BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s taxable sales and purchases

shot up 52 percent during January, February and March when compared

to the same three months a year ago.

North Dakota’s Tax Department says the state recorded $5.3

billion in taxable sales and purchases during the first quarter.

Commissioner Cory Fong says taxable sales and purchases almost

doubled over last year in the oil and mining sector alone.

Construction went up 113 percent.

Fong says almost all of North Dakota’s economic sectors are

growing.

Fong says of North Dakota’s largest cities, 40 of them showed

double- or triple-digit percentage growth during the quarter.

North Dakota already has one of the nation’s lowest unemployment

rates. Fong says: “We are growing at a level beyond what we could

have expected.”

In the regional taxable sales and purchases for the first quarter of 2012

compared to the first quarter of 2011:

Barnes County…$20.4 million up 14.45%

Foster County…$11.1 million up 8.7%

Stutsman County…$55.1 million up 14.49%

LaMoure County…$10.1 million up16.46%

Jamestown…$53.2 million up 14.40%

Carrington…$10.9 million up 12.7%

Valley City…$19 million up 15.75%