Business Employment Dynamics: First Quarter 2005 — 2005-11-18

From December 2004 to March 2005, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 7.6 million and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.3 million, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in all sectors, except manufacturing and information. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from expansions in employment at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs in opening establishments. Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing estab- lishments. The difference between the number of gross jobs gained and the number of gross jobs lost is the net change in employment.