Business Employment Dynamics: Second Quarter 2005 — 2006-02-15

From March to June 2005, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 7.9 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.4 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 industry sectors, except manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. (See table 3.) Firms with 20-49 employees accounted for 17.8 percent of the net gains in employment, representing the largest contribution to employment growth among all firm size classes. (See tables D and 4.) 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. 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.