1

NEW QUARTERLY DATA ON BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS FROM BLS

New quarterly data on business employment dynamics were issued today by the Bureau of Labor

Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. These data quantify the sizable number of jobs that appear and

disappear in the U.S. economy each quarter. From September 2002 to December 2002, the number of job

gains from opening and expanding establishments and the number of job losses from closing and contracting

establishments each were nearly 8 million. The data also show that the net employment declines associated

with the 2001 recession resulted from a large temporary increase in gross job losses accompanied by a sharp

decrease in gross job gains. As of December 2002, gross job gains had not returned to pre-recession levels.

(See chart 1.)

The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of increases and decreases in employment

that occur at all establishments in the economy. The new data track these changes in employment at private

business establishments from one quarter to the next. In the new data series, gross job gains are defined as

increases in employment resulting from expansions of employment at existing establishments or from the

opening of establishments. Gross job losses are defined as declines in employment at existing establishments

or from closing establishments. The difference between the number of gross jobs gained and the number of

gross jobs lost is the net change in employment. These statistics show the dynamic labor market changes that

underlie the net employment change statistic.

Technical information: (202) 691-6467

 http://www.bls.gov/bdm/

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 03-521

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

 

 
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The new series on Business Employment Dynamics are derived from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), also known as the ES-202 program. This program is a quarterly census of all

establishments under state unemployment insurance programs, representing about 98 percent of employment

on nonfarm payrolls. The net change in employment from this new data series will not match the estimates

from employment series such as the monthly Current Employment Statistics survey (CES) or the totals from

the QCEW program. The CES estimates are based on a sample of establishments, while gross job gains

and gross job losses are based on a quarterly census of administrative records. In addition, the CES has a

different coverage, excluding the agriculture sector but including establishments not covered by the unemployment insurance program. Business Employment Dynamics data have a more limited scope than QCEW

data. The data in this release, in contrast to QCEW data, exclude government employees, private households (NAICS 814110), and establishments with zero employment. See the Background section and the

Technical Note for further information.

This first release of Business Employment Dynamics data covers the period from September 1992 to

December 2002. All totals in this release are over-the-quarter changes based on the changes between the

third months of each quarter. All data referred to in the text are seasonally adjusted. The tables accompanying this release provide both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data.

Fourth Quarter 2002

Opening and expanding private sector business establishments gained 7.7 million jobs in the fourth quarter

of 2002, while closing and contracting establishments lost 7.8 million jobs. This led to a net employment loss

of 70,000 jobs. (See table A.) Expanding establishments gained 6.1 million jobs in the quarter, while

opening establishments accounted for a gain of 1.6 million jobs. Contracting establishments lost 6.2 million

jobs, while closing establishments accounted for a loss of 1.6 million jobs. Expanding and contracting

establishments accounted for most jobs gained and lost.

Dec. 2001 Mar. 2002 June 2002 Sept. 2002 Dec. 2002

Gross job gains ........................................ 7,902 8,013 8,010 7,922 7,746

 At expanding establishments ........... 6,083 6,200 6,223 6,208 6,114

 At opening establishments .............. 1,819 1,813 1,787 1,714 1,632

Gross job losses ....................................... 8,710 8,289 8,091 7,851 7,816

 At contracting establishments ......... 6,930 6,545 6,372 6,257 6,189

 At closing establishments ................ 1,780 1,744 1,719 1,594 1,627

Net employment change ......................... -808 -276 -81 71 -70

1 The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses.

 3 months ended

(In thousands)

Category

Table A. Private sector gross job gains and losses, seasonally adjusted

1

Rates

From September to December 2002, gross job gains represented 7.2 percent of private sector

employment, while gross job losses represented 7.3 percent of private sector employment. (See table B.)

The difference between these two rates, -0.1 percent, is the percentage net change in employment. The

gross job gains rate indicates that 7.2 percent of jobs in December 2002 did not exist in September 2002,

and the gross job losses rate indicates that 7.3 percent of jobs in September 2002 did not exist in December

2002. These gross job gains and job losses statistics demonstrate that a sizable number of jobs appear and
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disappear in the relatively short time frame of one quarter. This reallocation of jobs across establishments

highlights the amount of job churning that underlies the quarterly net employment change of -0.1 percent.

Table B. Private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment, seasonally adjusted

Dec. 2001 Mar. 2002 June 2002 Sept. 2002 Dec. 2002

Gross job gains ......................................... 7.3 7.5 7.5 7.4 7.2

 At expanding establishments ............ 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.7

 At opening establishments ............... 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5

Gross job losses ........................................ 8.0 7.7 7.5 7.3 7.3

 At contracting establishments .......... 6.4 6.1 5.9 5.8 5.8

 At closing establishments ................. 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5

Net employment change .......................... -0.7 -0.2 0.0 0.1 -0.1

 Category

3 months ended

(Percent)

1

1 The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses.

Establishment Counts

Out of 6.4 million active establishments, a total of 1.8 million establishments gained jobs from September

to December 2002. (See table C.) Of these, 1.5 million were expanding establishments and 345,000 were

opening establishments. During the fourth quarter of 2002, 1.8 million establishments lost jobs. Of these, 1.5

million were contracting establishments and 333,000 were closing establishments. The statistics from tables A

and C indicate that the average expanding establishment added 4.2 jobs during the quarter and the average

contracting establishment lost 4.2 jobs during the quarter.

These Business Employment Dynamics data add to the labor market statistics currently available from the

Bureau of Labor Statistics. The more traditional measure of net employment change indicates that employment fell by 70,000 jobs during the fourth quarter of 2002. The gross job gains and job losses statistics

indicate that this net employment loss is the result of 6.1 million jobs added at 1.5 million expanding establishments, 1.6 million jobs added at 345,000 opening establishments, 6.2 million jobs lost at 1.5 million

contracting establishments, and 1.6 million jobs lost at 333,000 closing establishments. These large gross job

flows that underlie the substantially smaller net job changes cannot be observed in the cross-sectional

statistics.

 Table C. Number of private sector establishments by direction of employment change, seasonally adjusted

Dec. 2001 Mar. 2002 June 2002 Sept. 2002 Dec. 2002

 Establishments gaining jobs ................... 1,775 1,786 1,794 1,805 1,798

 Expanding establishments ................... 1,429 1,444 1,447 1,460 1,453

 Opening establishments ....................... 346 342 347 345 345

 Establishments losing jobs...................... 1,856 1,834 1,825 1,781 1,809

 Contracting establishments ................. 1,516 1,496 1,484 1,474 1,476

 Closing establishments ........................ 340 338 341 307 333

 Net establishment change .......................

 (In thousands)

 3 months ended

Category

1

1 The net establishment change is the difference between the number of opening establishments and the number of

closing establishments.

6 4 6 38 12
4

September 1992 – December 2002

The level of gross job gains exceeded the level of gross job losses every quarter from September 1992

through December 2000, leading to a net increase in the number of jobs. (See chart 1 and table 1.) The

gross job gains and job losses series crossed in March 2001, and the level of gross job losses exceeded the

level of gross job gains for six consecutive quarters through the second quarter of 2002.

Gross job gains peaked in the fourth quarter of 1999 at a level of 9.1 million jobs. In the fourth quarter

of 2002, gross job gains were at a level of 7.8 million jobs, the lowest since the second quarter of 1995.

Gross job losses peaked in the second quarter of 2001 at a level of 9.0 million jobs and declined every

quarter through the fourth quarter of 2002. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Gross job gains at expanding establishments moved in the same direction as total gross job gains, and

gross job losses at contracting establishments were similar to changes in total gross job losses. The number

of jobs gained at opening establishments exceeded the number of jobs lost at closing establishments except

during the 2001 recession. (See chart 2 and table 1.)

The business cycle is reflected in the gross job gains and losses statistics. The increasing net employment

losses during the first two quarters of 2001 were characterized by increasing gross job losses and declining

gross job gains, with a continued decline in gross job gains in the third quarter of 2001. The four quarters of

data for 2002 indicate that gross job losses declined and gross job gains did not return to their pre-recession

levels.

Background

The Business Employment Dynamics statistics track changes in employment at the establishment level,

revealing the dynamics underlying net changes in employment.

The Business Employment Dynamics data are based on data collected in the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages (QCEW), or ES-202, program. These data are the result of a collaborative effort

between the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and State Employment Security Agencies. The data include
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all establishments subject to state unemployment insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to the

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Each quarter, the state agencies

edit and process the data and send the information to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gross job gains and

job losses are based on employment levels in the third month of each quarter.

The Business Employment Dynamics totals require that establishment data be linked across quarters.

This longitudinal aspect of the data allows the tracking of when establishments open, close, expand, or

contract their employment. The linkage process is described in the Technical Note. There are four types

of gross job flows: employment gains at opening establishments, employment expansions at existing

establishments, employment losses at closing establishments, and employment contractions at existing

establishments. Increases in employment at opening and expanding establishments sum to measure gross

job gains. Declines in employment at closing and contracting establishments sum to measure gross job

losses. The more traditional measure of net change in employment is the difference between the number

of jobs gained and the number of jobs lost.

Currently, data on gross job gains and gross job losses are available as levels and as rates for the private

sector. The rates measure gross job gains and gross losses and their components as a percentage of the

average of the previous and current quarter employment. This differs from the traditional calculation of a

percentage rate (which would divide only by previous quarter employment) and provides a symmetric

treatment of the growth of opening and closing establishments.

Estimates are available with and without seasonal adjustment. Seasonal adjustment is run concurrently

and models are updated annually. The first update in seasonal adjustment models will be with the release of

first quarter 2004 data.

Uses of the Data

As the quarterly time series on Business Employment Dynamics grows longer, their value in assessing the

business cycle, the level of labor market volatility, and the effect of establishment employment changes on

aggregate employment will increase. The gross job gain and gross job loss statistics will be particularly useful

in highlighting the forces behind net changes in employment. In addition, these estimates will highlight the

importance of job changes at opening and closing establishments relative to changes at existing establishments.

The Business Employment Dynamics data should help economists, policymakers, and the business

community develop a more complete understanding of business cycles. It can show whether net employment changes over the course of the business cycle are due to changes in the pace of job gains or of job

losses.

Future Releases

BLS plans to update the series on Business Employment Dynamics on a quarterly basis with a news release. BLS also plans to develop data for the 50 states and the District of Columbia and to release estimates

based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and establishment size class data in

the future. In future months, please refer to the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov for updates of the

Business Employment Dynamics series.

For more information, please see the Technical Note of this release or the Business Employment

Dynamics Web page at the BLS Web site http://www.bls.gov/bdm. Additional information about Business

Employment Dynamics may be obtained by e-mailing BDMinfo@bls.gov.
 Number of active establishments included in the

 Business Employment Dynamics data

 Millions

Total establishments ES-202 program ................................. 8.2

 Excluded: tor................................................... 0.3

 households ........................................ 0.5

 employment .......................................... 1.0

 in Puerto Rico

 and the Virgin Islands ................................ 0.0*

Total establishments included in the Business

 Employment Dynamics data............................................ 6.4

 * Approximately 48,000 establishments.

Concepts and methodology

The Business Employment Dynamics data measure the net

change in employment at the establishment level. These

changes come about in one of four ways. A net increase in

employment can come from either opening establishments or

expanding establishments. A net decrease in employment can

come from either closing establishments or contracting

establishments. Gross job gains include the sum of all jobs

added at either opening or expanding establishments. Gross

job losses include the sum of all jobs lost in either closing or

contracting establishments. The net change in employment is

the difference between gross job gains and gross job losses.

The formal definitions of establishment-level employment

changes are as follows:

Openings. These are either establishments with positive

third month employment for the first time in the current quarter,

with no links to the prior quarter, or with positive third month

employment in the current quarter following zero employment

in the previous quarter.

Expansions. These are establishments with positive

employment in the third month in both the previous and current

quarters, with a net increase in employment over this period.

 Closings. These are either establishments with positive

 third month employment in the previous quarter, with no

 positive employment reported in the current quarter, or with

 positive third month employment in the previous quarter

 followed by zero employment in the current quarter.

Technical Note

The Business Employment Dynamics data are compiled by

the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing

administrative records. These records are the product of a

federal-state cooperative program known as the Quarterly

Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), or the ES-202

program. The data are derived from summaries of employment

of workers covered by unemployment insurance (UI)

legislation and provided by State Employment Security

Agencies (SESAs). The summaries are a byproduct of the

administration of state unemployment insurance programs

that require most employers to pay quarterly taxes based on

the employment and wages of workers covered by UI.

The administrative records are linked across quarters to

provide a longitudinal history for each establishment. The

linkage process allows the tracking of net employment

changes at the establishment level, which in turn allows the

estimation of jobs gained at opening and expanding

establishments and jobs lost at closing and contracting

establishments.

Coverage

Employment and wage data for workers covered by state

UI and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees

(UCFE) laws are compiled from quarterly contribution reports

submitted to the SESAs by employers. In addition to the

quarterly contribution reports, employers who operate

multiple establishments within a state complete a

questionnaire, called the “Multiple Worksite Report,” which

provides detailed information on the location of their

establishments. These reports are based on place of

employment rather than place of residence. UI and UCFE

coverage is broad and basically comparable from state to

state.

Major exclusions from UI coverage are self-employed

workers, religious organizations, most agricultural workers on

small farms, all members of the Armed Forces, elected officials

in most states, most employees of railroads, some domestic

workers, most student workers at schools, and employees of

certain small nonprofit organizations.

Gross job gains and gross job losses in this release are

derived from longitudinal histories of over 6.4 million private

sector employer reports out of 8.2 million total reports of

employment and wages submitted by states to BLS in the

fourth quarter 2002. Gross job gains and gross job losses data

in this release do not report estimates for government

employees or private households (NAICS 814110) and do not

include establishments with zero employment over three

quarters. Data from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also

are excluded from the national data. The table below shows,

in millions of establishments, the number of establishments

excluded from the gross job gains and gross job losses data

in the fourth quarter 2002:

Zero

Establishments

Private

Contractions. These are establishments with positive

employment in the third month in both the previous and current

quarters, with a net decrease in employment over this period.

All establishment-level employment changes are measured

from the third month of each quarter. Not all establishments

change their employment levels; these establishments count

towards estimates of total employment, but not for levels

of gross job gains and gross job losses.

Public sec
Gross job gains and gross job losses are expressed as rates

by dividing their levels by the average of total private

employment in the current and previous quarters. This

provides a symmetric growth rate. The rates are calculated for

the components of gross job gains and gross job losses and

then summed to form their respective totals. These rates can

be added and subtracted just as their levels can. For instance,

the difference between the gross job gains rate and the gross

job losses rate is the net growth rate.

The linkage process matches establishments’ unique SESA

identification numbers (SESA-ID). Between 95 to 97 percent of

establishments identified as continuous from quarter to quarter

are matched by SESA-ID. The rest are linked in one of three

ways. The first method uses predecessor and successor

information, identified by the states, which relates records with

different SESA-IDs across quarters. Predecessor and

successor relations can come about for a variety of reasons,

including a change in ownership, a firm restructuring, or a UI

account restructuring. If a match cannot be attained in this

manner, a probability-based match is used. This match

attempts to identify two establishments with different SESAIDs as continuous. The match is based upon comparisons

such as the same name, address, and phone number. Third, an

analyst examines unmatched records individually and makes a

possible match.

In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data,

SESAs verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

classification codes resulting from the verification process are

introduced with the data reported for the first quarter of the

year. Changes resulting from improved employer reporting also

are introduced in the first quarter.

Seasonal adjustment

Over the course of a year, the levels of employment and the

associated job flows undergo sharp fluctuations due to such

seasonal events as changes in the weather, reduced or

expanded production, harvests, major holidays, and the

opening and closing of schools. The effect of such seasonal

variation can be very large.

Because these seasonal events follow a more or less regular

pattern each year, their influence can be adjusted from quarter

to quarter. These adjustments make nonseasonal developments, such as declines in economic activity, easier to

recognize. For example, the large number of youths taking

summer jobs is likely to obscure other changes that have taken

place in June relative to March, making it difficult to determine

if the level of economic activity has risen or declined. However,

because the effect of students finishing school in previous

years is known, the statistics for the current year can be

adjusted to allow for a comparable change. The adjusted

figures provide a more useful tool with which to analyze

changes in economic activity.

The employment data series for opening, expanding,

closing, and contracting establishments are independently

adjusted and the net changes are calculated based on the

difference between gross job gains and gross job losses.

Similarly, the establishment data for opening, expanding,

closing, and contracting establishments are independently

adjusted, and the net changes are calculated based on the

difference between the number of opening and closing

establishments. Also, both total private establishment and

employment levels are independently seasonally adjusted to

calculate the seasonally adjusted rates. Seasonal adjustment

is run concurrently using X-12 ARIMA.

Reliability of the data

Since the data series on Business Employment Dynamics

are based on administrative rather than sample data, there are

no issues related to sampling error. Nonsampling error,

however, still exists. Nonsampling errors can occur for many

reasons, such as the employer submitting corrected

employment data after the end of the quarter or typographical

errors made by businesses when providing information. Such

errors, however, are likely to be distributed randomly

throughout the dataset.

Changes in administrative data sometimes create

complications for the linkage process, slightly overstating

openings and closings while slightly understating expansions

and contractions. This is a product of working with such a vast

array of administrative data, and the BLS continues to search

for means of adjusting the linkage process to alleviate the

effects of these complications.

Additional statistics and other information

Several other programs within BLS produce closely related

information. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

(JOLTS) program provides monthly measures of job openings,

as well as employee hires and separations. The Current

Employment Statistics program releases monthly estimates of

employment, its net change, and earnings by detailed industry.

These estimates are part of The Employment Situation report

put out monthly by BLS. Finally, the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or ES-202 program, provides both

quarterly and annual estimates of employment by state, county,

and detailed industry.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200;

TDD message referral number: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and job losses, seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Gross job gains Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change1Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 276 7,233 5,528 1,705 6,957 5,362 1,595

 December 344 7,162 5,504 1,658 6,818 5,428 1,390

1993 March 534 7,511 5,532 1,979 6,977 5,318 1,659

 June 636 7,290 5,757 1,533 6,654 5,260 1,394

 September 709 7,383 5,770 1,613 6,674 5,322 1,352

 December 754 7,481 5,876 1,605 6,727 5,357 1,370

1994 March 643 7,502 5,880 1,622 6,859 5,401 1,458

 June 880 7,761 6,033 1,728 6,881 5,400 1,481

 September 1,025 7,838 6,121 1,717 6,813 5,493 1,320

 December 614 7,682 6,044 1,638 7,068 5,602 1,466

1995 March 830 7,858 6,180 1,678 7,028 5,647 1,381

 June 307 7,705 6,020 1,685 7,398 5,934 1,464

 September 673 7,873 6,211 1,662 7,200 5,667 1,533

 December 570 8,023 6,287 1,736 7,453 5,916 1,537

1996 March 432 7,980 6,262 1,718 7,548 6,030 1,518

 June 594 8,111 6,329 1,782 7,517 5,961 1,556

 September 590 8,146 6,285 1,861 7,556 5,988 1,568

 December 827 8,267 6,390 1,877 7,440 5,906 1,534

1997 March 823 8,305 6,463 1,842 7,482 5,886 1,596

 June 627 8,139 6,386 1,753 7,512 5,924 1,588

 September 876 8,608 6,674 1,934 7,732 5,972 1,760

 December 642 8,673 6,674 1,999 8,031 6,098 1,933

1998 March 777 8,829 6,668 2,161 8,052 6,120 1,932

 June 677 8,739 6,601 2,138 8,062 6,191 1,871

 September 759 8,587 6,600 1,987 7,828 6,123 1,705

 December 619 8,482 6,704 1,778 7,863 6,115 1,748

1999 March 401 8,804 6,720 2,084 8,403 6,454 1,949

 June 587 8,806 6,803 2,003 8,219 6,383 1,836

 September 752 8,938 6,931 2,007 8,186 6,335 1,851

 December 950 9,066 7,046 2,020 8,116 6,303 1,813

2000 March 719 8,847 6,938 1,909 8,128 6,414 1,714

 June 534 8,723 6,938 1,785 8,189 6,463 1,726

 September 407 8,854 6,930 1,924 8,447 6,620 1,827

 December 301 8,680 6,867 1,813 8,379 6,594 1,785

2001 March -281 8,474 6,700 1,774 8,755 6,883 1,872

 June -782 8,217 6,413 1,804 8,999 7,115 1,884

 September -1,080 7,898 6,104 1,794 8,978 7,060 1,918

 December -808 7,902 6,083 1,819 8,710 6,930 1,780

2002 March -276 8,013 6,200 1,813 8,289 6,545 1,744

 June -81 8,010 6,223 1,787 8,091 6,372 1,719

 September 71 7,922 6,208 1,714 7,851 6,257 1,594

 December -70 7,746 6,114 1,632 7,816 6,189 1,627

 1 Net change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses.

Total Total
Table 2. Private sector gross job gains and job losses, not seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Gross job gains Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change1Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 32 6,695 5,186 1,509 6,663 5,253 1,410

 December 141 7,017 5,547 1,470 6,876 5,573 1,303

1993 March -1,673 6,817 4,706 2,111 8,490 6,319 2,171

 June 3,266 8,712 6,929 1,783 5,446 4,234 1,212

 September 412 6,832 5,408 1,424 6,420 5,223 1,197

 December 580 7,345 5,921 1,424 6,765 5,483 1,282

1994 March -1,573 6,762 5,027 1,735 8,335 6,423 1,912

 June 3,606 9,244 7,237 2,007 5,638 4,354 1,284

 September 664 7,236 5,726 1,510 6,572 5,401 1,171

 December 477 7,551 6,097 1,454 7,074 5,705 1,369

1995 March -1,400 7,133 5,327 1,806 8,533 6,718 1,815

 June 3,062 9,135 7,182 1,953 6,073 4,807 1,266

 September 295 7,238 5,786 1,452 6,943 5,581 1,362

 December 492 7,913 6,371 1,542 7,421 5,990 1,431

1996 March -1,878 7,297 5,430 1,867 9,175 7,173 2,002

 June 3,375 9,575 7,520 2,055 6,200 4,861 1,339

 September 134 7,433 5,822 1,611 7,299 5,901 1,398

 December 809 8,181 6,508 1,673 7,372 5,951 1,421

1997 March -1,448 7,650 5,630 2,020 9,098 6,986 2,112

 June 3,342 9,577 7,565 2,012 6,235 4,875 1,360

 September 346 7,809 6,149 1,660 7,463 5,885 1,578

 December 727 8,621 6,830 1,791 7,894 6,118 1,776

1998 March -1,613 8,204 5,819 2,385 9,817 7,247 2,570

 June 3,543 10,266 7,823 2,443 6,723 5,129 1,594

 September 150 7,741 6,045 1,696 7,591 6,049 1,542

 December 774 8,474 6,873 1,601 7,700 6,109 1,591

1999 March -2,032 8,186 5,881 2,305 10,218 7,621 2,597

 June 3,485 10,362 8,076 2,286 6,877 5,311 1,566

 September 62 8,023 6,317 1,706 7,961 6,278 1,683

 December 1,097 9,032 7,208 1,824 7,935 6,298 1,637

2000 March -1,607 8,208 6,097 2,111 9,815 7,532 2,283

 June 3,443 10,307 8,269 2,038 6,864 5,385 1,479

 September -332 7,917 6,285 1,632 8,249 6,583 1,666

 December 400 8,628 6,986 1,642 8,228 6,622 1,606

2001 March -2,622 7,880 5,924 1,956 10,502 8,018 2,484

 June 2,173 9,735 7,671 2,064 7,562 5,936 1,626

 September -1,734 7,040 5,519 1,521 8,774 7,023 1,751

 December -828 7,795 6,147 1,648 8,623 7,026 1,597

2002 March -2,363 7,506 5,512 1,994 9,869 7,560 2,309

 June 2,704 9,512 7,463 2,049 6,808 5,317 1,491

 September -618 7,059 5,605 1,454 7,677 6,223 1,454

 December -148 7,629 6,151 1,478 7,777 6,318 1,459

 1 See footnote 1, table 1.

Total Total
Table 3. Private sector gross job gains and losses, as a percent of employment,1 seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Gross job gains Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change2Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 0.3 8.1 6.2 1.9 7.8 6.0 1.8

 December 0.2 7.9 6.1 1.8 7.7 6.1 1.6

1993 March 0.6 8.3 6.1 2.2 7.7 5.9 1.8

 June 0.8 8.1 6.4 1.7 7.3 5.8 1.5

 September 0.8 8.1 6.3 1.8 7.3 5.8 1.5

 December 0.8 8.1 6.4 1.7 7.3 5.8 1.5

1994 March 0.7 8.1 6.3 1.8 7.4 5.8 1.6

 June 0.9 8.3 6.5 1.8 7.4 5.8 1.6

 September 1.1 8.3 6.5 1.8 7.2 5.8 1.4

 December 0.6 8.0 6.3 1.7 7.4 5.9 1.5

1995 March 0.8 8.1 6.4 1.7 7.3 5.9 1.4

 June 0.3 7.9 6.2 1.7 7.6 6.1 1.5

 September 0.7 8.1 6.4 1.7 7.4 5.8 1.6

 December 0.5 8.2 6.4 1.8 7.7 6.1 1.6

1996 March 0.6 8.2 6.4 1.8 7.6 6.1 1.5

 June 0.6 8.2 6.4 1.8 7.6 6.0 1.6

 September 0.6 8.2 6.3 1.9 7.6 6.0 1.6

 December 0.9 8.3 6.4 1.9 7.4 5.9 1.5

1997 March 0.8 8.2 6.4 1.8 7.4 5.8 1.6

 June 0.6 8.0 6.3 1.7 7.4 5.8 1.6

 September 0.9 8.4 6.5 1.9 7.5 5.8 1.7

 December 0.6 8.4 6.5 1.9 7.8 5.9 1.9

1998 March 0.7 8.5 6.4 2.1 7.8 5.9 1.9

 June 0.6 8.3 6.3 2.0 7.7 5.9 1.8

 September 0.8 8.2 6.3 1.9 7.4 5.8 1.6

 December 0.5 8.0 6.3 1.7 7.5 5.8 1.7

1999 March 0.4 8.3 6.3 2.0 7.9 6.1 1.8

 June 0.6 8.3 6.4 1.9 7.7 6.0 1.7

 September 0.7 8.3 6.4 1.9 7.6 5.9 1.7

 December 0.9 8.4 6.5 1.9 7.5 5.8 1.7

2000 March 0.6 8.1 6.4 1.7 7.5 5.9 1.6

 June 0.4 7.9 6.3 1.6 7.5 5.9 1.6

 September 0.3 8.0 6.3 1.7 7.7 6.0 1.7

 December 0.2 7.8 6.2 1.6 7.6 6.0 1.6

2001 March -0.2 7.7 6.1 1.6 7.9 6.2 1.7

 June -0.8 7.4 5.8 1.6 8.2 6.5 1.7

 September -1.1 7.2 5.6 1.6 8.3 6.5 1.8

 December -0.7 7.3 5.6 1.7 8.0 6.4 1.6

2002 March -0.2 7.5 5.8 1.7 7.7 6.1 1.6

 June 0.0 7.5 5.8 1.7 7.5 5.9 1.6

 September 0.1 7.4 5.8 1.6 7.3 5.8 1.5

 December -0.1 7.2 5.7 1.5 7.3 5.8 1.5

 1 The rates measure gross job gains and gross job losses as a percentage of the average of the previous and current employment. 

 2 See footnote 1, table 1.

Total Total
Table 4. Private sector gross job gains and losses, as a percent of employment,1

 not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Gross job gains Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change2Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 0.1 7.5 5.8 1.7 7.4 5.8 1.6

 December 0.2 7.8 6.2 1.6 7.6 6.2 1.4

1993 March -1.8 7.7 5.3 2.4 9.5 7.1 2.4

 June 3.7 9.7 7.7 2.0 6.0 4.7 1.3

 September 0.4 7.4 5.9 1.5 7.0 5.7 1.3

 December 0.6 7.9 6.4 1.5 7.3 5.9 1.4

1994 March -1.7 7.4 5.5 1.9 9.1 7.0 2.1

 June 3.9 10.0 7.8 2.2 6.1 4.7 1.4

 September 0.7 7.6 6.0 1.6 6.9 5.7 1.2

 December 0.5 7.9 6.4 1.5 7.4 6.0 1.4

1995 March -1.5 7.5 5.6 1.9 9.0 7.1 1.9

 June 3.2 9.5 7.5 2.0 6.3 5.0 1.3

 September 0.3 7.4 5.9 1.5 7.1 5.7 1.4

 December 0.5 8.1 6.5 1.6 7.6 6.1 1.5

1996 March -2.0 7.5 5.6 1.9 9.5 7.4 2.1

 June 3.5 9.8 7.7 2.1 6.3 4.9 1.4

 September 0.1 7.4 5.8 1.6 7.3 5.9 1.4

 December 0.9 8.2 6.5 1.7 7.3 5.9 1.4

1997 March -1.5 7.6 5.6 2.0 9.1 7.0 2.1

 June 3.4 9.5 7.5 2.0 6.1 4.8 1.3

 September 0.4 7.6 6.0 1.6 7.2 5.7 1.5

 December 0.7 8.3 6.6 1.7 7.6 5.9 1.7

1998 March -1.6 7.9 5.6 2.3 9.5 7.0 2.5

 June 3.4 9.8 7.5 2.3 6.4 4.9 1.5

 September 0.1 7.3 5.7 1.6 7.2 5.7 1.5

 December 0.8 8.0 6.5 1.5 7.2 5.7 1.5

1999 March -1.9 7.8 5.6 2.2 9.7 7.2 2.5

 June 3.2 9.7 7.6 2.1 6.5 5.0 1.5

 September 0.0 7.4 5.8 1.6 7.4 5.8 1.6

 December 1.0 8.3 6.6 1.7 7.3 5.8 1.5

2000 March -1.5 7.5 5.6 1.9 9.0 6.9 2.1

 June 3.2 9.5 7.6 1.9 6.3 4.9 1.4

 September -0.2 7.2 5.7 1.5 7.4 5.9 1.5

 December 0.4 7.8 6.3 1.5 7.4 6.0 1.4

2001 March -2.4 7.2 5.4 1.8 9.6 7.3 2.3

 June 2.0 8.9 7.0 1.9 6.9 5.4 1.5

 September -1.6 6.4 5.0 1.4 8.0 6.4 1.6

 December -0.8 7.2 5.7 1.5 8.0 6.5 1.5

2002 March -2.2 7.1 5.2 1.9 9.3 7.1 2.2

 June 2.5 8.9 7.0 1.9 6.4 5.0 1.4

 September -0.6 6.5 5.2 1.3 7.1 5.8 1.3

 December -0.2 7.1 5.7 1.4 7.3 5.9 1.4

 1 See footnote 1, table 3.

 2 See footnote 1, table 1.

Total Total
Table 5. Number of private sector establishments by direction of employment change, seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs

Year 3 months ended Net change1Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 11 1,576 1,287 289 1,541 1,263 278

 December 24 1,591 1,294 297 1,534 1,261 273

1993 March 32 1,614 1,310 304 1,537 1,265 272

 June 26 1,631 1,337 294 1,521 1,253 268

 September 37 1,647 1,348 299 1,530 1,268 262

 December 23 1,655 1,365 290 1,544 1,277 267

1994 March 13 1,644 1,356 288 1,576 1,301 275

 June 29 1,700 1,390 310 1,570 1,289 281

 September 38 1,715 1,404 311 1,579 1,306 273

 December 13 1,693 1,394 299 1,613 1,327 286

1995 March 31 1,717 1,411 306 1,616 1,341 275

 June 26 1,697 1,390 307 1,640 1,359 281

 September 7 1,715 1,412 303 1,649 1,353 296

 December 23 1,726 1,409 317 1,656 1,362 294

1996 March 15 1,736 1,424 312 1,663 1,366 297

 June 22 1,745 1,426 319 1,674 1,377 297

 September 36 1,762 1,432 330 1,675 1,381 294

 December 35 1,787 1,455 332 1,673 1,376 297

1997 March 31 1,801 1,471 330 1,683 1,384 299

 June 18 1,783 1,463 320 1,702 1,400 302

 September 17 1,810 1,482 328 1,706 1,395 311

 December 9 1,818 1,482 336 1,736 1,409 327

1998 March 19 1,814 1,469 345 1,738 1,412 326

 June 56 1,841 1,487 354 1,706 1,408 298

 September 22 1,824 1,488 336 1,744 1,430 314

 December 2 1,831 1,512 319 1,730 1,413 317

1999 March 11 1,827 1,493 334 1,766 1,443 323

 June -1 1,847 1,506 341 1,785 1,443 342

 September 16 1,860 1,510 350 1,783 1,449 334

 December 36 1,903 1,539 364 1,758 1,430 328

2000 March 24 1,882 1,525 357 1,810 1,477 333

 June 20 1,876 1,526 350 1,819 1,489 330

 September 23 1,879 1,520 359 1,821 1,485 336

 December 12 1,863 1,512 351 1,831 1,492 339

2001 March 5 1,849 1,502 347 1,841 1,499 342

 June -3 1,811 1,473 338 1,861 1,520 341

 September -8 1,774 1,435 339 1,878 1,531 347

 December 6 1,775 1,429 346 1,856 1,516 340

2002 March 4 1,786 1,444 342 1,834 1,496 338

 June 6 1,794 1,447 347 1,825 1,484 341

 September 38 1,805 1,460 345 1,781 1,474 307

 December 12 1,798 1,453 345 1,809 1,476 333

 1 Net change is the difference between the number of opening establishments and the number of closing establishments.

Total Total
Table 6. Number of private sector establishments by direction of employment change, not seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs

Year 3 months ended Net change1

Total Expanding Opening Total Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 15 1,497 1,235 262 1,581 1,334 247

 December 37 1,577 1,282 295 1,514 1,256 258

1993 March -61 1,481 1,189 292 1,735 1,382 353

 June 103 1,857 1,522 335 1,304 1,072 232

 September 37 1,565 1,295 270 1,572 1,339 233

 December 36 1,643 1,354 289 1,525 1,272 253

1994 March -79 1,513 1,236 277 1,774 1,418 356

 June 110 1,928 1,575 353 1,349 1,106 243

 September 36 1,630 1,350 280 1,623 1,379 244

 December 27 1,683 1,384 299 1,594 1,322 272

1995 March -61 1,585 1,291 294 1,812 1,457 355

 June 108 1,925 1,575 350 1,414 1,172 242

 September 6 1,627 1,355 272 1,694 1,428 266

 December 38 1,720 1,402 318 1,636 1,356 280

1996 March -82 1,605 1,304 301 1,864 1,481 383

 June 108 1,975 1,612 363 1,446 1,191 255

 September 29 1,664 1,370 294 1,726 1,461 265

 December 52 1,787 1,451 336 1,650 1,366 284

1997 March -67 1,669 1,351 318 1,884 1,499 385

 June 105 2,014 1,651 363 1,470 1,212 258

 September 9 1,706 1,415 291 1,761 1,479 282

 December 31 1,823 1,481 342 1,706 1,395 311

1998 March -85 1,682 1,348 334 1,949 1,530 419

 June 145 2,077 1,678 399 1,472 1,218 254

 September 9 1,713 1,416 297 1,808 1,520 288

 December 29 1,842 1,514 328 1,695 1,396 299

1999 March -92 1,695 1,372 323 1,978 1,563 415

 June 93 2,083 1,700 383 1,540 1,250 290

 September -4 1,742 1,434 308 1,854 1,542 312

 December 70 1,917 1,541 376 1,719 1,413 306

2000 March -82 1,751 1,406 345 2,022 1,595 427

 June 114 2,113 1,721 392 1,570 1,292 278

 September -5 1,757 1,442 315 1,901 1,581 320

 December 53 1,878 1,512 366 1,791 1,478 313

2001 March -104 1,720 1,386 334 2,050 1,612 438

 June 91 2,045 1,668 377 1,607 1,321 286

 September -38 1,654 1,357 297 1,964 1,629 335

 December 50 1,788 1,426 362 1,819 1,507 312

2002 March -102 1,659 1,330 329 2,034 1,603 431

 June 101 2,029 1,642 387 1,577 1,291 286

 September 4 1,685 1,383 302 1,865 1,567 298

 December 58 1,811 1,448 363 1,776 1,471 305

 1 See footnote 1, table 5.
Table 7. Private sector establishments by direction of employment change, as a percent of total establishments,1 

seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs

Year 3 months ended Net change2Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 0.2 29.5 24.1 5.4 28.8 23.6 5.2

 December 0.4 29.6 24.1 5.5 28.6 23.5 5.1

1993 March 0.6 29.8 24.2 5.6 28.4 23.4 5.0

 June 0.5 29.9 24.5 5.4 27.9 23.0 4.9

 September 0.6 30.0 24.6 5.4 27.9 23.1 4.8

 December 0.4 29.9 24.7 5.2 27.9 23.1 4.8

1994 March 0.2 29.6 24.4 5.2 28.4 23.4 5.0

 June 0.6 30.5 24.9 5.6 28.1 23.1 5.0

 September 0.6 30.5 25.0 5.5 28.2 23.3 4.9

 December 0.2 30.0 24.7 5.3 28.6 23.5 5.1

1995 March 0.6 30.3 24.9 5.4 28.4 23.6 4.8

 June 0.5 29.7 24.3 5.4 28.7 23.8 4.9

 September 0.1 29.9 24.6 5.3 28.8 23.6 5.2

 December 0.4 30.0 24.5 5.5 28.8 23.7 5.1

1996 March 0.3 30.0 24.6 5.4 28.7 23.6 5.1

 June 0.4 30.1 24.6 5.5 28.8 23.7 5.1

 September 0.7 30.2 24.5 5.7 28.6 23.6 5.0

 December 0.5 30.4 24.8 5.6 28.5 23.4 5.1

1997 March 0.5 30.5 24.9 5.6 28.5 23.4 5.1

 June 0.3 30.0 24.6 5.4 28.7 23.6 5.1

 September 0.3 30.3 24.8 5.5 28.6 23.4 5.2

 December 0.1 30.4 24.8 5.6 29.0 23.5 5.5

1998 March 0.3 30.2 24.5 5.7 28.9 23.5 5.4

 June 1.0 30.5 24.6 5.9 28.2 23.3 4.9

 September 0.3 30.0 24.5 5.5 28.7 23.5 5.2

 December 0.0 30.0 24.8 5.2 28.4 23.2 5.2

1999 March 0.2 29.9 24.4 5.5 28.9 23.6 5.3

 June 0.0 30.2 24.6 5.6 29.2 23.6 5.6

 September 0.3 30.3 24.6 5.7 29.0 23.6 5.4

 December 0.6 30.9 25.0 5.9 28.5 23.2 5.3

2000 March 0.4 30.4 24.6 5.8 29.2 23.8 5.4

 June 0.3 30.1 24.5 5.6 29.2 23.9 5.3

 September 0.3 30.0 24.3 5.7 29.1 23.7 5.4

 December 0.2 29.7 24.1 5.6 29.2 23.8 5.4

2001 March 0.1 29.4 23.9 5.5 29.2 23.8 5.4

 June 0.0 28.8 23.4 5.4 29.5 24.1 5.4

 September -0.1 28.2 22.8 5.4 29.8 24.3 5.5

 December 0.1 28.2 22.7 5.5 29.5 24.1 5.4

2002 March 0.0 28.3 22.9 5.4 29.1 23.7 5.4

 June 0.1 28.4 22.9 5.5 28.8 23.4 5.4

 September 0.6 28.4 23.0 5.4 28.0 23.2 4.8

 December 0.2 28.2 22.8 5.4 28.3 23.1 5.2

 1 The rates measure establishments gaining or losing jobs as a percentage of the average of the previous and current quarter total number of 

establishments.

 2 See footnote 1, table 5.

Total Total
Table 8. Private sector establishments by direction of employment change, as a percent of total establishments,1

not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs

Year 3 months ended Net change2Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

1992 September 0.3 27.9 23.0 4.9 29.4 24.8 4.6

 December 0.7 29.2 23.7 5.5 28.1 23.3 4.8

1993 March -1.2 27.5 22.1 5.4 32.3 25.7 6.6

 June 1.9 34.3 28.1 6.2 24.1 19.8 4.3

 September 0.7 28.4 23.5 4.9 28.5 24.3 4.2

 December 0.6 29.6 24.4 5.2 27.5 22.9 4.6

1994 March -1.4 27.4 22.4 5.0 32.0 25.6 6.4

 June 2.0 34.8 28.4 6.4 24.3 19.9 4.4

 September 0.7 28.9 23.9 5.0 28.8 24.5 4.3

 December 0.5 29.7 24.4 5.3 28.1 23.3 4.8

1995 March -1.1 28.0 22.8 5.2 32.1 25.8 6.3

 June 1.9 33.9 27.7 6.2 24.9 20.6 4.3

 September 0.1 28.2 23.5 4.7 29.4 24.8 4.6

 December 0.7 29.8 24.3 5.5 28.3 23.5 4.8

1996 March -1.5 27.8 22.6 5.2 32.4 25.7 6.7

 June 1.9 34.2 27.9 6.3 25.0 20.6 4.4

 September 0.5 28.4 23.4 5.0 29.4 24.9 4.5

 December 0.9 30.3 24.6 5.7 27.9 23.1 4.8

1997 March -1.1 28.3 22.9 5.4 31.9 25.4 6.5

 June 1.7 34.0 27.9 6.1 24.9 20.5 4.4

 September 0.2 28.5 23.6 4.9 29.4 24.7 4.7

 December 0.5 30.3 24.6 5.7 28.4 23.2 5.2

1998 March -1.4 28.1 22.5 5.6 32.6 25.6 7.0

 June 2.4 34.5 27.9 6.6 24.4 20.2 4.2

 September 0.2 28.1 23.2 4.9 29.6 24.9 4.7

 December 0.5 30.1 24.7 5.4 27.7 22.8 4.9

1999 March -1.5 27.8 22.5 5.3 32.4 25.6 6.8

 June 1.5 34.2 27.9 6.3 25.3 20.5 4.8

 September -0.1 28.3 23.3 5.0 30.2 25.1 5.1

 December 1.2 31.0 24.9 6.1 27.7 22.8 4.9

2000 March -1.3 28.3 22.7 5.6 32.7 25.8 6.9

 June 1.8 34.0 27.7 6.3 25.3 20.8 4.5

 September -0.1 28.0 23.0 5.0 30.3 25.2 5.1

 December 0.8 29.8 24.0 5.8 28.5 23.5 5.0

2001 March -1.7 27.4 22.1 5.3 32.7 25.7 7.0

 June 1.4 32.6 26.6 6.0 25.7 21.1 4.6

 September -0.6 26.2 21.5 4.7 31.1 25.8 5.3

 December 0.8 28.3 22.6 5.7 28.7 23.8 4.9

2002 March -1.6 26.3 21.1 5.2 32.3 25.5 6.8

 June 1.6 32.1 26.0 6.1 25.0 20.5 4.5

 September 0.0 26.4 21.7 4.7 29.3 24.6 4.7

 December 0.9 28.3 22.6 5.7 27.8 23.0 4.8

 1 See footnote 1, table 7.

 2 See footnote 1, table 5.

Total Total