Coated welding electrode containing chromium

A chromium-containing coated welding electrode, characterized in that the amounts of fumes generated at the welding step, especially the amount of toxic soluble Cr, are suppressed and minimized, comprising a metal core and a coating flux composition and containing at least 0.5% of metallic chromium based on the total weight of said welding electrode in at least one of said metal core and said coating flux composition, wherein said coating flux composition contains less than 1% of Na and K calculated as (Na.sub.2 O + K.sub.2 O) based on the total weight of said coating flux composition, and wherein said coating flux composition is formed using a colloidal solution in which a dispersed phase containing at least one member selected from the group consisting of oxides of Si, Al, Zr, B, P, Ti, Mg, Ca, Th and Fe occupies 1 to 90% by weight of the total solution as a binder, and application of the coating is followed by a drying step to form said coating flux composition.