Albuquerque, N.M. -- Sandia National Laboratories pumped more than $800 million directly into the New Mexico economy in fiscal year 1996 with employee salaries, medical and dental benefits, retiree pensions, commercial purchases, and gross receipts taxes.

Sandia, operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, paid almost $400 million in wages to New Mexico employees during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. New Mexico retiree pension payments during the same period amounted to approximately $53 million. An additional $46 million in medical and dental benefits for Sandia employees and retirees was paid to New Mexico healthcare providers in FY96.

New Mexico suppliers in FY96 provided goods and services to Sandia valued at approximately $270 million. Suppliers classified as small businesses provided 63 percent of Sandia's total FY96 commercial purchases of $560 million.

Sandia also paid the State of New Mexico $48 million in gross receipts taxes in FY96.

The above numbers do not take into account any multiplier effects. Using FY 1994 numbers, the U.S. Department of Energy and New Mexico State University issued a report in 1995 that said Sandia's annual budget supported about 6 percent of total economic activity in New Mexico.