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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.
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.
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 October 31, 2024).