For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, October 28, 2026 USDL-26-1617
Technical information: (202) 691-6553 * BDMInfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/bdm
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS – FIRST QUARTER 2026
From December 2025 to March 2026, gross job gains from expanding and opening private-sector
establishments were 7.4 million, a decrease of 478,000 jobs from the previous quarter, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over this period, gross job losses from contracting and
closing private-sector establishments were 7.3 million, an increase of 43,000 jobs from the
previous quarter. (See tables A and 1.)
The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of increases and decreases in employment
that occur at all private businesses in the economy. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track
these changes in employment at private-sector establishments from the third month of one quarter to the
third month of the next. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross
job losses is the net change in employment. (See Technical Note.) The BED data series include gross job
gains and gross job losses by industry subsector for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
and the Virgin Islands, as well as gross job gains and gross job losses at the firm level by employer size
class.
Gross Job Gains
In the first quarter of 2026, gross job gains represented 5.5 percent of private-sector employment.
Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment due to expansions at existing establishments and
the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. Expanding establishments gained 5.9 million jobs
in the first quarter of 2026, and opening establishments gained 1.5 million jobs.
(See tables A, 1, 2, and 3.)
Gross Job Losses
In the first quarter of 2026, gross job losses represented 5.5 percent of private-sector employment. Gross
job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at
closing establishments. Contracting establishments lost 5.8 million jobs in the first quarter of 2026,
and closing establishments lost 1.5 million jobs. (See tables A, 1, 2, and 3.)
Establishment Births and Deaths
In the first quarter of 2026, there were 323,000 establishment births which accounted for 949,000
jobs. Data for establishment deaths are available through the second quarter of 2025, when 923,000 jobs
were lost at 310,000 establishments. (See Technical Note and table 8.)
Firm Size
In the first quarter of 2026, firms with 1 to 49 employees had a net employment decrease of 67,000.
Firms with 50 to 249 employees experienced a net employment loss of 5,000. Firms with 250 or more
employees added 255,000 net jobs. (See tables 4 and 5.)
States
Gross job gains surpassed gross job losses in 29 states and the Virgin Islands in the first quarter
of 2026. (See tables 6 and 7.)
Industries
Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 6 out of 13 industry sectors in the first quarter of
2026. The service-providing industries experienced a net job loss of 8,000. The goods-producing
industries had a net job increase of 96,000. (See table 3.)
Table A. Three-month private-sector gross job gains and losses, seasonally adjusted
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| 3 months ended
Category | Mar. | June | Sept. | Dec. | Mar.
| 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2026
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| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------
Gross job gains......................... | 7,577 | 7,598 | 7,518 | 7,859 | 7,381
At expanding establishments...... | 5,942 | 6,089 | 5,918 | 6,194 | 5,900
At opening establishments........ | 1,635 | 1,509 | 1,600 | 1,665 | 1,481
| | | | |
Gross job losses........................ | 7,315 | 7,893 | 7,633 | 7,250 | 7,293
At contracting establishments.... | 5,909 | 6,347 | 6,151 | 5,818 | 5,829
At closing establishments........ | 1,406 | 1,546 | 1,482 | 1,432 | 1,464
| | | | |
Net employment change (1)............... | 262 | -295 | -115 | 609 | 88
| | | | |
|--------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------
Gross job gains......................... | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.5
At expanding establishments...... | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.4
At opening establishments........ | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1
| | | | |
Gross job losses........................ | 5.5 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.5
At contracting establishments.... | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.4
At closing establishments........ | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1
| | | | |
Net employment change (1)............... | 0.2 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0
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(1) The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross
job losses. See the Technical Note for further information.
For More Information
Additional information on gross job gains and gross job losses is available online at www.bls.gov/bdm.
This information includes data for the levels and rates of gross job gains and gross job losses by firm
size, not seasonally adjusted data and seasonally adjusted time series not presented in this release,
charts of gross job gains and gross job losses by industry and firm size, and answers to frequently asked
questions. Additional information about the Business Employment Dynamics data can be found
in the Technical Note of this release or can be obtained by emailing BDMinfo@bls.gov.
_____________
The Business Employment Dynamics news release for Second Quarter 2026 is scheduled to be published on
Wednesday, January 27, 2027, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
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| Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data |
| |
| The release of First Quarter 2026 Business Employment Dynamics data incorporates annual |
| revisions in accordance with standard procedures. The revisions include the previous 4 |
| quarters of not seasonally adjusted data and 5 years of seasonally adjusted data. Charts in |
| the PDF version of the press release have been modified to show the most recent 5 years of |
| seasonally adjusted data. |
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United States Department of Labor
