1

Technical information: (202) 691-6467

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 03-761

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS: FIRST QUARTER 2003

From December 2002 to March 2003, the number of job gains from opening and expanding

establishments was 7.4 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments

was 7.9 million, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.

Department of Labor. Expanding and contracting establishments accounted for most of the jobs gained and

lost. (See charts 1 and 2.)

The change in the employment level over time is the net result of gross job gains and gross job losses

that occur at establishments throughout the economy. Business Employment Dynamics statistics track these

changes in employment at private business establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third

month of the next. In this 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 the closing of establishments.

The difference between the number of gross jobs gained and the number of gross jobs lost is the net change

in employment.

The data 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 covered under state and federal unemployment insurance programs, representing about

98 percent of employment on nonfarm payrolls. All data referred to in the text are seasonally adjusted.
2

Mar. 2002 June 2002 Sept. 2002 Dec. 2002 Mar. 2003

Gross job gains ........................................ 8,013 8,010 7,922 7,746 7,441

 At expanding establishments ........... 6,200 6,223 6,208 6,114 5,904

 At opening establishments .............. 1,813 1,787 1,714 1,632 1,537

Gross job losses ....................................... 8,289 8,091 7,851 7,816 7,919

 At contracting establishments ......... 6,545 6,372 6,257 6,189 6,361

 At closing establishments ................ 1,744 1,719 1,594 1,627 1,558

Net employment change ......................... -276 -81 71 -70 -478

 3 months ended

(In thousands)

Category

Table A. 3-month private sector gross job gains and losses, seasonally adjusted

1

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

note for further information.

Trends in Gross Job Gains and Job Losses

Opening and expanding private sector business establishments gained 7.4 million jobs in the first quarter

of 2003, or 305,000 fewer than in the last quarter of 2002. Over the quarter, expanding establishments

added 5.9 million jobs, while opening establishments added 1.5 million. Gross job gains were smaller than in

the previous quarter at both expanding and opening establishments.

Gross job losses totaled 7.9 million in the first quarter of 2003, up by 103,000 from the fourth quarter of

2002. This was the first increase in gross job losses since the second quarter of 2001. In the first quarter of

2003, contracting establishments lost 6.4 million jobs, while closing establishments accounted for a loss of 1.6

million jobs. (See table A and chart 2.)

Rates of Gross Job Gains and Gross Job Losses

From December 2002 to March 2003, gross job gains represented 6.9 percent of private sector employment, while gross job losses represented 7.4 percent of private sector employment. (See chart 3 and

table B.) These gross job gain and loss statistics demonstrate that a sizable number of jobs appear and

disappear in the relatively short time frame of one quarter.

Table B. 3-month private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment, seasonally adjusted

Mar. 2002 June 2002 Sept. 2002 Dec. 2002 Mar.2003

Gross job gains ......................................... 7.5 7.5 7.4 7.2 6.9

 At expanding establishments ............ 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.5

 At opening establishments ............... 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4

Gross job losses ........................................ 7.7 7.5 7.3 7.3 7.4

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

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

Net employment change .......................... -0.2 0.0 0.1 -0.1 -0.5

 Category

3 months ended

(Percent)

1

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

 note for further information.
3

Number of Establishments Gaining and Losing Employment

Out of 6.4 million active private sector establishments, a total of 1.8 million establishments gained jobs

from December 2002 to March 2003. (See table C.) Of these, 1.4 million were expanding establishments

and 336,000 were opening establishments. During the first quarter of 2003, 1.9 million establishments lost

jobs. Of these, 1.5 million were contracting establishments and 340,000 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.

More Information

For updates of the Business Employment Dynamics series, please refer to the BLS Web site at http://

www.bls.gov. 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 the Business Employment Dynamics data may be obtained by e-mailing BDMinfo@bls.gov.

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

Mar. 2002 June 2002 Sept. 2002 Dec. 2002 Mar. 2003

 Establishments gaining jobs ................... 1,786 1,794 1,805 1,798 1,756

 Expanding establishments ................... 1,444 1,447 1,460 1,453 1,420

 Opening establishments ....................... 342 347 345 345 336

 Establishments losing jobs...................... 1,834 1,825 1,781 1,809 1,859

 Contracting establishments ................. 1,496 1,484 1,474 1,476 1,519

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

 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. See technical note for further information.

4 6 38 12 -4
4

Comparing Business Employment Dynamics Data with Current Employment

Statistics and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Data

The net change in employment from Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data series will

not match the net change in employment from the monthly Current Employment Statistics (CES)

survey. The CES estimates are based on monthly surveys from 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. The net overthe-quarter changes derived by aggregating component series in the BED data may be different

from the net employment change estimated from the CES seasonally adjusted total employment

series. The intended use of the BED statistics is to show the dynamic labor market flows that

underlie the net changes in aggregate employment levels; data users who want to track net

changes in aggregate employment levels over time should refer to CES data.

BED data have a more limited scope than the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

(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 Technical Note for further information.
Technical Note

The Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data 

are a product of a federal-state cooperative program 

known as Quarterly Census of Employment and

Wages (QCEW), or the ES-202 program. The BED

data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor

Statistics (BLS) from existing quarterly state

unemployment insurance (UI) records. Most 

employers in the U.S. are required to file quarterly 

reports on the employment and wages of workers 

covered by UI laws, and to pay quarterly UI taxes. 

The quarterly UI reports are sent by the State

Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) to BLS and 

form the basis of the Bureau’s establishment universe 

sampling frame . These reports also are used to

produce the quarterly QCEW data on total 

employment and wages and the longitudinal BED 

data on gross job gains and losses. Other important 

Bureau uses of the UI reports are in the Current 

Employment Statistics (CES) program. (See table 

below for differences between QCEW, CES , and 

BED.) 

In the BED program, the quarterly UI 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.

Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES 

employment measures

The Bureau publishes three different

establishment-based employment measures for any

given quarter. Each of these measures — QCEW, 

BED, and CES — makes use of the quarterly UI

employment reports in producing data; however, each 

measure has a somewhat different universe coverage, 

estimation procedure, and publication product.

Differences in coverage and estimation methods 

can result in somewhat different measures of overthe-quarter employment change. It is important to

understand program differences and the intended uses 

of the program products. (See table below.)

Additional information on each program can be

obtained from the program Web sites shown in the 

table below.

Summary of Major Differences between QCEW, BED, and CES Employment Measures

QCEW BED CES

Source • Count of UI administrative records 

submitted by 8.2 million employers 

• Count of longitudinally-linked UI 

administrative records submitted by 

6.4 million private sector employers

• Sample survey: 400,000 employers

Coverage • UI and UCFE coverage: all

employers subject to state and 

federal UI Laws

• UI Coverage, excluding: g overnment, 

private households, and establishments 

with zero employment

Nonfarm wage and salary jobs: 

• UI Coverage, excludingagricultur e,

private households, and selfemployed

• Other employment, including

railroads, religious organizations, 

and other non-UI-covered jobs

Publication 

frequency

• Quarterly 

— 7 months after the end of each 

quarter

• Quarterly 

— 8 months after the end of each quarter

• Monthly 

— Usually first Friday of following

month

Use of UI file • Directly summarizes and publishes 

each new quarter of UI data

• Links each new UI quarter to longitudinal 

database and directly summarizes gross 

job gains and losses

• Uses UI file as a sampling frame 

and annually realigns (benchmarks) 

sample estimates to first quarter UI 

levels

Principal products • Provides a quarterly and annual 

universe count of establishments, 

employment, and wages at the 

county, MSA, state, and national 

levels by detailed industry

• Provides quarterly employer dynamics 

data on establishment openings, closings, 

expansions, and contractions at the 

national level

• Future expansions will include data at the 

county, MSA, and state level by industry 

and size of establishment

• Provides current monthly estimates 

of employment, hours, and earnings 

at the MSA, state, and national level 

by industry

Principal uses • Major uses include:

— Detailed locality data

— Periodic universe counts for 

benchmarking sample survey 

estimates

— Sample frame for BLS 

establishment surveys

• Major uses include:

— Business cycle analysis

— Analysis of employer dynamics 

underlying economic expansions and 

contractions

— Future: employment expansion and 

contraction by size of establishment

• Major uses include:

— Principal national economic 

indicator 

— Official time series for 

employment change measures

— Input into other major economic 

indicators

Program Web sites • www.bls.gov/cew/ • www.bls.gov/bdm/ • www.bls.gov/ces/
 

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 selfemployed 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 first quarter of 2003. 

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. As an illustration, 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:

Number of active establishments included in

Business Employment Dynamics data

 Millions

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

 Excluded: Public sector.............................0.3

Private households..................0.5

Zero employment....................1.0

Establishments in Puerto Rico

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

Total establishments included in 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 employment or zero employment 

reported in the current quarter.

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. 

Gross job gains and gross job losses are

expressed as rates by dividing their levels by the

average of 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 SESA-IDs 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 

eliminated by adjusting these statistics 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 seasonally adjusted; net changes are 

calculated based on the difference between gross job 

gains and gross job losses. Similarly, the

establishment counts data series 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. 

Additionally establishment and employment levels are 

independently seasonally adjusted to calculate the

seasonally adjusted rates. Concurrent seasonal 

adjustment is run using X-12 ARIMA. 

The net over-the-quarter change derived by

summing the BED component series will differ from 

the net employment change estimated from the

seasonally adjusted total private employment series

from the CES program. The intended use of BED

statistics is to show the dynamic labor market changes 

that underlie the net employment change statistic. As 

such, data users interested particularly in the net 

employment change and not in the gross job flows 

underlying this change should refer to CES data for 

over-the-quarter net employment changes.

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. This can result 

in overstating openings and closings while

understating expansions and contractions. The BLS 

continues to refine methods for improving 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 QCEW program, also 

known as the ES-202 program, provides both

quarterly and annual estimates of employment by

state, county, and detailed industry. News releases on 

quarterly county employment and wages and average 

annual pay by state and industry are available upon 

request from the Division of Administrative Statistics 

and Labor Turnover, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. 

Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20212;

telephone 202-691-6567; (http://www.bls.gov/cew/);

(e-mail: CEWInfo@bls.gov).

The CES program produces 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. 

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey 

(JOLTS) program provides monthly measures of job 

openings, as well as employee hires and separations. 

 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 change1

Expanding 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

2003 March -478 7,441 5,904 1,537 7,919 6,361 1,558

 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 change1

Expanding 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

2003 March -2,669 6,868 5,187 1,681 9,537 7,483 2,054

 1See footnote 1, table 1.

Total Total
Table 3. Private sector gross job gains and losses, as a percent of employment1

, seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Gross job gains Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change2

Expanding 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

2003 March -0.5 6.9 5.5 1.4 7.4 5.9 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. 

 2See footnote 1, table 1.

Total Total
Table 4. Private sector gross job gains and losses, as a percent of employment1

, not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Gross job gains Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change2

Expanding 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

2003 March -2.4 6.5 4.9 1.6 8.9 7.0 1.9

 1See footnote 1, table 3.

 2See 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 change1

Expanding 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

2003 March -4 1,756 1,420 336 1,859 1,519 340

 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

2003 March -113 1,621 1,300 321 2,075 1,641 434

 1See footnote 1, table 5.
Table 7. Private sector establishments by direction of employment change, as a percent of total establishments1

, 

seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs

Year 3 months ended Net change2

Expanding 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

2003 March 0.0 27.5 22.2 5.3 29.0 23.7 5.3

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

establishments.

 2See footnote 1, table 5.

Total Total
Table 8. Private sector establishments by direction of employment change, as a percent of total establishments1

,

not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs

Year 3 months ended Net change2

Expanding 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

2003 March -1.8 25.4 20.4 5.0 32.5 25.7 6.8

 1See footnote 1, table 7.

 2See footnote 1, table 5.

Total Total