For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT), Wednesday, October 30, 2019 USDL-19-1865 

Technical Information: (202) 691-6553 • BDMInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/bdm 

Media Contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS – FIRST QUARTER 2019

From December 2018 to March 2019, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector 

establishments were 7.4 million, a decrease of 393,000 jobs from the previous quarter, the U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics reported today. Over this period, gross job losses from closing and contracting 

private-sector establishments were 6.9 million, a decrease of 107,000 jobs from the previous quarter. 

The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net 

employment gain of 525,000 jobs in the private sector during the first quarter of 2019. (See chart 1, and 

tables A and 1.) 

Changes to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data 

Data in this release incorporate annual revisions to the BED series. Annual revisions are published each 

year with the release of first quarter data. These revisions cover the last four quarters of not seasonally 

adjusted data and five years of seasonally adjusted data. 

 

Gross job gains

Gross job losses

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Chart 1. Total private sector gross job gains and gross job losses, seasonally adjusted

March 2009 - March 2019

Thousands

NOTE: Shaded area represents National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) defined recession period.
- 2 - 

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

that occur at all private businesses in the economy. Business Employment Dynamics statistics track 

these changes in employment at private-sector establishments from the third month of one quarter to the 

third month of the next. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross 

job losses is the net change in employment. (See Technical Note.) The BED data series include gross job 

gains and gross job losses by industry subsector, for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 

and the Virgin Islands, as well as gross job gains and gross job losses at the firm level by employer size 

class. 

Gross Job Gains 

In the first quarter of 2019, gross job gains represented 5.9 percent of private-sector employment. Gross 

job gains are the sum of increases in employment due to expansions at existing establishments and the 

addition of new jobs at opening establishments. Gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 6.0 

million in the first quarter of 2019, a decrease of 280,000 jobs compared to the previous quarter. 

Opening establishments accounted for 1.3 million of the jobs gained in the first quarter of 2019, a 

decrease of 113,000 jobs from the previous quarter. (See charts 2 and 3, and tables A, 1, 2, and 3.) 

Gross Job Losses 

In the first quarter of 2019, gross job losses represented 5.5 percent of private-sector employment. Gross 

job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at 

closing establishments. Contracting establishments lost 5.6 million jobs in the first quarter of 2019, an 

increase of 23,000 jobs from the prior quarter. In the first quarter of 2019, closing establishments lost 

1.2 million jobs, a decrease of 130,000 jobs from the previous quarter. (See charts 2 and 3, and tables A, 

1, 2, and 3.) 

Establishment Births and Deaths 

In the first quarter of 2019, the number of establishment births (a subset of the openings data) 

increased by 7,000, to a total of 256,000 establishments. These new establishments accounted for 

814,000 jobs, a decrease of 49,000 jobs from the previous quarter. Data for establishment deaths (a 

subset of the closings data) are available through the second quarter of 2018, when 774,000 jobs were 

lost at 231,000 establishments, an increase of 111,000 jobs from the first quarter of 2018. (See Technical 

Note and table 8.) 

Expansions

Contractions

4,500

5,500

6,500

7,500

'09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19

Chart 2. Private sector gross job gains at expanding establishments 

and gross job losses at contracting establishments, seasonally 

adjusted: March 2009 - March 2019

NOTE: Shaded area represents NBER defined recession period.

Openings

Closings

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

1,500

1,600

'09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19

Chart 3. Private sector gross job gains at opening establishments 

and gross job losses at closing establishments, seasonally 

adjusted: March 2009 - March 2019

Thousands

NOTE: Shaded area represents NBER defined recession period.
- 3 - 

Industries 

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 10 of 13 industries in the first quarter of 2019. The serviceproviding industries experienced a net job increase of 414,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2019. Within 

service-providing industries, education and health services had the largest over-the-quarter net job 

increase, with a gain of 152,000 jobs. This was the result of 1,003,000 gross job gains and 851,000 gross 

job losses. The leisure and hospitality sector had the second largest increase among service-providing 

industries, with a net gain of 140,000 jobs. The goods-producing industries experienced a net job 

increase of 111,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2019. Of the goods-producing industries, construction 

experienced a net increase of 84,000 jobs, manufacturing added 26,000 jobs, and natural resources and 

mining showed a net gain of 1,000 jobs. (See table 3.) 

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

Category 

3 months ended 

Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar. 

2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 

Levels (in thousands) 

Gross job gains............................. 7,484 7,655 7,499 7,768 7,375 

 At expanding establishments.. 6,135 6,257 6,122 6,318 6,038 

 At opening establishments.... 1,349 1,398 1,377 1,450 1,337 

Gross job losses............................ 6,777 7,254 7,432 6,957 6,850 

 At contracting establishments 5,587 5,967 6,113 5,626 5,649 

 At closing establishments...... 1,190 1,287 1,319 1,331 1,201 

Net employment change1............. 707 401 67 811 525 

 

Rates (percent) 

Gross job gains............................. 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.9 

 At expanding establishments. 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.1 4.8 

 At opening establishments.... 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 

Gross job losses............................ 5.5 5.8 6.0 5.6 5.5 

 At contracting establishments 4.5 4.8 4.9 4.5 4.5 

 At closing establishments...... 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0 

Net employment change1............. 0.6 0.3 0.0 0.7 0.4 

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. 

Firm Size 

In the first quarter of 2019, firms with 1-49 employees had a net employment gain of 280,000. Firms 

with 50-249 employees had a net employment gain of 150,000. Firms with 250 or more employees had a 

net employment gain of 149,000. (See tables 4 and 5.) 
- 4 - 

States 

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the 

Virgin Islands in the first quarter of 2019. (See tables 6 and 7.) 

For More Information 

Additional information on gross job gains and gross job losses is available online at www.bls.gov/bdm. 

This information includes data on the levels and rates of gross job gains and gross job losses by firm 

size, not seasonally adjusted data and other seasonally adjusted time series not presented in this release, 

charts of gross job gains and gross job losses by industry and firm size, and answers to frequently asked 

questions. Additional information about the Business Employment Dynamics data can be found in the 

Technical Note of this release or can be obtained by emailing BDMinfo@bls.gov. 

 

The Business Employment Dynamics for Second Quarter 2019 are scheduled to be released on 

Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (EST). 

South Carolina Business Employment Dynamics Data 

Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data for 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 for South Carolina 

show unusual movements, which may be the result of a change in reporting. The unusual movements 

coincide with a modernization of the South Carolina unemployment insurance system. For more 

information, please visit: www.bls.gov/cew/2018-notice-regarding-south-carolina-employment-andwages-data.htm 
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). The BED data are compiled by 

the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records. Most employers in the U.S. are required to file quarterly reports 

on the employment and wages of workers covered by unemployment 

insurance (UI) laws and to pay quarterly UI taxes. The QCEW is 

based largely on quarterly UI reports which are sent by businesses to 

the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). These UI reports are supplemented by two additional BLS data collections to render administrative data into economic statistics. Together these data comprise the 

QCEW and form the basis of the Bureau’s establishment universe 

sampling frame. 

These reports are used to produce the quarterly QCEW data on 

total employment and wages and the longitudinal BED data on gross 

job gains and losses. The QCEW is also the employment benchmark

for the Current Employment Statistics (CES), Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), and Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey 

(JOLTS) programs and is a major input to the Bureau of Economic

Analysis’s Personal Income Accounts. 

In the BED program, the quarterly QCEW 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 units and jobs lost at 

closing and contracting units. 

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

QCEW BED CES 

Source  Count of UI administrative records 

submitted by 10.1 million establishments in first quarter of 2019 

 Count of longitudinally-linked UI administrative records submitted by 8.2 

million private-sector establishments 

 Sample survey: 689,000 establishments 

Coverage  UI and UCFE coverage, including 

all employers subject to state and 

federal UI laws 

 UI coverage, excluding government, 

private households, and establishments with zero employment 

Nonfarm wage and salary jobs: 

 UI coverage, excluding agriculture, private 

households, and self-employed workers 

 Other employment, including railroads, 

religious organizations, and other nonUI-covered jobs 

Publication frequency 

 Quarterly 

— 6 months after the end of each 

quarter 

 Quarterly 

— 7 months after the end of each 

quarter 

 Monthly 

— Usually the 3rd Friday after the end 

of the week including the 12th of the 

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 to 

annually realign sample-based estimates 

to population counts (benchmarking) 

Principal 

products 

 Provides a quarterly and annual universe count of establishments, employment, and wages at the county, 

metropolitan statistical area (MSA), 

state, and national levels by detailed 

industry 

 Provides quarterly employer dynamics data on establishment openings, 

closings, expansions, and contractions 

at the national level by NAICS supersectors, 3-digit NAICS, and by size of 

firm, and at the state private-sector total level 

 Future expansions will include data 

with greater industry detail and data 

at the county and MSA level 

 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 

— Analysis of employment expansion and contraction by size of 

firm 

 Major uses include: 

— Principal federal 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 
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—Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Business Employment Dynamics (BED), and Current Employment Statistics (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 employment change over time. It is important to understand program differences and the intended uses of the 

program products. (See table.) Additional information on each program can be obtained from the program websites shown in the table. 

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 

SWAs 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 8.2 million private sector employer reports 

out of 10.1 million total reports of employment and wages submitted 

by states to BLS in the first quarter of 2019. 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 in both previous and current 

quarters. Data from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are also excluded from the national data. The table below shows, in millions of 

establishments, the number of establishments excluded from the national gross job gains and gross job losses data in the first quarter 2019. 

Number of active establishments included in 

Business Employment Dynamics data at the national level 

 Millions 

Total establishments QCEW program..........10.1 

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

 Private households............... 0.2 

 Zero employment................. 1.4 

 

Total establishments included in Business 

Employment Dynamics data.....................8.2 

Unit of analysis 

Establishments are used in the tabulation of the BED statistics by 

industry and firms are used in the tabulation of the BED size class 

statistics. An establishment is defined as an economic unit that produces goods or services, usually at a single physical location, and engages in one or predominantly one activity. A firm is a legal business, 

either corporate or otherwise, and may consist of several establishments. Firm-level data are compiled based on an aggregation of establishments under common ownership by a corporate parent using employer tax identification numbers. The firm level aggregation which 

is consistent with the role of corporations as the economic decision 

makers are used for the measurement of the BED data elements by

size class. 

Because of the difference in the unit of analysis, total gross job 

gains and gross job losses by size class are lower than total gross job 

gains and gross job losses by industry, as some establishment gains 

and losses within a firm are offset during the aggregation process. 

However, the total net changes in employment are the same for not 

seasonally adjusted data and are similar for seasonally adjusted data. 

Concepts and methodology 

The Business Employment Dynamics data measure the net change 

in employment at the establishment or firm level. These changes come 

about in one of four ways. A net increase in employment can come 

from either opening units or expanding units. A net decrease in employment can come from either closing units or contracting units. 

Gross job gains include the sum of all jobs added at either opening or 

expanding units. Gross job losses include the sum of all jobs lost in 

either closing or contracting units. The net change in employment is 

the difference between gross job gains and gross job losses. 

The formal definitions of employment changes are as follows: 

Openings. These are either units 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 units 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 units with positive third month employment in the previous quarter, with no employment or zero employment reported in the current quarter. 

Contractions. These are units with positive employment in the third 

month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net decrease 

in employment over this period. 

Births. These are units with positive third month employment for 

the first time in the current quarter with no links to the prior quarter, 

or units with positive third month employment in the current quarter 

and zero employment in the third month of the previous four quarters. 

Births are a subset of openings not including re-openings of seasonal 

businesses. 

Deaths. These are units with no employment or zero employment 

reported in the third month of four consecutive quarters following the 

last quarter with positive employment. Deaths are a subset of closings 

not including temporary shutdowns of seasonal businesses. A unit that 

closes during the quarter may be a death, but we wait three quarters to 

determine whether it is a permanent closing or a temporary shutdown. 

Therefore, there is always a lag of three quarters for the publication of 

death statistics. 
All employment changes are measured from the third month of the

previous quarter to the third month of the current quarter. Not all establishments and firms change their employment levels. Units with no 

change in employment 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. 

Establishment Births and Deaths 

For the purpose of BED statistics, births are defined as establishments that appear in the longitudinal database for the first time with 

positive employment in the third month of a quarter, or showed four 

consecutive quarters of zero employment in the third month followed 

by a quarter in which it shows positive employment in the third month. 

Similarly, deaths are defined as establishments that either drop out of 

the longitudinal database or an establishment that had positive employment in the third month of a given quarter followed by four consecutive quarters of showing zero employment in the third month. Although the data for establishment births and deaths are tabulated independently from the data for openings and closings, the concepts are 

not mutually exclusive. An establishment that is defined as a birth in 

a given quarter is necessarily an opening as well, and an establishment 

defined as a death in a quarter must also be a closing. Since openings 

include seasonal and other re-openings and closings include temporary shutdowns, the not seasonally adjusted values for births and 

deaths must be less than those for openings and closings. However, 

because some BED series do not have many re-openings or temporary 

shutdowns, as well as the fact that births and deaths are independently 

seasonally adjusted from openings and closings, there may be instances in which the seasonally adjusted value of the former is greater 

than the latter. 

Linkage methodology 

Prior to the measurement of gross job gains and gross job losses, 

QCEW records are linked across two quarters. The linkage process 

matches establishments' unique SWA identification numbers (SWAID). Between 95 and 97 percent of establishments identified as continuous from quarter to quarter are matched by SWA-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 SWA-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 SWA-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, SWAs 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. 

 

Sizing methodology 

The method of dynamic sizing is used in calculations for the BED 

size class data series. Dynamic sizing allocates each firm’s employment gain or loss during a quarter to each respective size class in 

which the change occurred. For example, if a firm grew from 2 employees in quarter 1 to 38 employees in quarter 2, then, of the 36-employee increase, 2 would be allocated to the first size class, 5 to the 

size class 5 to 9, 10 to size class 10 to 19, and 19 to size class 20 to 49. 

Dynamic sizing provides symmetrical firm-size estimates and eliminates any systematic effects which may be caused by the transitory 

and reverting changes in firms’ sizes over time. Additionally, it allocates each job gain or loss to the actual size class where it occurred. 

Annual Data 

The annual gross job gains and gross job losses measure the net

change in employment at the establishment level from the third month 

of a quarter in the previous year to the third month of the same quarter 

in the current year. The BLS publishes annual BED data based on

March-to-March changes once a year with the release of the first quarter BED data. The annual data based on over-the-year changes for 

other quarters of the year are available upon request. The definitions 

and methodology in measuring annual gross job gains and gross job 

losses are similar to the quarterly measures. The linkage method considers all predecessor and successor relations that may come about due 

to changes in ownership and corporate restructuring over the entire 

year. At the establishment level, some of the quarterly job gains and 

job losses are offset during the estimation over the year. Therefore, the 

sum of four quarters of gross job gains and gross job losses are not 

equal to annual gross job gains and gross job losses. The net change 

in employment over the year, however, is equal to the sum of four 

quarterly net changes on a not seasonally adjusted basis. 

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 units are independently seasonally adjusted; net changes 

are calculated based on the difference between gross job gains and 

gross job losses. Similarly, for industry data, 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-13 

ARIMA-SEATS. Seasonally adjusted data series for total private are 

the sum of seasonally adjusted data of all sectors including the unclassified sector, which is not separately published. 

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. 

 The BED data series are subject to periodic minor changes based 

on corrections in QCEW records, updates on predecessors and successors information, and seasonal adjustment revisions. 

Annual revisions are published each year with the release of the 

first quarter data. These revisions cover the last four quarters of not 

seasonally adjusted data and 5 years of seasonally adjusted data. 

Additional statistics and other information 

Several other programs within BLS produce closely related information. The QCEW program provides both quarterly and annual estimates of employment by state, county, and detailed industry. News 

releases on quarterly county employment and wages and the annual 

bulletin also are available upon request from the Division of Administrative Statistics and Labor Turnover (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), telephone (202) 691-6567; (www.bls.gov/cew/); 

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

The Current Employment Statistics (CES) program produces 

monthly estimates of employment, its net change, hours, 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 phone number: 1 (800) 877-8339. 
Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and losses, seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

2009 March -2,680 5,918 4,675 1,243 8,598 7,142 1,456

June -1,667 6,425 5,080 1,345 8,092 6,674 1,418

September -849 6,399 5,139 1,260 7,248 5,854 1,394

December -264 6,665 5,308 1,357 6,929 5,605 1,324

2010 March -247 6,325 5,108 1,217 6,572 5,324 1,248

June 698 6,995 5,674 1,321 6,297 5,090 1,207

September 237 6,741 5,438 1,303 6,504 5,231 1,273

December 566 7,052 5,639 1,413 6,486 5,219 1,267

2011 March 334 6,540 5,322 1,218 6,206 5,025 1,181

June 582 6,966 5,625 1,341 6,384 5,115 1,269

September 841 7,205 5,810 1,395 6,364 5,172 1,192

December 335 6,865 5,503 1,362 6,530 5,273 1,257

2012 March 948 7,080 5,746 1,334 6,132 5,005 1,127

June 616 7,051 5,724 1,327 6,435 5,266 1,169

September 252 6,881 5,571 1,310 6,629 5,430 1,199

December 695 7,110 5,753 1,357 6,415 5,225 1,190

2013 March 558 6,941 5,705 1,236 6,383 5,201 1,182

June 674 7,152 5,830 1,322 6,478 5,271 1,207

September 507 7,058 5,719 1,339 6,551 5,408 1,143

December 700 7,255 5,926 1,329 6,555 5,353 1,202

2014 March 419 6,953 5,687 1,266 6,534 5,380 1,154

June 895 7,454 6,114 1,340 6,559 5,342 1,217

September 577 7,247 5,918 1,329 6,670 5,487 1,183

December 1,038 7,617 6,248 1,369 6,579 5,346 1,233

2015 March 216 7,040 5,727 1,313 6,824 5,622 1,202

June 838 7,580 6,236 1,344 6,742 5,550 1,192

September 466 7,340 5,977 1,363 6,874 5,665 1,209

December 968 7,827 6,367 1,460 6,859 5,594 1,265

2016 March 242 7,144 5,860 1,284 6,902 5,699 1,203

June 305 7,448 6,077 1,371 7,143 5,836 1,307

September 734 7,709 6,249 1,460 6,975 5,730 1,245

December 351 7,436 6,021 1,415 7,085 5,784 1,301

2017 March 649 7,420 6,086 1,334 6,771 5,588 1,183

June 473 7,623 6,255 1,368 7,150 5,878 1,272

September -68 7,317 5,964 1,353 7,385 6,088 1,297

December 955 7,814 6,374 1,440 6,859 5,561 1,298

2018 March 707 7,484 6,135 1,349 6,777 5,587 1,190

June 401 7,655 6,257 1,398 7,254 5,967 1,287

September 67 7,499 6,122 1,377 7,432 6,113 1,319

December 811 7,768 6,318 1,450 6,957 5,626 1,331

2019 March 525 7,375 6,038 1,337 6,850 5,649 1,201

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

Gross job gains

Total Total

Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change 1
Table 2. Private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment, 1

 seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Expanding Opening Contracting Closing

establishments establishments establishments establishments

2009 March -2.4 5.4 4.3 1.1 7.8 6.5 1.3

June -1.5 6.0 4.7 1.3 7.5 6.2 1.3

September -0.8 6.0 4.8 1.2 6.8 5.5 1.3

December -0.3 6.3 5.0 1.3 6.6 5.3 1.3

2010 March -0.2 6.0 4.8 1.2 6.2 5.0 1.2

June 0.7 6.6 5.4 1.2 5.9 4.8 1.1

September 0.2 6.3 5.1 1.2 6.1 4.9 1.2

December 0.5 6.6 5.3 1.3 6.1 4.9 1.2

2011 March 0.3 6.1 5.0 1.1 5.8 4.7 1.1

June 0.5 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.9 4.7 1.2

September 0.8 6.7 5.4 1.3 5.9 4.8 1.1

December 0.4 6.4 5.1 1.3 6.0 4.8 1.2

2012 March 0.8 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.6 4.6 1.0

June 0.5 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.9 4.8 1.1

September 0.2 6.2 5.0 1.2 6.0 4.9 1.1

December 0.6 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.8 4.7 1.1

2013 March 0.5 6.2 5.1 1.1 5.7 4.6 1.1

June 0.6 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.8 4.7 1.1

September 0.5 6.3 5.1 1.2 5.8 4.8 1.0

December 0.6 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.8 4.7 1.1

2014 March 0.4 6.1 5.0 1.1 5.7 4.7 1.0

June 0.8 6.5 5.3 1.2 5.7 4.6 1.1

September 0.5 6.2 5.1 1.1 5.7 4.7 1.0

December 0.9 6.6 5.4 1.2 5.7 4.6 1.1

2015 March 0.2 6.0 4.9 1.1 5.8 4.8 1.0

June 0.7 6.4 5.3 1.1 5.7 4.7 1.0

September 0.5 6.3 5.1 1.2 5.8 4.8 1.0

December 0.8 6.6 5.4 1.2 5.8 4.7 1.1

2016 March 0.2 6.0 4.9 1.1 5.8 4.8 1.0

June 0.2 6.2 5.1 1.1 6.0 4.9 1.1

September 0.6 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.8 4.8 1.0

December 0.3 6.2 5.0 1.2 5.9 4.8 1.1

2017 March 0.5 6.1 5.0 1.1 5.6 4.6 1.0

June 0.4 6.2 5.1 1.1 5.8 4.8 1.0

September -0.1 6.0 4.9 1.1 6.1 5.0 1.1

December 0.8 6.4 5.2 1.2 5.6 4.5 1.1

2018 March 0.6 6.1 5.0 1.1 5.5 4.5 1.0

June 0.3 6.1 5.0 1.1 5.8 4.8 1.0

September 0.0 6.0 4.9 1.1 6.0 4.9 1.1

December 0.7 6.3 5.1 1.2 5.6 4.5 1.1

2019 March 0.4 5.9 4.8 1.1 5.5 4.5 1.0

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

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

Gross job gains

Total Total

Gross job losses

Year 3 months ended Net change 2
Table 3. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, seasonally adjusted

Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar. Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar.

2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2019

Total private 1

Gross job gains ........................... 7,484 7,655 7,499 7,768 7,375 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.9

At expanding establishments ......... 6,135 6,257 6,122 6,318 6,038 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.1 4.8

At opening establishments ............ 1,349 1,398 1,377 1,450 1,337 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1

Gross job losses ........................... 6,777 7,254 7,432 6,957 6,850 5.5 5.8 6.0 5.6 5.5

At contracting establishments ......... 5,587 5,967 6,113 5,626 5,649 4.5 4.8 4.9 4.5 4.5

At closing establishments ............ 1,190 1,287 1,319 1,331 1,201 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0

Net employment change .............. 707 401 67 811 525 0.6 0.3 0.0 0.7 0.4

Goods-producing

Gross job gains ........................... 1,413 1,410 1,314 1,406 1,343 6.6 6.5 6.0 6.4 6.1

At expanding establishments ......... 1,205 1,212 1,118 1,194 1,149 5.6 5.6 5.1 5.4 5.2

At opening establishments ............ 208 198 196 212 194 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.9

Gross job losses ........................... 1,197 1,271 1,316 1,255 1,232 5.6 5.8 6.0 5.7 5.5

At contracting establishments ......... 1,011 1,066 1,116 1,052 1,049 4.7 4.9 5.1 4.8 4.7

At closing establishments ............ 186 205 200 203 183 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8

Net employment change .............. 216 139 -2 151 111 1.0 0.7 0.0 0.7 0.6

Natural resources and mining

Gross job gains ........................... 259 275 240 246 243 13.4 14.2 12.5 12.6 12.4

At expanding establishments ......... 226 240 210 214 213 11.7 12.4 10.9 11.0 10.9

At opening establishments ............ 33 35 30 32 30 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.5

Gross job losses ........................... 242 249 247 256 242 12.6 12.8 12.8 13.2 12.4

At contracting establishments ......... 210 214 218 227 213 10.9 11.0 11.3 11.7 10.9

At closing establishments ............ 32 35 29 29 29 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.5 1.5

Net employment change .............. 17 26 -7 -10 1 0.8 1.4 -0.3 -0.6 0.0

Construction

Gross job gains ........................... 730 695 651 695 698 10.2 9.6 9.0 9.6 9.3

At expanding establishments ......... 592 568 526 559 569 8.3 7.8 7.3 7.7 7.6

At opening establishments ............ 138 127 125 136 129 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.7

Gross job losses ........................... 595 643 657 621 614 8.3 8.9 9.1 8.6 8.2

At contracting establishments ......... 482 520 535 499 500 6.7 7.2 7.4 6.9 6.7

At closing establishments ............ 113 123 122 122 114 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.5

Net employment change .............. 135 52 -6 74 84 1.9 0.7 -0.1 1.0 1.1

Manufacturing

Gross job gains ........................... 424 440 423 465 402 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.2

At expanding establishments ......... 387 404 382 421 367 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.3 2.9

At opening establishments ............ 37 36 41 44 35 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Gross job losses ........................... 360 379 412 378 376 2.8 3.0 3.3 3.0 2.9

At contracting establishments ......... 319 332 363 326 336 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.6

At closing establishments ............ 41 47 49 52 40 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3

Net employment change .............. 64 61 11 87 26 0.6 0.5 0.0 0.6 0.3

Service-providing 1

Gross job gains ........................... 6,071 6,245 6,185 6,362 6,032 5.9 6.1 6.1 6.2 5.8

At expanding establishments ......... 4,930 5,045 5,004 5,124 4,889 4.8 4.9 4.9 5.0 4.7

At opening establishments ............ 1,141 1,200 1,181 1,238 1,143 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1

Gross job losses ........................... 5,580 5,983 6,116 5,702 5,618 5.5 5.9 6.0 5.5 5.4

At contracting establishments ......... 4,576 4,901 4,997 4,574 4,600 4.5 4.8 4.9 4.4 4.4

At closing establishments ............ 1,004 1,082 1,119 1,128 1,018 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0

Net employment change .............. 491 262 69 660 414 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.7 0.4

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains ........................... 270 277 275 279 258 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.3

At expanding establishments ......... 222 230 223 228 214 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.6

At opening establishments ............ 48 47 52 51 44 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.7

Gross job losses ........................... 249 251 269 245 243 4.2 4.2 4.6 4.1 4.2

At contracting establishments ......... 195 196 211 190 192 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.2 3.3

At closing establishments ............ 54 55 58 55 51 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.9

Net employment change .............. 21 26 6 34 15 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.7 0.1

See footnote at end of table.

Category

Gross job gains and losses (in thousands) Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment

(3 months ended) (3 months ended)
Table 3. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, seasonally adjusted —Continued

Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar. Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar.

2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2019

Retail trade

Gross job gains ........................... 945 909 918 847 905 5.9 5.7 5.8 5.4 5.7

At expanding establishments ......... 829 774 794 737 789 5.2 4.9 5.0 4.7 5.0

At opening establishments ............ 116 135 124 110 116 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7

Gross job losses ........................... 861 961 1,002 918 863 5.5 6.1 6.3 5.8 5.5

At contracting establishments ......... 755 840 852 787 752 4.8 5.3 5.4 5.0 4.8

At closing establishments ............ 106 121 150 131 111 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7

Net employment change .............. 84 -52 -84 -71 42 0.4 -0.4 -0.5 -0.4 0.2

Transportation and warehousing

Gross job gains ........................... 267 286 313 421 281 5.2 5.5 6.0 7.8 5.2

At expanding establishments ......... 231 245 270 365 240 4.5 4.7 5.2 6.8 4.4

At opening establishments ............ 36 41 43 56 41 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.8

Gross job losses ........................... 327 254 256 239 346 6.4 4.9 4.9 4.5 6.3

At contracting establishments ......... 293 217 219 198 311 5.7 4.2 4.2 3.7 5.7

At closing establishments ............ 34 37 37 41 35 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.6

Net employment change .............. -60 32 57 182 -65 -1.2 0.6 1.1 3.3 -1.1

Utilities

Gross job gains ........................... 11 13 12 12 12 2.0 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.2

At expanding establishments ......... 10 11 10 11 11 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 2.0

At opening establishments ............ 1 2 2 1 1 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2

Gross job losses ........................... 11 15 13 14 13 2.0 2.7 2.4 2.6 2.4

At contracting establishments ......... 10 13 12 12 12 1.8 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2

At closing establishments ............ 1 2 1 2 1 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.2

Net employment change .............. 0 -2 -1 -2 -1 0.0 -0.3 -0.2 -0.4 -0.2

 Information

Gross job gains ........................... 156 160 150 145 175 5.6 5.7 5.3 5.1 6.2

At expanding establishments ......... 131 134 122 116 139 4.7 4.8 4.3 4.1 4.9

At opening establishments ............ 25 26 28 29 36 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.3

Gross job losses ........................... 148 167 156 150 145 5.3 5.9 5.6 5.3 5.2

At contracting establishments ......... 123 139 129 121 120 4.4 4.9 4.6 4.3 4.3

At closing establishments ............ 25 28 27 29 25 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9

Net employment change .............. 8 -7 -6 -5 30 0.3 -0.2 -0.3 -0.2 1.0

Financial activities

Gross job gains ........................... 360 395 381 394 362 4.4 4.8 4.6 4.8 4.4

At expanding establishments ......... 285 313 299 299 290 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.5

At opening establishments ............ 75 82 82 95 72 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.2 0.9

Gross job losses ........................... 350 357 387 376 343 4.3 4.4 4.8 4.6 4.2

At contracting establishments ......... 268 276 300 286 261 3.3 3.4 3.7 3.5 3.2

At closing establishments ............ 82 81 87 90 82 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0

Net employment change .............. 10 38 -6 18 19 0.1 0.4 -0.2 0.2 0.2

Professional and business services

Gross job gains ........................... 1,357 1,471 1,438 1,508 1,318 6.5 7.0 6.8 7.2 6.3

At expanding establishments ......... 1,101 1,196 1,158 1,199 1,074 5.3 5.7 5.5 5.7 5.1

At opening establishments ............ 256 275 280 309 244 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.2

Gross job losses ........................... 1,279 1,374 1,368 1,352 1,318 6.2 6.6 6.6 6.4 6.2

At contracting establishments ......... 1,029 1,098 1,099 1,061 1,065 5.0 5.3 5.3 5.0 5.0

At closing establishments ............ 250 276 269 291 253 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2

Net employment change .............. 78 97 70 156 0 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.1

Education and health services

Gross job gains ........................... 998 1,015 1,014 1,004 1,003 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.4

At expanding establishments ......... 813 820 836 816 823 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6

At opening establishments ............ 185 195 178 188 180 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8

Gross job losses ........................... 843 934 917 868 851 3.7 4.2 4.1 3.8 3.7

At contracting establishments ......... 676 758 739 686 673 3.0 3.4 3.3 3.0 2.9

At closing establishments ............ 167 176 178 182 178 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Net employment change .............. 155 81 97 136 152 0.7 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.7

See footnote at end of table.

Category

Gross job gains and losses (in thousands) Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment

(3 months ended) (3 months ended)
Table 3. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, seasonally adjusted —Continued

Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar. Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar.

2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2019

 Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains ........................... 1,360 1,353 1,344 1,406 1,338 8.4 8.4 8.3 8.6 8.2

At expanding establishments ......... 1,069 1,065 1,049 1,110 1,064 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.8 6.5

At opening establishments ............ 291 288 295 296 274 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7

Gross job losses ........................... 1,208 1,364 1,418 1,230 1,198 7.5 8.4 8.7 7.6 7.3

At contracting establishments ......... 1,005 1,136 1,186 1,004 992 6.2 7.0 7.3 6.2 6.0

At closing establishments ............ 203 228 232 226 206 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3

Net employment change .............. 152 -11 -74 176 140 0.9 0.0 -0.4 1.0 0.9

 Other services

Gross job gains ........................... 299 318 301 304 299 7.1 7.5 7.1 7.2 7.0

At expanding establishments ......... 232 250 236 237 235 5.5 5.9 5.6 5.6 5.5

At opening establishments ............ 67 68 65 67 64 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5

Gross job losses ........................... 279 286 308 291 276 6.7 6.8 7.3 6.9 6.5

At contracting establishments ......... 217 223 244 224 216 5.2 5.3 5.8 5.3 5.1

At closing establishments ............ 62 63 64 67 60 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.4

Net employment change .............. 20 32 -7 13 23 0.4 0.7 -0.2 0.3 0.5

1 Includes unclassified sector, not shown separately.

Category

Gross job gains and losses (in thousands) Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment

(3 months ended) (3 months ended)
Table 4. Private sector gross job gains and losses by firm size, seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

gains losses gains losses gains losses gains losses

2009 March -2,638 4,617 7,255 -983 2,721 3,704 -616 810 1,426 -1,039 1,086 2,125

June -1,763 5,169 6,932 -474 2,946 3,420 -281 950 1,231 -1,008 1,273 2,281

September -906 5,164 6,070 -372 2,826 3,198 -110 932 1,042 -424 1,406 1,830

December -317 5,403 5,720 -159 2,940 3,099 -45 962 1,007 -113 1,501 1,614

2010 March -234 5,115 5,349 -195 2,863 3,058 -2 914 916 -37 1,338 1,375

June 664 5,805 5,141 235 3,093 2,858 204 1,071 867 225 1,641 1,416

September 226 5,525 5,299 26 2,946 2,920 87 998 911 113 1,581 1,468

December 502 5,781 5,279 92 3,051 2,959 92 1,034 942 318 1,696 1,378

2011 March 340 5,375 5,035 99 2,983 2,884 122 971 849 119 1,421 1,302

June 537 5,746 5,209 190 3,073 2,883 169 1,063 894 178 1,610 1,432

September 852 5,974 5,122 272 3,137 2,865 171 1,066 895 409 1,771 1,362

December 297 5,585 5,288 45 2,970 2,925 44 981 937 208 1,634 1,426

2012 March 972 5,904 4,932 388 3,173 2,785 220 1,054 834 364 1,677 1,313

June 612 5,828 5,216 174 3,039 2,865 158 1,074 916 280 1,715 1,435

September 226 5,581 5,355 55 2,963 2,908 54 1,006 952 117 1,612 1,495

December 637 5,779 5,142 180 3,025 2,845 94 1,014 920 363 1,740 1,377

2013 March 582 5,743 5,161 212 3,071 2,859 156 1,029 873 214 1,643 1,429

June 650 5,906 5,256 226 3,085 2,859 135 1,071 936 289 1,750 1,461

September 473 5,764 5,291 225 3,063 2,838 69 1,021 952 179 1,680 1,501

December 631 5,886 5,255 122 3,021 2,899 105 1,034 929 404 1,831 1,427

2014 March 442 5,665 5,223 231 3,070 2,839 149 1,035 886 62 1,560 1,498

June 893 6,134 5,241 302 3,178 2,876 214 1,119 905 377 1,837 1,460

September 560 5,865 5,305 197 3,064 2,867 117 1,066 949 246 1,735 1,489

December 951 6,155 5,204 212 3,105 2,893 150 1,085 935 589 1,965 1,376

2015 March 222 5,669 5,447 166 3,096 2,930 76 1,024 948 -20 1,549 1,569

June 838 6,248 5,410 319 3,197 2,878 188 1,131 943 331 1,920 1,589

September 446 5,905 5,459 146 3,053 2,907 75 1,045 970 225 1,807 1,582

December 860 6,261 5,401 237 3,178 2,941 96 1,077 981 527 2,006 1,479

2016 March 254 5,747 5,493 204 3,118 2,914 56 1,017 961 -6 1,612 1,618

June 305 6,040 5,735 67 3,123 3,056 113 1,103 990 125 1,814 1,689

September 728 6,251 5,523 180 3,151 2,971 94 1,086 992 454 2,014 1,560

December 288 5,909 5,621 72 3,068 2,996 47 1,032 985 169 1,809 1,640

2017 March 663 5,994 5,331 359 3,239 2,880 187 1,078 891 117 1,677 1,560

June 516 6,193 5,677 143 3,158 3,015 146 1,127 981 227 1,908 1,681

September -120 5,821 5,941 -121 2,992 3,113 -51 1,012 1,063 52 1,817 1,765

December 871 6,222 5,351 240 3,192 2,952 159 1,092 933 472 1,938 1,466

2018 March 729 6,050 5,321 310 3,212 2,902 159 1,064 905 260 1,774 1,514

June 426 6,179 5,753 128 3,189 3,061 150 1,132 982 148 1,858 1,710

September 10 5,970 5,960 -102 3,019 3,121 -33 1,026 1,059 145 1,925 1,780

December 739 6,132 5,393 210 3,182 2,972 151 1,085 934 378 1,865 1,487

2019 March 579 5,944 5,365 280 3,159 2,879 150 1,054 904 149 1,731 1,582

Gross job

establishment-level data due to independent seasonal adjustment. The unit of analysis section in the technical note provides additional detail. See

www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmfirmsize.htm for more detailed firm size class data.

Net 

change

Gross job Net 

change

Gross job

NOTE: Net change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses. Net change totals for the firm-level data differ from the

Year 3 months ended

Total private by firm1 Firm size 1 - 49 employees

1 Total gross job gains and gross job losses by firm are lower than total gross job gains and gross job losses by establishment, as some establishment gains 

and losses within a firm are offset during the aggregation process. 

Firm size 50 - 249 employees Firm size 250 or more

Net 

change

Gross job Net 

change
Table 5. Components of private sector gross job gains and losses by firm size, seasonally adjusted

Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar. Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar.

2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2019

Total private by firm 1

Gross job gains ........................ 6,050 6,179 5,970 6,132 5,944 4.9 4.9 4.8 4.9 4.7

At expanding firms .................. 5,092 5,264 5,086 5,166 5,019 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.0

At opening firms ..................... 958 915 884 966 925 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7

Gross job losses ........................ 5,321 5,753 5,960 5,393 5,365 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.3 4.3

At contracting firms ............... 4,475 4,872 5,074 4,508 4,515 3.6 3.9 4.1 3.6 3.6

At closing firms ................... 846 881 886 885 850 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7

Net employment change ............. 729 426 10 739 579 0.6 0.3 0.0 0.6 0.4

Firm size 1 to 49 employees

Gross job gains ........................ 3,212 3,189 3,019 3,182 3,159 9.4 9.2 8.8 9.3 9.1

At expanding firms .................. 2,296 2,315 2,169 2,257 2,259 6.7 6.7 6.3 6.6 6.5

At opening firms ..................... 916 874 850 925 900 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.6

Gross job losses ........................ 2,902 3,061 3,121 2,972 2,879 8.5 8.9 9.1 8.7 8.4

At contracting firms ............... 2,083 2,220 2,271 2,122 2,063 6.1 6.5 6.6 6.2 6.0

At closing firms ................... 819 841 850 850 816 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4

Net employment change ............. 310 128 -102 210 280 0.9 0.3 -0.3 0.6 0.7

Firm size 50 to 249 employees

Gross job gains ........................ 1,064 1,132 1,026 1,085 1,054 4.8 5.1 4.6 4.8 4.7

At expanding firms .................. 1,035 1,096 995 1,054 1,030 4.7 4.9 4.5 4.7 4.6

At opening firms ..................... 29 36 31 31 24 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1

Gross job losses ........................ 905 982 1,059 934 904 4.1 4.4 4.7 4.1 4.0

At contracting firms ............... 881 952 1,029 904 878 4.0 4.3 4.6 4.0 3.9

At closing firms ................... 24 30 30 30 26 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Net employment change ............. 159 150 -33 151 150 0.7 0.7 -0.1 0.7 0.7

Firm size 250 or more employees

Gross job gains ........................ 1,774 1,858 1,925 1,865 1,731 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.5

At expanding firms .................. 1,761 1,853 1,922 1,855 1,730 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.5

At opening firms ..................... 13 5 3 10 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Gross job losses ........................ 1,514 1,710 1,780 1,487 1,582 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.3

At contracting firms ............... 1,511 1,700 1,774 1,482 1,574 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.3

At closing firms ................... 3 10 6 5 8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Net employment change ............. 260 148 145 378 149 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.2

NOTE: Net change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses. Net change totals for the firm-level data differ from the

establishment-level data due to independent seasonal adjustment. The unit of analysis section in the technical note provides additional detail. See

www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmfirmsize.htm for more detailed firm size class data.

Category

Gross job gains and losses (in thousands) Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment

(3 months ended) (3 months ended)

1 Total gross job gains and gross job losses by firm are lower than total gross job gains and gross job losses by establishment, as some establishment gains and 

losses within a firm are offset during the aggregation process. 
Table 6. Private sector gross job gains and losses by state, seasonally adjusted

Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar. Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar.

2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2019

United States 1 ............ 7,484,000 7,655,000 7,499,000 7,768,000 7,375,000 6,777,000 7,254,000 7,432,000 6,957,000 6,850,000

Alabama .................. 96,243 93,553 95,605 100,816 96,841 85,683 90,394 94,075 85,914 88,823

Alaska ..................... 24,717 26,848 21,838 27,051 24,748 21,909 26,274 26,246 24,029 22,229

Arizona .................. 144,367 143,473 159,941 154,406 139,196 127,341 141,803 123,519 126,130 136,405

Arkansas .................. 55,048 51,191 61,294 59,915 53,605 52,471 57,719 56,723 50,421 51,893

California .................. 950,953 993,961 966,144 1,019,583 958,690 889,271 954,808 915,540 893,290 918,099

Colorado .................. 152,407 153,001 149,713 155,491 150,523 133,492 137,876 152,379 137,868 143,527

Connecticut ............... 74,217 83,110 76,246 76,068 74,499 76,379 73,433 81,586 71,454 81,433

Delaware .................. 27,064 24,680 21,797 25,620 24,839 22,591 23,081 24,936 21,770 21,612

District of Columbia ... 32,187 29,647 28,183 29,712 29,198 25,882 29,812 29,027 27,027 25,795

Florida ..................... 469,018 489,717 519,828 494,076 470,398 420,317 461,536 440,722 466,878 428,898

Georgia .................. 244,706 236,132 253,968 239,126 257,662 214,883 240,777 231,723 217,509 218,890

Hawaii ..................... 27,534 28,398 27,332 30,742 28,766 25,410 29,123 29,198 27,198 31,811

Idaho ..................... 47,951 44,622 41,300 45,579 46,481 36,726 41,477 41,911 38,775 38,110

Illinois ..................... 296,252 291,805 288,877 286,588 273,000 268,957 289,244 297,620 288,063 268,937

Indiana ..................... 151,082 145,966 139,987 148,866 156,880 134,571 146,896 141,825 133,677 129,593

Iowa ........................ 73,382 75,164 69,079 75,879 67,346 69,343 71,924 74,868 69,658 71,892

Kansas ..................... 59,788 65,217 66,704 69,531 62,736 62,522 63,441 64,414 62,125 64,959

Kentucky .................. 98,385 94,540 90,984 97,782 92,536 93,740 90,495 96,148 87,327 88,220

Louisiana .................. 107,755 98,870 101,284 99,438 95,919 94,088 104,991 100,616 92,940 94,705

Maine ..................... 35,900 41,729 31,809 37,301 37,368 36,356 36,986 38,866 34,444 33,681

Maryland .................. 136,993 133,457 137,468 146,421 139,079 125,341 126,397 144,563 138,449 125,036

Massachusetts ............ 178,032 191,451 175,065 182,975 180,711 163,557 173,457 192,871 167,127 164,915

Michigan .................. 212,391 210,759 191,034 212,257 193,954 171,633 196,604 231,163 196,309 175,917

Minnesota ............... 133,777 142,600 135,956 142,627 129,422 125,177 130,507 142,031 135,392 128,720

Mississippi ............... 49,284 51,745 52,579 58,977 50,681 53,389 54,204 52,352 47,947 55,297

Missouri .................. 130,075 136,499 142,095 137,961 129,371 125,766 135,700 142,563 128,093 126,018

Montana .................. 29,884 30,525 27,396 34,407 29,494 27,084 29,704 30,117 27,518 31,004

Nebraska .................. 46,781 47,822 47,885 47,835 46,491 45,895 47,343 48,225 46,760 45,655

Nevada ..................... 78,192 74,364 81,913 80,193 74,485 64,990 70,770 68,777 67,175 66,481

New Hampshire ......... 34,968 38,372 32,249 37,886 36,640 34,105 35,862 38,996 32,781 32,983

New Jersey ............... 198,889 226,662 208,014 223,239 201,365 209,536 202,305 221,513 199,050 198,569

New Mexico ............ 41,085 42,557 41,563 43,809 41,983 36,544 40,031 40,829 39,424 38,022

New York ............... 496,300 502,371 486,928 504,548 485,292 451,254 461,346 506,220 460,838 433,874

North Carolina ............ 228,106 228,178 209,963 248,759 237,488 193,957 212,847 236,976 197,480 188,107

North Dakota ............ 24,307 23,387 23,039 23,548 24,826 21,801 21,570 22,667 21,746 22,437

Ohio ........................ 262,472 263,954 250,824 261,361 258,396 238,635 253,449 271,299 245,446 241,765

Oklahoma ............... 78,908 81,937 86,152 84,052 74,976 72,500 81,082 78,486 78,597 75,282

Oregon ..................... 128,621 102,489 101,862 110,386 105,038 94,400 103,335 102,384 98,153 95,104

Pennsylvania ............ 274,495 277,509 277,395 277,414 266,704 255,248 267,878 271,106 249,012 249,431

Rhode Island ............ 26,899 26,383 26,185 26,789 24,678 25,668 25,787 27,144 24,229 23,887

South Carolina ............ 106,531 129,611 100,477 128,913 113,237 88,225 117,324 112,911 93,825 106,262

South Dakota ............ 22,742 21,371 21,218 22,202 20,396 20,815 21,480 20,331 20,696 22,444

Tennessee ............... 130,419 141,283 149,585 148,634 138,640 125,868 135,300 135,764 127,807 124,279

Texas ..................... 604,297 612,249 621,424 652,219 584,029 530,142 548,504 565,749 537,389 541,312

Utah ........................ 92,762 85,338 91,311 87,692 92,927 74,864 80,041 80,280 78,369 78,342

Vermont .................. 16,748 18,662 17,596 18,863 17,446 18,260 18,380 19,550 17,285 16,200

Virginia .................. 187,420 195,880 178,662 199,472 201,989 171,487 184,766 198,599 176,271 175,654

Washington ............... 201,233 204,847 172,644 182,294 176,059 172,808 180,137 181,187 160,020 160,092

West Virginia ............ 37,853 38,056 39,104 35,422 33,504 32,593 35,348 35,779 36,511 36,947

Wisconsin ............... 140,206 136,299 126,775 134,830 127,951 116,847 138,290 145,097 122,971 120,014

Wyoming .................. 17,713 17,365 17,117 20,839 18,347 16,402 17,344 17,393 16,307 16,590

Puerto Rico ............... 55,317 52,276 48,405 40,125 47,891 44,701 41,342 38,736 45,122 34,491

Virgin Islands ............ 2,974 2,978 3,030 1,934 2,987 4,166 1,575 1,410 1,736 1,853

1 The sum of the states will not necessarily add to the U.S. total because of the independent seasonal adjustment of each state.

NOTE: Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

State

Gross job gains 

(3 months ended)

Gross job losses

(3 months ended)
Table 7. Private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted

Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar. Mar. June Sept. Dec. Mar.

2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2019

United States .......................... 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.9 5.5 5.8 6.0 5.6 5.5

Alabama ............................. 6.1 5.8 6.0 6.3 6.0 5.4 5.7 5.9 5.3 5.5

Alaska ................................. 10.1 10.9 8.9 11.0 10.0 8.9 10.7 10.7 9.8 9.0

Arizona ............................... 6.0 6.0 6.6 6.2 5.6 5.3 5.9 5.1 5.1 5.5

Arkansas .............................. 5.4 5.0 6.1 5.9 5.2 5.2 5.7 5.6 5.0 5.1

California ........................... 6.4 6.7 6.5 6.9 6.3 6.0 6.4 6.2 5.9 6.2

Colorado .............................. 6.8 6.8 6.6 6.8 6.6 6.0 6.1 6.8 6.0 6.3

Connecticut ......................... 5.1 5.8 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.3 5.1 5.7 4.9 5.7

Delaware .............................. 7.1 6.4 5.7 6.6 6.4 5.9 6.0 6.5 5.6 5.5

District of Columbia ............... 6.0 5.6 5.3 5.6 5.4 4.9 5.6 5.5 5.1 4.9

Florida ................................. 6.2 6.4 6.8 6.4 6.1 5.5 6.1 5.8 6.1 5.6

Georgia .............................. 6.5 6.3 6.7 6.3 6.8 5.7 6.4 6.1 5.8 5.7

Hawaii ............................... 5.1 5.3 5.1 5.8 5.4 4.7 5.4 5.4 5.1 5.9

Idaho .................................... 7.9 7.3 6.8 7.4 7.5 6.1 6.8 6.9 6.3 6.1

Illinois ................................ 5.7 5.6 5.5 5.5 5.2 5.2 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.1

Indiana ............................... 5.7 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.9 5.1 5.5 5.4 5.0 4.8

Iowa .................................... 5.6 5.7 5.3 5.8 5.1 5.3 5.4 5.7 5.3 5.4

Kansas ................................. 5.3 5.7 5.9 6.1 5.4 5.4 5.6 5.7 5.4 5.7

Kentucky .............................. 6.2 5.9 5.8 6.1 5.8 5.9 5.7 6.0 5.4 5.5

Louisiana .............................. 6.7 6.2 6.3 6.2 5.9 5.9 6.5 6.3 5.8 5.9

Maine ................................ 7.0 8.0 6.1 7.3 7.2 7.0 7.1 7.5 6.7 6.4

Maryland ............................ 6.3 6.1 6.3 6.8 6.4 5.8 5.8 6.6 6.4 5.7

Massachusetts ....................... 5.7 6.1 5.6 5.8 5.7 5.2 5.5 6.1 5.3 5.2

Michigan ............................. 5.6 5.5 5.0 5.6 5.1 4.6 5.2 6.2 5.2 4.6

Minnesota ........................... 5.4 5.8 5.5 5.7 5.2 5.1 5.2 5.7 5.4 5.1

Mississippi ........................... 5.5 5.7 5.9 6.5 5.7 6.0 6.0 5.9 5.3 6.2

Missouri .............................. 5.5 5.7 5.9 5.8 5.4 5.2 5.7 6.0 5.4 5.3

Montana ............................... 7.9 8.0 7.2 8.9 7.6 7.1 7.8 7.9 7.2 8.0

Nebraska .............................. 5.8 5.8 5.9 5.9 5.7 5.6 5.8 5.9 5.7 5.6

Nevada ............................... 6.5 6.1 6.7 6.6 6.0 5.5 5.8 5.7 5.5 5.4

New Hampshire ..................... 6.1 6.7 5.7 6.6 6.3 6.0 6.2 6.8 5.7 5.7

New Jersey ........................... 5.7 6.5 6.0 6.4 5.7 6.1 5.8 6.4 5.7 5.6

New Mexico ........................ 6.5 6.7 6.4 6.8 6.4 5.7 6.2 6.4 6.1 5.8

New York ........................... 6.3 6.3 6.1 6.3 6.0 5.6 5.8 6.4 5.7 5.3

North Carolina ........................ 6.2 6.1 5.7 6.7 6.3 5.3 5.7 6.4 5.3 5.1

North Dakota ........................ 7.1 6.7 6.6 6.8 7.1 6.3 6.2 6.6 6.2 6.4

Ohio .................................... 5.6 5.6 5.4 5.6 5.5 5.1 5.4 5.8 5.3 5.1

Oklahoma ........................... 6.2 6.4 6.7 6.5 5.8 5.7 6.3 6.1 6.1 5.8

Oregon ................................. 8.0 6.2 6.2 6.7 6.3 5.8 6.3 6.3 6.0 5.8

Pennsylvania ........................ 5.3 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.1 4.9 5.1 5.2 4.8 4.8

Rhode Island ........................ 6.4 6.3 6.2 6.4 5.8 6.1 6.1 6.4 5.7 5.6

South Carolina ........................ 6.3 7.5 5.8 7.4 6.4 5.1 6.7 6.5 5.4 6.0

South Dakota ........................ 6.4 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.7 5.9 6.1 5.7 5.8 6.4

Tennessee ........................... 5.1 5.5 5.8 5.8 5.4 4.9 5.3 5.3 4.9 4.8

Texas ................................. 5.9 5.9 6.0 6.2 5.5 5.1 5.3 5.4 5.2 5.2

Utah .................................... 7.5 6.9 7.3 6.9 7.3 6.0 6.4 6.4 6.2 6.2

Vermont .............................. 6.5 7.2 6.9 7.4 6.7 7.0 7.1 7.6 6.8 6.3

Virginia .............................. 6.0 6.2 5.7 6.3 6.4 5.4 5.8 6.3 5.6 5.5

Washington ........................... 7.2 7.3 6.2 6.4 6.2 6.2 6.5 6.5 5.6 5.6

West Virginia ........................ 6.9 6.8 7.0 6.3 6.0 6.0 6.4 6.4 6.5 6.6

Wisconsin ........................... 5.6 5.5 5.1 5.4 5.1 4.7 5.5 5.9 5.0 4.8

Wyoming .............................. 8.6 8.4 8.3 10.0 8.6 8.0 8.4 8.4 7.8 7.8

Puerto Rico ........................... 8.5 7.9 7.2 6.0 7.1 6.9 6.2 5.8 6.8 5.1

Virgin Islands ........................ 13.3 13.2 12.8 7.9 11.9 18.6 7.0 5.9 7.1 7.4

NOTE: Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

State

Gross job gains as a percent of employment Gross job losses as a percent of employment

(3 months ended) (3 months ended)
Table 8. Private sector establishment births and deaths, seasonally adjusted

(Levels in thousands)

Level Rate 2 Level Rate Level Rate Level Rate

2009 March 197 2.7 247 3.4 738 0.7 869 0.8

June 201 2.8 238 3.3 767 0.7 837 0.8

September 192 2.7 227 3.2 725 0.7 793 0.7

December 202 2.8 218 3.1 728 0.7 749 0.7

2010 March 193 2.7 211 3.0 706 0.7 687 0.7

June 193 2.7 202 2.9 730 0.7 665 0.6

September 207 2.9 204 2.9 754 0.7 701 0.7

December 216 3.0 201 2.8 805 0.8 700 0.7

2011 March 204 2.9 200 2.8 715 0.7 632 0.6

June 210 2.9 205 2.9 767 0.7 689 0.6

September 206 2.9 196 2.7 794 0.7 675 0.6

December 214 3.0 198 2.8 800 0.7 700 0.6

2012 March 236 3.3 188 2.6 787 0.7 614 0.6

June 217 3.0 194 2.7 799 0.7 673 0.6

September 210 2.9 196 2.7 804 0.7 692 0.6

December 218 3.0 183 2.5 809 0.7 673 0.6

2013 March 205 2.8 193 2.6 748 0.7 648 0.6

June 222 3.0 215 2.9 789 0.7 695 0.6

September 219 2.9 195 2.6 818 0.7 678 0.6

December 215 2.9 187 2.5 803 0.7 670 0.6

2014 March 220 2.9 190 2.5 784 0.7 635 0.6

June 221 2.9 204 2.7 806 0.7 711 0.6

September 225 3.0 199 2.6 825 0.7 703 0.6

December 224 2.9 198 2.6 836 0.7 705 0.6

2015 March 233 3.0 206 2.7 817 0.7 694 0.6

June 234 3.1 212 2.8 836 0.7 731 0.6

September 242 3.1 207 2.7 880 0.7 702 0.6

December 247 3.2 208 2.7 896 0.8 732 0.6

2016 March 236 3.0 203 2.6 789 0.7 668 0.6

June 241 3.1 213 2.7 838 0.7 720 0.6

September 239 3.0 214 2.7 869 0.7 746 0.6

December 238 3.0 217 2.8 868 0.7 727 0.6

2017 March 241 3.0 203 2.6 803 0.7 663 0.5

June 240 3.0 225 2.8 848 0.7 756 0.6

September 242 3.0 225 2.8 849 0.7 762 0.6

December 246 3.1 216 2.7 854 0.7 732 0.6

2018 March 248 3.1 214 2.7 811 0.7 663 0.5

June 265 3.3 231 2.9 880 0.7 774 0.6

September 251 3.1 N/A N/A 867 0.7 N/A N/A

December 249 3.1 N/A N/A 863 0.7 N/A N/A

2019 March 256 3.1 N/A N/A 814 0.6 N/A N/A

1 Values for deaths are not available for the most recent three quarters. See the Technical Note for more information.

2 The rates measure births and deaths as a percentage of the average of the previous and current quarter employment levels or total number of establishments

Year 3 months ended

Number of Establishments Employment

Births Deaths 1 Births Deaths