The state Tax Department says North Dakota's taxable sales and purchases for January, February and March totaled more than $2.5 billion.

Tax Commissioner Cory Fong says that's up $92.8 million from the first quarter of 2008, for a modest increase of 3.8 percent.

Fong says that while most of the nation was dealing with a declining economy, North Dakota's economy continued to hold its own. He says the transportation and warehousing sector had the largest percentage growth over the year, at more than 94 percent.

But North Dakota's economy is not immune to the national recession. Fong says the retail trade sector, which typically is a barometer of consumer confidence, was down 4 percent. It was the first time retail trade declined since the fourth quarter of 2000.

- Associated Press