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Over the last decade, large firms responsible for 48 percent of net job growth

May 01, 2018

In the third quarter of 2017, private sector firms with fewer than 50 employees had a net employment decrease of 176,000. Firms with 50 to 249 employees had a net employment decrease of 57,000. Firms with 250 or more employees had a net employment increase of 36,000. Of the 1.3 million net jobs created over the four quarters ended September 2017, firms with fewer than 50 employees contributed 32 percent of net job growth, firms with 50 to 249 employees contributed 26 percent, and firms with 250 or more employees contributed 42 percent.
Quarterly private sector gross job gains and losses by firm size, March 2007–September 2017, seasonally adjusted
3 months ended Total private Firm size 1–49 Firm size 50–249 Firm size 250 or more
Net change Gross job gains Gross job losses Net change Gross job gains Gross job losses Net change Gross job gains Gross job losses Net change Gross job gains Gross job losses

Mar 2007

 478,000 6,333,000 -5,855,000 173,000 3,445,000 -3,272,000 98,000 1,158,000 -1,060,000 207,000 1,730,000 -1,523,000

Jun 2007

 163,000 6,239,000 -6,076,000 -33,000 3,330,000 -3,363,000 99,000 1,171,000 -1,072,000 97,000 1,738,000 -1,641,000

Sep 2007

 -215,000 5,920,000 -6,135,000 -116,000 3,263,000 -3,379,000 -34,000 1,079,000 -1,113,000 -65,000 1,578,000 -1,643,000

Dec 2007

 270,000 6,251,000 -5,981,000 10,000 3,317,000 -3,307,000 56,000 1,139,000 -1,083,000 204,000 1,795,000 -1,591,000

Mar 2008

 -274,000 5,831,000 -6,105,000 -152,000 3,235,000 -3,387,000 -11,000 1,079,000 -1,090,000 -111,000 1,517,000 -1,628,000

Jun 2008

 -548,000 5,850,000 -6,398,000 -287,000 3,174,000 -3,461,000 -44,000 1,090,000 -1,134,000 -217,000 1,586,000 -1,803,000

Sep 2008

 -956,000 5,532,000 -6,488,000 -343,000 3,051,000 -3,394,000 -140,000 1,020,000 -1,160,000 -473,000 1,461,000 -1,934,000

Dec 2008

 -1,886,000 5,338,000 -7,224,000 -689,000 2,910,000 -3,599,000 -375,000 947,000 -1,322,000 -822,000 1,481,000 -2,303,000

Mar 2009

 -2,638,000 4,617,000 -7,255,000 -983,000 2,721,000 -3,704,000 -616,000 810,000 -1,426,000 -1,039,000 1,086,000 -2,125,000

Jun 2009

 -1,763,000 5,169,000 -6,932,000 -474,000 2,946,000 -3,420,000 -281,000 950,000 -1,231,000 -1,008,000 1,273,000 -2,281,000

Sep 2009

 -906,000 5,164,000 -6,070,000 -372,000 2,826,000 -3,198,000 -110,000 932,000 -1,042,000 -424,000 1,406,000 -1,830,000

Dec 2009

 -317,000 5,403,000 -5,720,000 -159,000 2,940,000 -3,099,000 -45,000 962,000 -1,007,000 -113,000 1,501,000 -1,614,000

Mar 2010

 -234,000 5,115,000 -5,349,000 -195,000 2,863,000 -3,058,000 -2,000 914,000 -916,000 -37,000 1,338,000 -1,375,000

Jun 2010

 664,000 5,805,000 -5,141,000 235,000 3,093,000 -2,858,000 204,000 1,071,000 -867,000 225,000 1,641,000 -1,416,000

Sep 2010

 226,000 5,525,000 -5,299,000 26,000 2,946,000 -2,920,000 87,000 998,000 -911,000 113,000 1,581,000 -1,468,000

Dec 2010

 502,000 5,781,000 -5,279,000 92,000 3,051,000 -2,959,000 92,000 1,034,000 -942,000 318,000 1,696,000 -1,378,000

Mar 2011

 340,000 5,375,000 -5,035,000 99,000 2,983,000 -2,884,000 122,000 971,000 -849,000 119,000 1,421,000 -1,302,000

Jun 2011

 537,000 5,746,000 -5,209,000 190,000 3,073,000 -2,883,000 169,000 1,063,000 -894,000 178,000 1,610,000 -1,432,000

Sep 2011

 852,000 5,974,000 -5,122,000 272,000 3,137,000 -2,865,000 171,000 1,066,000 -895,000 409,000 1,771,000 -1,362,000

Dec 2011

 297,000 5,585,000 -5,288,000 45,000 2,970,000 -2,925,000 44,000 981,000 -937,000 208,000 1,634,000 -1,426,000

Mar 2012

 972,000 5,904,000 -4,932,000 388,000 3,173,000 -2,785,000 220,000 1,054,000 -834,000 364,000 1,677,000 -1,313,000

Jun 2012

 612,000 5,828,000 -5,216,000 174,000 3,039,000 -2,865,000 158,000 1,074,000 -916,000 280,000 1,715,000 -1,435,000

Sep 2012

 226,000 5,581,000 -5,355,000 55,000 2,963,000 -2,908,000 54,000 1,006,000 -952,000 117,000 1,612,000 -1,495,000

Dec 2012

 637,000 5,779,000 -5,142,000 180,000 3,025,000 -2,845,000 94,000 1,014,000 -920,000 363,000 1,740,000 -1,377,000

Mar 2013

 588,000 5,743,000 -5,155,000 221,000 3,078,000 -2,857,000 155,000 1,027,000 -872,000 212,000 1,638,000 -1,426,000

Jun 2013

 649,000 5,912,000 -5,263,000 221,000 3,084,000 -2,863,000 137,000 1,074,000 -937,000 291,000 1,754,000 -1,463,000

Sep 2013

 439,000 5,748,000 -5,309,000 208,000 3,054,000 -2,846,000 62,000 1,017,000 -955,000 169,000 1,677,000 -1,508,000

Dec 2013

 651,000 5,894,000 -5,243,000 131,000 3,026,000 -2,895,000 108,000 1,036,000 -928,000 412,000 1,832,000 -1,420,000

Mar 2014

 459,000 5,662,000 -5,203,000 248,000 3,077,000 -2,829,000 153,000 1,034,000 -881,000 58,000 1,551,000 -1,493,000

Jun 2014

 888,000 6,142,000 -5,254,000 299,000 3,179,000 -2,880,000 216,000 1,123,000 -907,000 373,000 1,840,000 -1,467,000

Sep 2014

 502,000 5,845,000 -5,343,000 168,000 3,051,000 -2,883,000 102,000 1,058,000 -956,000 232,000 1,736,000 -1,504,000

Dec 2014

 987,000 6,166,000 -5,179,000 225,000 3,111,000 -2,886,000 157,000 1,087,000 -930,000 605,000 1,968,000 -1,363,000

Mar 2015

 237,000 5,664,000 -5,427,000 181,000 3,102,000 -2,921,000 79,000 1,022,000 -943,000 -23,000 1,540,000 -1,563,000

Jun 2015

 834,000 6,256,000 -5,422,000 316,000 3,197,000 -2,881,000 189,000 1,135,000 -946,000 329,000 1,924,000 -1,595,000

Sep 2015

 381,000 5,884,000 -5,503,000 113,000 3,038,000 -2,925,000 59,000 1,038,000 -979,000 209,000 1,808,000 -1,599,000

Dec 2015

 895,000 6,270,000 -5,375,000 250,000 3,183,000 -2,933,000 101,000 1,078,000 -977,000 544,000 2,009,000 -1,465,000

Mar 2016

 273,000 5,743,000 -5,470,000 220,000 3,124,000 -2,904,000 60,000 1,015,000 -955,000 -7,000 1,604,000 -1,611,000

Jun 2016

 300,000 6,051,000 -5,751,000 64,000 3,125,000 -3,061,000 116,000 1,109,000 -993,000 120,000 1,817,000 -1,697,000

Sep 2016

 665,000 6,229,000 -5,564,000 147,000 3,135,000 -2,988,000 80,000 1,080,000 -1,000,000 438,000 2,014,000 -1,576,000

Dec 2016

 326,000 5,920,000 -5,594,000 88,000 3,076,000 -2,988,000 52,000 1,033,000 -981,000 186,000 1,811,000 -1,625,000

Mar 2017

 686,000 5,952,000 -5,266,000 369,000 3,206,000 -2,837,000 197,000 1,077,000 -880,000 120,000 1,669,000 -1,549,000

Jun 2017

 511,000 6,193,000 -5,682,000 143,000 3,135,000 -2,992,000 153,000 1,133,000 -980,000 215,000 1,925,000 -1,710,000

Sep 2017

 -197,000 5,786,000 -5,983,000 -176,000 2,948,000 -3,124,000 -57,000 1,010,000 -1,067,000 36,000 1,828,000 -1,792,000

Since 2007, private sector firms have created 7.1 million net jobs; 1.6 million, or 22 percent of this job growth, was contributed by small firms (fewer than 50 employees). Mid-sized firms (50 to 249 employees) were responsible for 2.1 million, or 30 percent. Large firms (250 or more employees) created the remaining 3.4 million, or 48 percent.

These data are from the Business Employment Dynamics program. To learn more, see "Business Employment Dynamics — Third Quarter 2017" (HTML) (PDF). Net jobs is the number of jobs created minus the number of jobs destroyed. Also see charts related to the latest "Business Employment Dynamics" news release.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Over the last decade, large firms responsible for 48 percent of net job growth at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/over-the-last-decade-large-firms-responsible-for-48-percent-of-net-job-growth.htm (visited May 08, 2024).

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