Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

25-1237-PHI
Friday, August 01, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Business Employment Dynamics in Virginia — Fourth Quarter 2024

From September 2024 to December 2024, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in Virginia were 193,916, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments were 185,156, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 8,760 jobs in the private sector during the fourth quarter of 2024. (See table 1.) During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 6,628. (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 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 the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.)

Gross job gains

In the fourth quarter of 2024, gross job gains represented 5.8 percent of private-sector employment in Virginia; matching the national gross job percent gain. (See chart 2.) 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. In Virginia, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 150,162 in the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease of 482 jobs compared to the previous quarter. Opening establishments accounted for 43,754 jobs gained in the fourth quarter of 2024, an increase of 1,624 jobs from the previous quarter.

Gross job losses

In the fourth quarter of 2024, gross job losses represented 5.5 percent of private-sector employment in Virginia; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.7 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 3.) Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. In Virginia, contracting establishments lost 141,576 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease of 10,722 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 43,580 jobs, an increase of 9,732 jobs from the previous quarter.

Industries

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 4 of the 11 published industry sectors in Virginia in the fourth quarter of 2024. Leisure and hospitality had the largest over-the-quarter net job increase, with a gain of 11,413 jobs. This was the result of 39,232 gross job gains and 27,819 gross job losses. The transportation and warehousing industry had a net gain of 4,145 jobs. Retail trade showed a net loss of 5,436 jobs, the largest loss of any sector in the state. Virginia’s professional and business services industry sector had a net loss of 5,340 jobs.

For more information

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. BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. Additional information is available online at the Business Employment Dynamics homepage and the Business Employment Dynamics Summary.

The Business Employment Dynamics for First Quarter 2025 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

The release of First Quarter 2025 Business Employment Dynamics data, scheduled for October 29, 2025, will incorporate annual revisions in accordance with standard procedures. The revisions will include the previous four quarters of not seasonally adjusted data and five years of seasonally adjusted data.


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). The BED data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records.

More information on formal definitions of the data used in this release, along with coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses by industry, Virginia, seasonally adjusted
Category Gross job gains and losses
(3 months ended)
Gross job gains and losses
as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024
Dec.
2024
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024
Dec.
2024

Total private (1)

Gross job gains

199,237 191,176 190,520 192,774 193,916 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.8 5.8

At expanding establishments

154,854 147,033 150,958 150,644 150,162 4.6 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.5

At opening establishments

44,383 44,143 39,562 42,130 43,754 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3

Gross job losses

183,131 174,641 189,462 186,146 185,156 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.5 5.5

At contracting establishments

141,956 137,930 151,303 152,298 141,576 4.3 4.1 4.5 4.5 4.2

At closing establishments

41,175 36,711 38,159 33,848 43,580 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.3

Net employment change (2)

16,106 16,535 1,058 6,628 8,760 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.3

Construction

Gross job gains

15,666 16,088 13,510 13,430 16,066 7.3 7.4 6.2 6.2 7.3

At expanding establishments

12,711 13,552 11,287 11,137 13,406 5.9 6.2 5.2 5.1 6.1

At opening establishments

2,955 2,536 2,223 2,293 2,660 1.4 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.2

Gross job losses

14,122 14,027 13,999 13,050 13,535 6.6 6.4 6.4 6.0 6.1

At contracting establishments

10,695 11,163 11,099 10,633 10,409 5.0 5.1 5.1 4.9 4.7

At closing establishments

3,427 2,864 2,900 2,417 3,126 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.4

Net employment change (2)

1,544 2,061 -489 380 2,531 0.7 1.0 -0.2 0.2 1.2

Manufacturing

Gross job gains

7,650 7,793 7,168 8,031 6,582 3.1 3.2 2.9 3.3 2.8

At expanding establishments

6,583 6,796 6,194 5,307 5,716 2.7 2.8 2.5 2.2 2.4

At opening establishments

1,067 997 974 2,724 866 0.4 0.4 0.4 1.1 0.4

Gross job losses

8,792 6,584 7,046 8,376 8,418 3.6 2.7 2.9 3.5 3.5

At contracting establishments

7,567 5,537 6,007 7,631 7,471 3.1 2.3 2.5 3.2 3.1

At closing establishments

1,225 1,047 1,039 745 947 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4

Net employment change (2)

-1,142 1,209 122 -345 -1,836 -0.5 0.5 0.0 -0.2 -0.7

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains

4,612 4,861 4,213 4,769 4,065 4.0 4.3 3.7 4.2 3.6

At expanding establishments

3,693 3,854 3,604 4,163 3,309 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.7 2.9

At opening establishments

919 1,007 609 606 756 0.8 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.7

Gross job losses

4,348 4,382 4,654 4,196 4,997 3.8 3.8 4.1 3.7 4.4

At contracting establishments

3,346 3,340 3,713 3,393 3,954 2.9 2.9 3.3 3.0 3.5

At closing establishments

1,002 1,042 941 803 1,043 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.9

Net employment change (2)

264 479 -441 573 -932 0.2 0.5 -0.4 0.5 -0.8

Retail trade

Gross job gains

18,794 22,140 20,106 19,794 17,375 4.8 5.6 5.1 5.0 4.5

At expanding establishments

16,096 18,992 17,456 17,784 14,622 4.1 4.8 4.4 4.5 3.8

At opening establishments

2,698 3,148 2,650 2,010 2,753 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.7

Gross job losses

21,347 17,420 21,628 21,867 22,811 5.5 4.5 5.4 5.6 5.8

At contracting establishments

18,731 15,135 19,221 19,253 19,956 4.8 3.9 4.8 4.9 5.1

At closing establishments

2,616 2,285 2,407 2,614 2,855 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7

Net employment change (2)

-2,553 4,720 -1,522 -2,073 -5,436 -0.7 1.1 -0.3 -0.6 -1.3

Transportation and warehousing

Gross job gains

12,285 6,885 8,640 7,803 9,623 8.2 4.5 5.7 5.2 6.3

At expanding establishments

11,033 5,993 7,347 6,155 8,703 7.4 3.9 4.8 4.1 5.7

At opening establishments

1,252 892 1,293 1,648 920 0.8 0.6 0.9 1.1 0.6

Gross job losses

6,838 8,659 7,928 6,764 5,478 4.6 5.7 5.2 4.5 3.6

At contracting establishments

5,414 7,641 6,361 6,207 4,565 3.6 5.0 4.2 4.1 3.0

At closing establishments

1,424 1,018 1,567 557 913 1.0 0.7 1.0 0.4 0.6

Net employment change (2)

5,447 -1,774 712 1,039 4,145 3.6 -1.2 0.5 0.7 2.7

Information

Gross job gains

3,774 2,601 3,223 3,354 2,863 5.4 3.7 4.6 4.8 4.1

At expanding establishments

2,322 1,972 2,726 2,558 2,162 3.3 2.8 3.9 3.7 3.1

At opening establishments

1,452 629 497 796 701 2.1 0.9 0.7 1.1 1.0

Gross job losses

3,917 3,059 2,997 3,896 3,826 5.7 4.4 4.3 5.6 5.5

At contracting establishments

3,371 2,512 2,281 2,834 2,765 4.9 3.6 3.3 4.1 4.0

At closing establishments

546 547 716 1,062 1,061 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.5 1.5

Net employment change (2)

-143 -458 226 -542 -963 -0.3 -0.7 0.3 -0.8 -1.4

Financial activities

Gross job gains

9,617 8,334 9,016 8,825 8,970 4.7 4.1 4.4 4.3 4.4

At expanding establishments

6,948 6,340 7,109 7,021 6,463 3.4 3.1 3.5 3.4 3.2

At opening establishments

2,669 1,994 1,907 1,804 2,507 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.2

Gross job losses

10,722 9,100 9,166 8,771 9,022 5.2 4.4 4.5 4.3 4.4

At contracting establishments

8,251 7,054 6,924 6,516 6,440 4.0 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.1

At closing establishments

2,471 2,046 2,242 2,255 2,582 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.3

Net employment change (2)

-1,105 -766 -150 54 -52 -0.5 -0.3 -0.1 0.0 0.0

Professional and business services

Gross job gains

42,830 42,072 45,486 48,729 41,912 5.4 5.3 5.6 6.0 5.2

At expanding establishments

32,558 31,985 36,299 35,601 31,517 4.1 4.0 4.5 4.4 3.9

At opening establishments

10,272 10,087 9,187 13,128 10,395 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.6 1.3

Gross job losses

45,556 42,645 43,715 44,408 47,252 5.7 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.8

At contracting establishments

34,618 32,702 34,815 35,746 35,145 4.3 4.1 4.3 4.4 4.3

At closing establishments

10,938 9,943 8,900 8,662 12,107 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.5

Net employment change (2)

-2,726 -573 1,771 4,321 -5,340 -0.3 0.0 0.2 0.5 -0.6

Education and health services

Gross job gains

30,751 30,718 30,062 31,879 29,772 5.5 5.5 5.3 5.6 5.2

At expanding establishments

22,983 23,577 23,041 25,490 22,743 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.5 4.0

At opening establishments

7,768 7,141 7,021 6,389 7,029 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.2

Gross job losses

25,293 23,075 26,375 23,566 29,357 4.5 4.1 4.6 4.1 5.1

At contracting establishments

17,372 16,896 19,880 18,404 19,107 3.1 3.0 3.5 3.2 3.3

At closing establishments

7,921 6,179 6,495 5,162 10,250 1.4 1.1 1.1 0.9 1.8

Net employment change (2)

5,458 7,643 3,687 8,313 415 1.0 1.4 0.7 1.5 0.1

Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains

37,530 32,815 32,978 32,705 39,232 9.1 7.8 8.0 8.0 9.5

At expanding establishments

29,530 24,005 25,996 26,266 32,241 7.2 5.7 6.3 6.4 7.8

At opening establishments

8,000 8,810 6,982 6,439 6,991 1.9 2.1 1.7 1.6 1.7

Gross job losses

29,874 32,634 38,392 38,612 27,819 7.2 7.8 9.3 9.4 6.7

At contracting establishments

24,114 26,835 31,427 32,367 22,995 5.8 6.4 7.6 7.9 5.5

At closing establishments

5,760 5,799 6,965 6,245 4,824 1.4 1.4 1.7 1.5 1.2

Net employment change (2)

7,656 181 -5,414 -5,907 11,413 1.9 0.0 -1.3 -1.4 2.8

Other services (3)

Gross job gains

8,982 8,696 8,755 8,318 8,391 7.1 6.8 6.8 6.5 6.6

At expanding establishments

6,858 6,296 6,419 6,384 6,141 5.4 4.9 5.0 5.0 4.8

At opening establishments

2,124 2,400 2,336 1,934 2,250 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.5 1.8

Gross job losses

7,910 8,104 8,888 8,504 8,497 6.2 6.3 6.9 6.6 6.6

At contracting establishments

5,831 6,024 6,588 6,588 6,294 4.6 4.7 5.1 5.1 4.9

At closing establishments

2,079 2,080 2,300 1,916 2,203 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.5 1.7

Net employment change (2)

1,072 592 -133 -186 -106 0.9 0.5 -0.1 -0.1 0.0

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)
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024
Dec.
2024
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024
Dec.
2024

United States(1)

6.0 5.7 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.4 5.9 5.8 5.7

Alabama

6.2 5.7 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.5 5.6 5.9 5.3

Alaska

10.2 10.5 10.2 7.9 10.3 9.9 8.6 9.6 9.7 9.6

Arizona

6.5 8.4 5.6 6.3 6.1 6.6 6.4 6.8 6.5 6.0

Arkansas

6.2 5.6 5.2 5.2 5.8 5.0 5.2 5.8 5.2 4.8

California

6.4 5.8 6.1 6.4 6.6 6.4 5.6 6.8 6.1 6.4

Colorado

8.2 6.4 6.5 6.3 6.1 7.6 7.7 6.2 6.7 6.7

Connecticut

5.6 5.6 5.8 5.5 5.5 5.7 5.2 5.6 5.7 5.6

Delaware

6.1 6.0 5.9 6.8 6.1 5.8 5.1 6.5 6.4 6.4

District of Columbia

5.2 5.1 5.1 4.9 5.0 5.6 4.9 6.0 5.0 5.5

Florida

6.1 5.8 6.0 6.6 6.0 5.9 5.4 5.9 5.7 6.2

Georgia

6.2 6.0 5.7 5.7 6.0 5.7 5.7 5.7 6.1 5.4

Hawaii

6.1 5.4 5.1 5.6 5.3 5.0 5.1 5.4 5.0 4.9

Idaho

8.5 7.9 7.5 7.2 8.2 5.8 8.3 7.4 7.6 6.8

Illinois

5.0 5.1 5.2 5.0 5.1 5.1 4.8 5.3 5.1 5.2

Indiana

5.5 5.3 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.1 5.0 5.5 5.4 5.2

Iowa

6.1 6.1 5.5 5.2 5.5 5.7 5.6 5.7 6.0 5.6

Kansas

5.8 5.7 5.8 5.3 5.9 5.3 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.2

Kentucky

5.7 5.7 5.2 5.4 5.3 5.2 5.0 5.9 5.5 5.5

Louisiana

6.3 6.2 5.7 6.1 6.2 5.8 5.7 6.3 5.8 5.4

Maine

7.4 7.2 7.3 6.2 6.7 7.0 6.1 7.0 7.0 7.0

Maryland

6.2 5.8 7.2 6.1 6.0 5.8 5.7 6.5 6.1 5.9

Massachusetts

5.5 5.2 5.7 4.9 5.3 5.5 5.1 5.6 5.8 5.6

Michigan

5.5 5.4 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.8 6.0

Minnesota

6.9 5.8 5.7 5.1 5.5 6.9 5.7 5.4 5.9 5.1

Mississippi

6.1 5.7 5.8 6.1 6.3 5.7 6.1 6.3 5.7 6.4

Missouri

6.0 5.7 5.6 5.5 5.7 5.6 5.3 5.8 5.8 5.3

Montana

8.8 8.1 7.9 7.3 8.4 7.2 7.5 7.6 8.1 7.8

Nebraska

5.9 5.8 5.4 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.1 5.6 5.6 5.5

Nevada

6.7 5.9 5.8 6.1 6.2 5.4 6.2 5.7 5.9 5.8

New Hampshire

6.2 6.5 6.1 5.5 6.3 5.9 5.8 6.0 6.7 5.9

New Jersey

5.9 5.5 5.9 5.3 6.0 5.8 5.4 5.4 5.8 5.3

New Mexico

6.9 6.0 6.0 6.2 5.8 5.8 6.0 6.3 6.3 5.9

New York

5.7 5.9 5.9 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.0 5.5 5.7 5.5

North Carolina

6.3 5.4 5.6 5.6 6.1 4.9 5.5 5.7 6.1 5.5

North Dakota

6.7 6.9 6.6 6.5 6.5 6.3 6.1 6.6 6.6 6.7

Ohio

5.4 5.5 5.2 5.1 5.4 5.2 4.8 5.4 5.4 5.1

Oklahoma

6.1 5.6 5.6 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.2 6.4 5.6 5.4

Oregon

6.2 6.4 6.0 6.3 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.4 6.6 6.8

Pennsylvania

5.2 5.1 4.9 5.1 5.2 4.8 4.6 5.1 5.1 4.8

Rhode Island

6.8 6.9 6.6 6.2 7.2 6.3 5.7 6.7 6.5 6.3

South Carolina

6.2 6.4 5.9 6.2 6.5 5.3 6.3 6.4 5.9 6.0

South Dakota

6.6 6.3 6.0 5.9 6.7 5.8 5.8 6.3 5.9 5.9

Tennessee

6.2 5.5 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.5 4.9 5.7 5.8 5.0

Texas

5.7 5.4 5.4 5.6 5.8 5.2 5.1 5.3 5.3 5.1

Utah

6.6 6.7 6.4 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.0 6.6 6.1 6.2

Vermont

7.3 7.2 6.6 6.6 6.7 6.6 6.3 7.5 7.3 6.8

Virginia

5.9 5.7 5.7 5.8 5.8 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.5 5.5

Washington

6.0 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.4 5.3

West Virginia

6.5 6.9 6.6 5.8 6.4 5.8 5.7 6.8 6.6 6.1

Wisconsin

5.5 5.5 5.3 5.0 5.3 5.2 4.8 5.5 5.4 5.0

Wyoming

8.9 8.4 8.2 8.6 8.8 8.4 8.3 9.0 9.0 8.4

Puerto Rico

4.9 5.4 5.6 5.4 4.4 4.8 4.6 4.9 5.1 5.5

Virgin Islands

6.0 5.6 4.3 4.4 4.0 5.9 4.5 5.1 6.1 12.6

Footnotes
(1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. The sum of the states will not necessarily add to the U.S. total because of the independent seasonal adjustment of each state.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, August 01, 2025