Business Employment Dynamics: First Quarter 2003 — 2003-11-25

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. 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.