Estimates of business activity were generated for each sector of the North Dakota economy, but only key measures will be presented in this report. Direct employment for cooperatives was obtained from the survey. Direct expenditures by cooperatives also create secondary, or indirect and induced, employment in the state. Cooperative operations supported another 42,290 secondary jobs in 2000. These are Jobs that arise to serve and support the economic activity resulting from cooperatives operating in North Dakota.
Cooperatives exist to enhance sale price, or reduce costs for their member-owners.
However, they also contribute significantly to the state's economy. Direct expenditures by cooperatives result in higher levels of business activity, tax revenues, and employment. Comparing business activity resulting from cooperative operations with state-level data shows that personal income attributed to cooperatives was 15 percent of the state total, retail trade was 12 percent, and all business activity accounted for 12 percent. There are many cooperatives operating in North Dakota, and some are very large business entities, which is reflected in cooperatives' share of state-level economic measures. Direct employment at cooperatives was 9,078 in 2000.