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Nearly a million jobs gained in the fourth quarter of 2017

July 27, 2018

From September 2017 to December 2017, gross job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments were 7.8 million. Over this period, gross job losses from closing and contracting private sector establishments were 6.8 million. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 999,000 jobs during the fourth quarter of 2017.

 Private sector job gains and losses, seasonally adjusted, September 2017–December 2017
Category 3 months ended December 2017

Job gains

7,793,000

At expanding establishments

6,361,000

At opening establishments

1,432,000

Job losses

6,794,000

At contracting establishments

5,506,000

At closing establishments

1,288,000

Net employment change

999,000

 

Note: The net employment change is the difference between total job gains and total job losses.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, gross job gains represented 6.4 percent of private sector employment. Gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 6.4 million, while gains at opening establishments totaled 1.4 million.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, gross job losses represented 5.5 percent of private sector employment. Contracting establishments lost 5.5 million jobs, and closing establishments lost 1.3 million jobs.

These data are from the Business Employment Dynamics program. 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. Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. For more information, see "Business Employment Dynamics — Fourth Quarter 2017." 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, Nearly a million jobs gained in the fourth quarter of 2017 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/nearly-a-million-jobs-gained-in-the-fourth-quarter-of-2017.htm (visited December 09, 2024).

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