Business Employment Dynamics: Fourth Quarter 2004 — 2005-08-18

From September to December 2004, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 8.1 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.2 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, utilities, and other services. Gross job gains are defined as increases in employment resulting from expansions of employment at existing 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 differ- ence between the number of gross jobs gained and the number of gross jobs lost is the net change in employment. Opening and expanding private sector business establishments gained 8.1 million jobs in the fourth quarter of 2004, an increase of 292,000 jobs from the previous quarter.