Gross job gains and losses, third quarter 2011

From June to September 2011 gross job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments were 7.1 million, an increase of 166,000 jobs from the previous quarter. Gross job losses from closing and contracting private sector establishments were 6.3 million from June to September 2011, a decrease of 9,000 jobs from the previous quarter.

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The difference between the number of gross job gains and gross job losses yielded a net employment change of 753,000 jobs in the private sector during the third quarter of 2011. This is the largest net job gain since the first quarter of 2006.

From June to September 2011, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in all industry sectors except utilities. The manufacturing industry experienced the sixth consecutive quarter of positive net employment change. This comes after 16 straight quarters of net losses for this sector. Professional and business services, which include temporary help services, accounted for 27 percent of the total net job growth in the third quarter of 2011. Although the retail trade sector showed positive net employment growth in the third quarter, the number of gross jobs lost from contracting establishments increased by 106,000 from the prior quarter to 754,000.

These data are from the Business Employment Dynamics program. To learn more, see "Business Employment Dynamics — Third Quarter 2011" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-12-0813. 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. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from expansions at existing units and the addition of new jobs at opening units. Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing units and the loss of jobs at closing units. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment.