
650 |
800 |
650 |
1,200 |
|
Wal-Mart Super Center |
600 |
909 |
900 |
909 |
n/a |
|
McKee Medical Center |
n/a |
950 |
950 |
950 |
950 |
|
Larimer County |
1,700 |
1,467 |
1,394 |
1,467 |
1,500 |
|
City of Fort Collins |
1,400 |
1,864 |
1,400 |
1,864 |
1,884 |
|
Thompson School District |
n/a |
1,888 |
2,000 |
1,888 |
1,890 |
|
Agilent Technologies |
1,850 |
2,454 |
2,800 |
2,800 |
2,800 |
|
Poudre Valley Health System |
2,610 |
861 |
2,800 |
3,020 |
3,488 |
|
Hewlett-Packard |
3,000 |
3,182 |
3,000 |
3,182 |
3,250 |
|
Poudre R-1 School District |
3,014 |
3,014 |
3,732 |
3,014 |
3,325 |
|
Colorado State University |
6,950 |
7,945 |
6,948 |
6,948 |
7,945 |
n/a - not available
*2005 data are not available
Businesses Employing less than 10 Persons, United States, Colorado, Larimer County, 2000 - 2006
|
|
United States |
Colorado |
Larimer County |
|||
|
Number |
% of Total |
Number |
% of Total |
Number |
% of Total |
|
|
2000 |
5,173,211 |
73.1708 |
103,982 |
75.6079 |
6,084 |
75.8887 |
|
2001 |
5,185,350 |
73.0814 |
104,800 |
75.2738 |
6,191 |
75.8701 |
|
2002 |
5,285,715 |
73.4048 |
107,917 |
75.8659 |
6,517 |
76.6705 |
|
2003 |
5,320,242 |
73.3346 |
109,881 |
76.3332 |
6,680 |
77.0295 |
|
2004 |
5,425,755 |
73.4429 |
113,050 |
76.7408 |
6,832 |
76.8677 |
|
2005 |
5,530,562 |
73.7438 |
116,354 |
77.0199 |
7,019 |
76.8111 |
|
2006 |
5,569,370 |
73.2700 |
118,388 |
76.6087 |
7,153 |
76.5109 |
Number of Establishments by Size (Under 100 Employees) by Industry (NAICS), Larimer County, 2006
|
Industry Code Description |
Number of Employees |
||||
|
1-4 |
5-9 |
10-19 |
20-49 |
50-99 |
|
|
14 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
19 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
6 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
|
856 |
174 |
116 |
69 |
20 |
|
|
191 |
76 |
55 |
49 |
19 |
|
|
214 |
65 |
47 |
28 |
8 |
|
|
544 |
373 |
193 |
99 |
37 |
|
|
122 |
17 |
23 |
10 |
2 |
|
|
77 |
30 |
22 |
13 |
9 |
|
|
395 |
101 |
54 |
19 |
4 |
|
|
405 |
74 |
48 |
15 |
0 |
|
|
933 |
155 |
102 |
55 |
18 |
|
|
19 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
|
|
319 |
94 |
60 |
32 |
15 |
|
|
55 |
17 |
16 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
470 |
176 |
113 |
68 |
24 |
|
|
91 |
31 |
12 |
5 |
9 |
|
|
243 |
133 |
162 |
197 |
34 |
|
|
474 |
165 |
96 |
32 |
7 |
|
|
Unclassified establishments |
12 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Number of Establishments by Size (100+ Employees) by Industry (NAICS), Larimer County, 2005
|
Industry Code Description |
Number of Employees |
|||
|
100-249 |
250-499 |
500-999 |
1000+ |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
11 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
27 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
16 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
15 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
15 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Unclassified establishments |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Businesses by Number of Employees, 2006,
United States, Colorado & Larimer County
|
|
Percent Under 10 Employees |
Percent Under 100 Employees |
Percent 100+ Employees |
|
Larimer |
77% |
98% |
2% |
|
Colorado |
77% |
98% |
2% |
|
United States |
73% |
98% |
2% |