For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) USDL-13-0782
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Technical information: (202) 691-6553 * BDMInfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/bdm
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS: THIRD QUARTER 2012
From June 2012 to September 2012 gross job gains from opening and
expanding private sector establishments were 6.8 million, a decrease
of 191,000 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 6.6 million,
an increase of 192,000 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 199,000 jobs in
the private sector during the third quarter of 2012. (See table 1.)
The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of
increases and decreases in employment that occur at all businesses
in the economy. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track
these changes in employment at private business units from the third
month of one quarter to the third month of the next. Gross job gains
are the sum of increases in employment from expansions at existing
units and the addition of new jobs at opening units. Gross job losses
are the result of contractions in employment at existing units and the
loss of jobs at closing units. The difference between the number of
gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change
in employment. (See the Technical Note for more information.)
The BED data series include gross job gains and gross job losses at the
establishment level by industry subsector and 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 at expanding establishments totaled 5.5 million in
third quarter 2012, a decrease of 199,000 jobs from the previous
quarter.
Opening establishments accounted for 1.3 million jobs gained in third
quarter 2012, an increase of 8,000 jobs from the previous quarter.
Contracting establishments lost 5.4 million jobs in third quarter
2012. This is an increase of 173,000 jobs from the prior quarter.
In third quarter 2012, closing establishments lost 1.2 million jobs,
an increase of 19,000 from the previous quarter. (See tables 1 and 3.)
Gross job gains represented 6.2 percent of private sector employment
in third quarter 2012, while gross job losses represented 6.0 percent
of private sector employment. (See table 2.)
In third quarter 2012, the number of establishment births (a subset of
the openings data, see the Technical Note for more information)
increased by 2,000 to 193,000. These new establishments accounted for
789,000 jobs, an increase of 30,000 from the previous quarter.
(See table 8.)
Data for establishment deaths (a subset of the closings data) are
available through fourth quarter 2011, when 750,000 jobs were lost at
191,000 establishments. These figures represent increases from the
prior quarter when 674,000 jobs were lost at 187,000 establishments.
During third quarter 2012, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains
in six industry sectors: natural resources and mining; retail trade;
utilities; information; leisure and hospitality; and other services.
The education and health services sector experienced net gains of
91,000 jobs, an increase of 73,000 jobs from the prior quarter. This
represents the largest over the quarter net employment change of all
industry sectors. (See table 3.)
Gross job gains decreased and gross job losses increased in all three
major firm size classes during the third quarter 2012. However, only
the smallest size class (firms with 1-49 employees) experienced a net
job loss, where gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 3,000
jobs. The largest size class (firms with 250 or more employees)
experienced a net employment gain of 133,000 jobs, accounting for
79 percent of the total net change in employment for third quarter
2012. (See tables 4 and 5.)
Table A. Three-month private sector gross job gains and losses,
seasonally adjusted
Category 3 months ended
Sept. Dec. Mar. June Sept.
2011 2011 2012 2012 2012
Levels (in thousands)
Gross job gains................ 7,136 6,909 6,935 7,004 6,813
At expanding establishments... 5,776 5,557 5,706 5,744 5,545
At opening establishments..... 1,360 1,352 1,229 1,260 1,268
Gross job losses............... 6,342 6,520 6,121 6,422 6,614
At contracting establishments. 5,194 5,238 4,935 5,213 5,386
At closing establishments..... 1,148 1,282 1,186 1,209 1,228
Net employment change(1)....... 794 389 814 582 199
Rates (percent)
Gross job gains................ 6.7 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.2
At expanding establishments... 5.4 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.0
At opening establishments..... 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2
Gross job losses............... 5.9 6.0 5.6 5.8 6.0
At contracting establishments. 4.8 4.8 4.5 4.7 4.9
At closing establishments..... 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1
Net employment change(1)....... .8 .3 .7 .5 .2
(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.
In the third quarter of 2012, gross job gains exceeded gross job
losses in 29 states. Texas had the largest net employment gain of
53,953 jobs, followed by California with 43,806 jobs and Florida with
32,255 jobs. (See table 6.) Alaska had the highest rate of gross job
gains as a percent of employment at 9.0 percent, well above the U.S.
total gross job gains rate of 6.2 percent. Hawaii had the lowest rate
of gross job losses as a percent of employment at 5.0 percent, below
the U.S. rate of 6.0 percent. (See table 7.)
More Information
Additional information on gross job gains and gross job losses are
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 frequently asked
questions on firm size data. Additional information about the Business
Employment Dynamics data can be found in the Technical Note of this
release or may be obtained by e-mailing BDMinfo@bls.gov.
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| The Business Employment Dynamics for Fourth Quarter 2012 are scheduled |
| to be released on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). |
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