From March 2018 to June 2018, gross job gains in private sector establishments in Nebraska totaled 47,811, while gross job losses numbered 47,285, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 526. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 1,697.  (See chart 1.)

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. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track these changes in employment at private business establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from expansions at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See the Technical Note for more information.)

The 47,811 gross job gains in June 2018, although higher than the 46,119 gross job gains seen in the previous quarter, remained below the 5-year peak of 51,477 in September 2016. Gross job losses in June 2018 totaled 47,285 in the state, an increase from 44,422 in the previous quarter. Nebraska’s gross job losses were at a 5-year high of 50,012 in December 2016 and a low of 41,578 in June 2013.

Nebraska’s rate of gross job gains as a percent of private sector employment was 5.9 percent in June 2018, below the national rate of 6.1 percent. Nebraska’s rate of gross job gains has been at or below the U.S. rate each quarter over the past five years, with one exception. (See chart 2.) The rate of gross job losses as a percent of private sector employment in Nebraska was 5.8 percent, matching the national rate in the quarter ended June 2018. Over the last five years, with few exceptions, the rate of gross job losses in Nebraska has been at or below the U.S. rate each quarter.

During the second quarter of 2018, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in six industry sectors in Nebraska. For example, within education and health services, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 452. While nearly 7,000 jobs were created in opening and expanding establishments in the industry, more than 6,400 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments in the 3-months ended in June 2018. Net employment gains were less than 350 in each of the five remaining sectors. (See table 1.)

In contrast, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in four industry sectors. Within retail trade and professional and business services, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 336 and 308, respectively. Net employment losses were less than 200 in the two remaining sectors.

Six of the seven states in the West North Central Census division, including Nebraska, had gross job gains that exceeded gross job losses in the quarter ended June 2018. Five states in the division, including Nebraska, had rates of gross job gains that were lower than the 6.1-percent national rate. (See table A.) Four states in the division had rates of gross job losses that were lower than the 5.8-percent national rate. As noted, Nebraska’s rate of gross job losses matched the national rate.

Table A. Private sector gross job gains and losses for the United States, West North Central Division, and West North Central states, June 2018, seasonally adjusted

Area	Gross job gains		Gross job losses		Net change	Net change as a percent of total employment
	Total	As a percent of total employment	Total	As a percent of total employment
United States	7,639,000	6.1	7,202,000	5.8	437,000	0.3
West North Central (1)	511,902	—	489,604	—	22,298	—
Iowa	74,977	5.7	70,344	5.4	4,633	0.3
Kansas	64,974	5.7	63,272	5.6	1,702	0.1
Minnesota	143,233	5.8	130,411	5.3	12,822	0.5
Missouri	136,175	5.7	135,227	5.7	948	0.0
Nebraska	47,811	5.9	47,285	5.8	526	0.1
North Dakota	23,378	6.7	21,525	6.2	1,853	0.5
South Dakota	21,354	6.1	21,540	6.1	-186	0.0
Footnotes: (1) Data were calculated for this release using published gross job gains and gross job losses for states located in the West North Central Census Division.
Note: Dash indicates data not available.

Additional statistics and other information

BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. For more information on the Business Employment Dynamics data, visit the BED web site at www.bls.gov/bdm/.

The Business Employment Dynamics for third quarter 2018 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

Technical Note

The Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data are a product of a federal-state cooperative program known as Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), or the ES-202 program. The BED data are compiled from existing QCEW records. The QCEW reports are sent by the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) to BLS and form the basis of the Bureau’s QCEW program and establishment universe sampling frame. These reports are also used to produce the QCEW data on total employment and wages. Other important Bureau uses of the QCEW reports are in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES program produces monthly estimates of employment, net changes, and earnings by detailed industry.

In the BED program, the QCEW records are linked across quarters to provide a longitudinal history for each establishment. The linkage process allows the tracking of net employment changes at the establishment level, which in turn allows the estimation of jobs gained at opening and expanding establishments and jobs lost at closing and contracting establishments.

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 establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from expansions at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. The difference between the number of gross jobs gained and the number of gross jobs lost is the net change in employment.

Gross job gains and gross job losses are expressed as rates by dividing their levels by the average of employment in the current and previous quarters. The rates are calculated for the components of gross job gains and gross job losses and then summed to form their respective totals. These rates can be added and subtracted just as their levels can. For instance, the difference between the gross job gains rate and the gross job losses rate is the net growth rate.

The formal definitions of employment changes are as follows:

Openings.  These are either establishments with positive third month employment for the second time in the current quarter, with no links to the prior quarter, or with positive third month employment in the current quarter following zero employment in the previous quarter.

Expansions.  These are establishments with positive employment in the third month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net increase in employment over this period.

Closings.  These are either establishments with positive third month employment in the previous quarter, with no employment or zero employment reported in the current quarter.

Contractions.  These are establishments with positive employment in the third month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net decrease in employment over this period.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, Nebraska, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains and job losses (3 months ended)					Gross job gains and job losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	June 2017	Sept 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018	June 2017	Sept 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	45,194	47,837	50,496	46,119	47,811	5.5	5.9	6.2	5.6	5.9
At expanding establishments	37,506	39,140	41,291	37,618	38,003	4.6	4.8	5.1	4.6	4.7
At opening establishments	7,688	8,697	9,205	8,501	9,808	0.9	1.1	1.1	1.0	1.2
Gross job losses	49,129	47,865	44,716	44,422	47,285	6.1	5.9	5.5	5.5	5.8
At contracting establishments	40,578	39,041	35,920	37,300	38,308	5.0	4.8	4.4	4.6	4.7
At closing establishments	8,551	8,824	8,796	7,122	8,977	1.1	1.1	1.1	0.9	1.1
Net employment change (2)	-3,935	-28	5,780	1,697	526	-0.6	0.0	0.7	0.1	0.1
Construction
Gross job gains	4,482	4,787	5,844	5,349	5,095	8.6	9.4	11.4	10.2	9.7
At expanding establishments	3,485	3,959	4,678	4,155	4,044	6.7	7.8	9.1	7.9	7.7
At opening establishments	997	828	1,166	1,194	1,051	1.9	1.6	2.3	2.3	2.0
Gross job losses	5,185	4,922	4,508	4,907	4,800	10.0	9.7	8.7	9.3	9.2
At contracting establishments	4,311	3,996	3,661	4,001	3,763	8.3	7.9	7.1	7.6	7.2
At closing establishments	874	926	847	906	1,037	1.7	1.8	1.6	1.7	2.0
Net employment change (2)	-703	-135	1,336	442	295	-1.4	-0.3	2.7	0.9	0.5
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	2,351	2,631	3,202	2,200	2,525	2.4	2.7	3.3	2.3	2.6
At expanding establishments	2,238	2,524	3,115	2,045	2,372	2.3	2.6	3.2	2.1	2.4
At opening establishments	113	107	87	155	153	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2
Gross job losses	2,185	2,421	1,869	2,333	2,701	2.2	2.5	1.9	2.3	2.7
At contracting establishments	1,996	2,175	1,751	2,215	2,493	2.0	2.2	1.8	2.2	2.5
At closing establishments	189	246	118	118	208	0.2	0.3	0.1	0.1	0.2
Net employment change (2)	166	210	1,333	-133	-176	0.2	0.2	1.4	0.0	-0.1
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	1,998	1,837	2,425	1,990	2,121	4.8	4.5	5.8	4.8	5.3
At expanding establishments	1,736	1,472	2,035	1,643	1,765	4.2	3.6	4.9	4.0	4.4
At opening establishments	262	365	390	347	356	0.6	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9
Gross job losses	1,936	2,263	1,758	2,317	1,952	4.7	5.5	4.3	5.7	4.8
At contracting establishments	1,556	1,768	1,381	1,924	1,529	3.8	4.3	3.4	4.7	3.8
At closing establishments	380	495	377	393	423	0.9	1.2	0.9	1.0	1.0
Net employment change (2)	62	-426	667	-327	169	0.1	-1.0	1.5	-0.9	0.5
Retail trade
Gross job gains	5,829	5,989	5,767	5,849	5,709	5.3	5.5	5.3	5.4	5.2
At expanding establishments	5,152	5,024	5,099	5,207	4,965	4.7	4.6	4.7	4.8	4.5
At opening establishments	677	965	668	642	744	0.6	0.9	0.6	0.6	0.7
Gross job losses	6,944	6,541	6,095	5,628	6,045	6.3	6.0	5.6	5.2	5.5
At contracting establishments	5,968	5,602	5,420	5,236	5,458	5.4	5.1	5.0	4.8	5.0
At closing establishments	976	939	675	392	587	0.9	0.9	0.6	0.4	0.5
Net employment change (2)	-1,115	-552	-328	221	-336	-1.0	-0.5	-0.3	0.2	-0.3
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	1,879	1,880	2,554	1,697	1,675	4.7	4.8	6.4	4.2	4.2
At expanding establishments	1,666	1,489	2,358	1,356	1,448	4.2	3.8	5.9	3.4	3.6
At opening establishments	213	391	196	341	227	0.5	1.0	0.5	0.8	0.6
Gross job losses	1,753	1,699	1,589	2,158	1,812	4.4	4.3	3.9	5.4	4.5
At contracting establishments	1,549	1,472	1,169	1,964	1,538	3.9	3.7	2.9	4.9	3.8
At closing establishments	204	227	420	194	274	0.5	0.6	1.0	0.5	0.7
Net employment change (2)	126	181	965	-461	-137	0.3	0.5	2.5	-1.2	-0.3
Financial activities
Gross job gains	2,561	2,764	2,528	2,545	2,590	3.8	4.1	3.8	3.7	3.9
At expanding establishments	2,141	2,273	1,923	1,987	2,117	3.2	3.4	2.9	2.9	3.2
At opening establishments	420	491	605	558	473	0.6	0.7	0.9	0.8	0.7
Gross job losses	2,371	2,304	2,439	2,160	2,257	3.6	3.5	3.7	3.2	3.4
At contracting establishments	1,888	1,857	1,997	1,704	1,652	2.9	2.8	3.0	2.5	2.5
At closing establishments	483	447	442	456	605	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.9
Net employment change (2)	190	460	89	385	333	0.2	0.6	0.1	0.5	0.5
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	7,950	8,530	8,170	7,978	8,385	6.8	7.3	7.0	6.7	7.1
At expanding establishments	6,447	6,925	6,562	6,403	6,644	5.5	5.9	5.6	5.4	5.6
At opening establishments	1,503	1,605	1,608	1,575	1,741	1.3	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.5
Gross job losses	9,141	7,792	8,293	7,400	8,693	7.8	6.6	7.1	6.3	7.3
At contracting establishments	7,434	6,250	6,684	6,123	6,927	6.3	5.3	5.7	5.2	5.8
At closing establishments	1,707	1,542	1,609	1,277	1,766	1.5	1.3	1.4	1.1	1.5
Net employment change (2)	-1,191	738	-123	578	-308	-1.0	0.7	-0.1	0.4	-0.2
Education and health services
Gross job gains	6,461	6,790	6,895	6,553	6,902	4.7	4.9	5.0	4.7	5.0
At expanding establishments	5,070	5,115	5,074	5,149	5,032	3.7	3.7	3.7	3.7	3.6
At opening establishments	1,391	1,675	1,821	1,404	1,870	1.0	1.2	1.3	1.0	1.4
Gross job losses	7,027	6,920	6,834	6,172	6,450	5.2	5.1	5.0	4.5	4.7
At contracting establishments	5,426	5,032	4,330	4,653	4,833	4.0	3.7	3.2	3.4	3.5
At closing establishments	1,601	1,888	2,504	1,519	1,617	1.2	1.4	1.8	1.1	1.2
Net employment change (2)	-566	-130	61	381	452	-0.5	-0.2	0.0	0.2	0.3
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	8,202	8,710	8,742	8,197	8,957	8.9	9.5	9.5	8.9	9.7
At expanding establishments	6,659	7,329	6,890	6,576	6,671	7.2	8.0	7.5	7.1	7.2
At opening establishments	1,543	1,381	1,852	1,621	2,286	1.7	1.5	2.0	1.8	2.5
Gross job losses	8,715	9,100	7,817	7,411	8,673	9.4	10.0	8.5	8.0	9.4
At contracting establishments	7,224	7,678	6,701	6,152	7,077	7.8	8.4	7.3	6.6	7.7
At closing establishments	1,491	1,422	1,116	1,259	1,596	1.6	1.6	1.2	1.4	1.7
Net employment change (2)	-513	-390	925	786	284	-0.5	-0.5	1.0	0.9	0.3
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	1,585	1,688	1,650	1,662	1,851	6.6	7.0	6.9	6.9	7.6
At expanding establishments	1,302	1,360	1,319	1,356	1,290	5.4	5.6	5.5	5.6	5.3
At opening establishments	283	328	331	306	561	1.2	1.4	1.4	1.3	2.3
Gross job losses	1,572	1,684	1,572	1,513	1,526	6.5	6.9	6.5	6.2	6.2
At contracting establishments	1,283	1,362	1,261	1,235	1,207	5.3	5.6	5.2	5.1	4.9
At closing establishments	289	322	311	278	319	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.1	1.3
Net employment change (2)	13	4	78	149	325	0.1	0.1	0.4	0.7	1.4
Footnotes: (1) Includes unclassified sector not shown separately. (2) The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses. See the Technical Note for further information. (3) Except public administration.

Table 2. Private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains as a percent of employment (3 months ended)					Gross job losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	June 2017	Sept. 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018	June 2017	Sept. 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018
United States(1)	6.2	6.0	6.4	6.0	6.1	5.8	6.1	5.6	5.4	5.8
Alabama	5.6	6.0	6.0	6.0	5.8	5.6	5.8	5.4	5.3	5.7
Alaska	10.9	8.7	9.7	9.8	10.9	9.9	10.8	10.2	8.8	10.7
Arizona	6.2	6.6	6.3	6.0	6.0	5.7	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.9
Arkansas	5.4	5.8	6.1	5.4	5.0	5.7	5.5	5.1	5.0	5.6
California	6.9	6.5	6.9	6.4	6.7	6.5	6.3	6.0	5.9	6.3
Colorado	7.0	6.7	6.8	6.8	6.8	6.3	6.5	6.1	6.0	6.1
Connecticut	5.7	5.4	5.3	5.1	5.8	5.2	5.8	5.2	5.2	5.0
Delaware	6.7	6.4	7.0	7.1	6.5	6.6	6.6	6.4	5.9	6.0
District of Columbia	5.7	5.4	5.8	6.0	5.6	5.4	5.2	5.0	4.7	5.5
Florida	6.6	5.8	8.2	6.1	6.5	6.1	7.5	5.3	5.5	6.1
Georgia	6.2	6.2	6.9	6.5	6.2	6.1	6.1	5.6	5.6	6.4
Hawaii	5.2	5.4	5.1	5.0	5.2	5.3	5.1	4.7	4.8	5.5
Idaho	7.3	6.7	7.4	7.9	7.3	6.6	6.8	6.6	5.9	6.7
Illinois	5.7	5.6	6.0	5.7	5.6	5.6	6.0	5.3	5.1	5.5
Indiana	5.7	5.4	5.7	5.6	5.4	5.5	5.6	5.0	5.1	5.5
Iowa	5.7	5.5	5.9	5.5	5.7	5.8	5.7	5.3	5.3	5.4
Kansas	5.5	6.3	5.9	5.2	5.7	6.5	5.7	5.2	5.5	5.6
Kentucky	6.1	6.0	6.1	6.2	5.9	6.0	6.0	5.6	5.9	5.6
Louisiana	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.5	6.1	6.6	6.1	6.0	5.8	6.5
Maine	7.7	6.5	7.2	7.2	8.1	6.8	7.5	6.6	7.0	7.1
Maryland	6.4	6.3	6.2	6.3	6.0	6.1	6.2	6.3	5.7	5.8
Massachusetts	6.1	5.4	5.7	5.4	6.1	5.3	5.6	5.4	5.2	5.4
Michigan	5.8	5.3	5.7	5.7	5.6	5.3	6.0	5.4	4.6	5.1
Minnesota	5.7	5.3	5.8	5.3	5.8	5.3	5.7	5.5	5.0	5.3
Mississippi	5.9	5.9	6.3	5.5	5.7	6.0	5.9	5.4	5.8	6.0
Missouri	5.6	5.9	5.7	5.4	5.7	5.6	5.9	5.5	5.2	5.7
Montana	7.9	7.2	8.5	7.8	8.0	7.7	7.9	7.4	7.1	7.8
Nebraska	5.5	5.9	6.2	5.6	5.9	6.1	5.9	5.5	5.5	5.8
Nevada	6.2	6.2	6.6	6.5	6.1	5.9	5.8	5.2	5.4	5.8
New Hampshire	6.6	5.5	6.7	6.1	6.7	6.0	6.6	5.9	5.9	6.3
New Jersey	6.7	6.0	6.4	5.6	6.5	5.6	6.3	5.8	5.8	5.7
New Mexico	6.8	6.6	6.5	6.3	6.5	6.4	6.3	6.1	5.5	6.2
New York	6.4	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.3	5.8	6.1	5.8	5.6	5.8
North Carolina	6.3	6.0	6.3	6.2	6.1	6.2	6.0	5.5	5.2	5.5
North Dakota	6.8	6.7	6.8	7.0	6.7	6.9	6.7	6.8	6.3	6.2
Ohio	5.8	5.3	5.7	5.5	5.6	5.5	5.7	5.2	5.0	5.4
Oklahoma	6.6	6.6	6.4	6.1	6.3	6.0	6.0	5.8	5.5	6.5
Oregon	6.7	6.6	6.8	7.8	6.2	6.1	6.4	6.0	5.6	6.2
Pennsylvania	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.2	5.3	5.2	5.2	5.0	4.9	5.1
Rhode Island	6.5	6.0	6.6	6.3	6.3	5.9	6.3	6.0	6.1	6.1
South Carolina	6.1	5.8	7.0	5.9	7.5	6.1	6.2	5.3	4.7	6.5
South Dakota	6.2	5.8	6.4	6.4	6.1	6.2	5.9	5.7	5.9	6.1
Tennessee	5.5	5.4	5.9	5.0	5.5	5.2	5.2	4.9	4.8	5.1
Texas	5.9	5.9	6.4	5.8	5.9	5.4	5.8	5.3	5.1	5.2
Utah	6.8	7.0	7.0	7.4	6.9	6.3	6.3	5.9	6.0	6.3
Vermont	7.9	6.5	7.4	6.4	7.2	6.8	7.8	6.5	7.0	7.3
Virginia	6.4	5.9	6.3	5.8	6.1	5.9	6.2	5.5	5.2	5.8
Washington	7.1	6.4	6.9	7.2	7.3	6.2	6.4	6.0	5.7	6.3
West Virginia	6.4	6.7	6.3	6.8	6.8	6.5	6.3	6.1	5.8	6.4
Wisconsin	5.6	5.0	5.6	5.6	5.4	5.5	5.7	5.0	4.7	5.5
Wyoming	8.6	8.7	8.7	8.4	8.2	9.1	7.9	8.4	8.0	8.3
Puerto Rico	5.4	4.5	7.1	8.4	8.0	5.4	6.8	11.8	6.8	6.2
Virgin Islands	6.7	4.2	9.2	12.0	12.5	5.3	11.6	28.2	16.8	8.6
Footnotes (1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.