Business Employment Dynamics: Fourth Quarter 2003 — 2004-08-03

From September to December 2003, the number of job gains from opening and expanding establishments in the private sector was 7.6 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.3 million, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. During the fourth quarter of 2003, job gains rose in most major industry sectors, while job losses declined. Business Employment Dynamics statistics are derived from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), also known as the ES-202 program. Gross job gains are defined as increases in employment resulting from expansions of employment at existing private sector 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.