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News Release Information

16-2151-CHI
Tuesday, December 06, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Business Employment Dynamics in North Dakota — First Quarter 2016

From December 2015 to March 2016 gross job losses in North Dakota totaled 31,279, while gross job gains numbered 23,501, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 7,778. During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 4,910.

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. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track these changes in employment at private business establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from 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. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See the Technical Note for more information.)

North Dakota’s 31,279 gross job losses in March 2016 were more than the 28,948 gross job losses recorded in December 2015. Over the past 5 years, gross job losses reached a high of 41,546 in June 2015 and a low of 18,432 in September 2011. North Dakota’s 23,501 gross job gains in March 2016 followed the 24,038 gross job gains in December 2015. Over the past 5 years, gross job gains reached a high of 34,397 in March 2012 and a low of 22,316 in June 2011. (See chart 1.) The gross job gains in March 2012 were a series high for the state.

Gross job losses represented 8.9 percent of private sector employment in North Dakota in the quarter ended March 2016, while nationally gross job losses accounted for 5.7 percent of private sector employment. (See chart 2.) Since March 2011, the rate of gross job losses in North Dakota has been at or above the U.S. rate each quarter. Gross job gains represented 6.6 percent of private sector employment in North Dakota in the quarter ended March 2016, while the U.S. rate of gross job gains was 5.8 percent of private sector employment. The rate of gross job gains in North Dakota has been at or above the national rate since March 2006.

During the first quarter of 2016, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in all published  industry sectors. For example, within professional and business services, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 1,786. While almost 4,000 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments in the industry, more than 2,000 jobs were created by opening and expanding establishments in the three-months ended in March 2016. In the construction industry, nearly 7,000 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments and more than 5,000 jobs created in opening and expanding establishments, resulting in a net loss of 1,671 jobs. In each of the three other sectors—wholesale trade, leisure and hospitality, and retail trade—gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by less than 1,000. (See table 1.)

North Dakota was among the seven states in the West North Central Census division. Two states in the division, including North Dakota, had gross job losses that exceeded gross job gains. (See table A.) Two states (Minnesota and Missouri) had rates of gross job gains that were lower than the 5.8-percent national rate. Three states (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa) had rates of gross job gains that were higher than the national rate. Four states had rates of gross job losses that were below the 5.7-percent national rate. The three remaining states had rates of gross job losses that were higher than the national rate.

Table A. Private sector gross job gains and losses for the United States, West North Central Division, and West North Central states, March 2016, seasonally adjusted
AreaGross job gainsGross job lossesNet changeNet change as
a percent of
total
employment
TotalAs a
percent of
total
employment
TotalAs a
percent of
total
employment

United States

6,977,0005.86,783,0005.7194,0000.1

West North Central (1)

497,061483,94213,119

Iowa

77,7956.069,1405.38,6550.7

Kansas

64,9805.866,8965.9-1,916-0.1

Minnesota

131,0595.4126,8385.24,2210.2

Missouri

131,1775.7124,2225.36,9550.4

Nebraska

47,0505.844,3795.52,6710.3

North Dakota

23,5016.631,2798.9-7,778-2.3

South Dakota

21,4996.221,1886.13110.1

Footnotes:
(1) Data were calculated for this release using published gross job gains and gross job losses for states located in the West North Central Census Division.
 

Note: Dash indicates data not available.
 

Additional statistics and other information

BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. For more information on the Business Employment Dynamics data, visit the BED web site at www.bls.gov/bdm/.

The Business Employment Dynamics release for second quarter 2016 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 25, 2017.

Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

Data in this release incorporate annual revisions to the BED series. Annual revisions are published each year with the release of first quarter data. These revisions cover the last 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), or the ES-202 program. The BED data are compiled from existing QCEW records. The QCEW reports are sent by the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) to BLS and form the basis of the Bureau’s QCEW program and establishment universe sampling frame. These reports are also used to produce the QCEW data on total employment and wages. Other important Bureau uses of the QCEW reports are in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES program produces monthly estimates of employment, net changes, and earnings by detailed industry.

In the BED program, the QCEW records are linked across quarters to provide a longitudinal history for each establishment. The linkage process allows the tracking of net employment changes at the establishment level, which in turn allows the estimation of jobs gained at opening and expanding establishments and jobs lost at closing and contracting establishments.

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. BED statistics track these changes in employment at private business establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from 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. The difference between the number of gross jobs gained and the number of gross jobs lost is the net change in employment.

Gross job gains and gross job losses are expressed as rates by dividing their levels by the average of employment in the current and previous quarters. The rates are calculated for the components of gross job gains and gross job losses and then summed to form their respective totals. These rates can be added and subtracted just as their levels can. For instance, the difference between the gross job gains rate and the gross job losses rate is the net growth rate.

The formal definitions of employment changes are as follows:

Openings.  These are either establishments with positive third month employment for the first time in the current quarter, with no links to the prior quarter, or with positive third month employment in the current quarter following zero employment in the previous quarter.

Expansions.  These are establishments with positive employment in the third month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net increase in employment over this period.

Closings.  These are either establishments with positive third month employment in the previous quarter, with no employment or zero employment reported in the current quarter.

Contractions.  These are establishments with positive employment in the third month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net decrease in employment over this period.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, North Dakota, seasonally adjusted
CategoryGross job gains and job losses
(3 months ended)
Gross job gains and job losses
as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Mar.
2015
June
2015
Sept.
2015
Dec.
2015
Mar.
2016
Mar.
2015
June
2015
Sept.
2015
Dec.
2015
Mar.
2016

Total private (1)

 

Gross job gains

27,36824,79225,56724,03823,5017.16.77.16.76.6

At expanding establishments

21,46420,28319,15619,25918,7985.65.55.35.45.3

At opening establishments

5,9044,5096,4114,7794,7031.51.21.81.31.3

Gross job losses

33,17941,54630,76728,94831,2798.611.28.58.18.9

At contracting establishments

28,79635,35725,86524,60226,3077.59.57.16.97.5

At closing establishments

4,3836,1894,9024,3464,9721.11.71.41.21.4

Net employment change (2)

-5,811-16,754-5,200-4,910-7,778-1.5-4.5-1.4-1.4-2.3

Construction

 

Gross job gains

6,6664,7625,3455,3325,29317.713.616.516.416.5

At expanding establishments

4,5923,7083,5594,0633,69512.210.611.012.511.5

At opening establishments

2,0741,0541,7861,2691,5985.53.05.53.95.0

Gross job losses

6,94010,7745,8525,1236,96418.530.918.215.821.7

At contracting establishments

5,8088,9744,5674,0495,75115.525.714.212.517.9

At closing establishments

1,1321,8001,2851,0741,2133.05.24.03.33.8

Net employment change (2)

-274-6,012-507209-1,671-0.8-17.3-1.70.6-5.2

Wholesale trade

 

Gross job gains

1,4721,2791,3621,1611,2255.34.85.24.54.8

At expanding establishments

1,2971,1309791,0091,0424.74.23.73.94.1

At opening establishments

1751493831521830.60.61.50.60.7

Gross job losses

1,8022,4381,3801,9251,8686.59.15.27.47.3

At contracting establishments

1,6602,2831,2641,6271,6816.08.54.86.36.6

At closing establishments

1421551162981870.50.60.41.10.7

Net employment change (2)

-330-1,159-18-764-643-1.2-4.30.0-2.9-2.5

Retail trade

 

Gross job gains

3,9412,9283,3382,6282,7507.75.76.55.25.5

At expanding establishments

3,2322,6722,3572,3582,5006.35.24.64.75.0

At opening establishments

7092569812702501.40.51.90.50.5

Gross job losses

3,1023,7933,4543,3462,9326.17.46.86.65.8

At contracting establishments

2,8083,3343,2193,1462,7185.56.56.36.25.4

At closing establishments

2944592352002140.60.90.50.40.4

Net employment change (2)

839-865-116-718-1821.6-1.7-0.3-1.4-0.3

Professional and business services

 

Gross job gains

2,8883,4993,0212,8122,1698.09.78.37.86.3

At expanding establishments

2,2132,8162,1892,1231,6536.17.86.05.94.8

At opening establishments

6756838326895161.91.92.31.91.5

Gross job losses

3,8112,9993,1953,8133,95510.58.38.810.711.5

At contracting establishments

3,1822,2412,6203,1483,1418.86.27.28.89.1

At closing establishments

6297585756658141.72.11.61.92.4

Net employment change (2)

-923500-174-1,001-1,786-2.51.4-0.5-2.9-5.2

Leisure and hospitality

 

Gross job gains

3,4913,6623,8403,8213,4358.59.09.69.58.6

At expanding establishments

2,6842,9232,8042,8512,8036.57.27.07.17.0

At opening establishments

8077391,0369706322.01.82.62.41.6

Gross job losses

4,1274,3473,9533,7223,92510.010.79.89.29.8

At contracting establishments

3,5603,6623,2503,2633,0478.69.08.18.17.6

At closing establishments

5676857034598781.41.71.71.12.2

Net employment change (2)

-636-685-11399-490-1.5-1.7-0.20.3-1.2

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.
 

Table 2. Private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted
CategoryGross job gains as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Gross job losses as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Mar.
2015
June
2015
Sept.
2015
Dec.
2015
Mar.
2016
Mar.
2015
June
2015
Sept.
2015
Dec.
2015
Mar.
2016

United States(1)

6.06.46.36.65.85.85.75.85.85.7

Alabama

5.75.95.86.25.85.55.35.55.35.4

Alaska

10.410.69.19.69.49.310.910.310.59.7

Arizona

6.06.06.86.96.05.75.75.45.45.7

Arkansas

5.46.06.16.35.45.85.35.35.35.3

California

7.06.96.97.66.56.26.55.96.76.3

Colorado

6.87.07.07.06.66.26.46.46.46.1

Connecticut

4.95.75.15.55.25.25.05.94.95.0

Delaware

5.87.76.17.36.57.35.86.16.26.4

District of Columbia

5.86.16.16.25.25.25.85.44.65.6

Florida

6.47.06.97.26.15.65.95.85.85.8

Georgia

6.36.76.56.96.15.85.85.95.75.6

Hawaii

5.14.95.15.84.94.74.84.64.44.9

Idaho

9.07.67.87.98.27.17.27.06.96.3

Illinois

5.86.15.46.45.35.75.25.85.65.4

Indiana

5.45.75.56.25.55.45.25.34.95.3

Iowa

6.06.05.76.06.05.56.06.05.75.3

Kansas

5.76.05.76.25.85.85.95.85.65.9

Kentucky

5.66.46.16.75.76.15.55.75.45.8

Louisiana

6.16.46.26.56.06.86.86.26.46.6

Maine

6.68.36.68.68.07.16.57.17.16.9

Maryland

6.07.16.56.86.26.25.96.25.96.0

Massachusetts

5.46.45.45.95.25.55.15.65.25.0

Michigan

5.36.15.46.15.45.25.25.65.34.9

Minnesota

5.66.15.46.15.45.15.15.85.75.2

Mississippi

5.76.56.27.15.76.45.95.95.46.1

Missouri

5.66.05.76.35.75.45.25.55.35.3

Montana

9.28.07.68.57.87.28.47.77.37.2

Nebraska

6.15.96.06.15.85.75.65.65.55.5

Nevada

6.36.26.26.86.35.35.85.65.35.7

New Hampshire

5.86.86.16.76.05.76.06.45.65.8

New Jersey

6.07.16.36.75.96.36.06.25.95.9

New Mexico

6.56.86.57.06.26.76.96.66.96.3

New York

6.06.76.36.46.15.95.86.05.75.7

North Carolina

5.96.46.36.76.05.75.55.75.55.6

North Dakota

7.16.77.16.76.68.611.28.58.18.9

Ohio

5.56.05.56.05.45.65.25.65.15.1

Oklahoma

5.76.06.16.35.76.36.66.16.56.4

Oregon

7.06.97.07.07.05.86.16.46.25.8

Pennsylvania

4.95.65.35.75.45.34.95.35.15.2

Rhode Island

5.46.75.86.65.86.05.95.85.75.9

South Carolina

5.76.56.17.16.15.65.55.85.35.8

South Dakota

6.36.35.96.76.25.75.96.15.96.1

Tennessee

5.26.05.86.35.25.34.85.14.85.1

Texas

5.86.05.96.14.75.75.65.55.55.5

Utah

7.46.97.07.27.36.06.26.06.05.9

Vermont

6.97.36.97.26.66.76.97.76.56.9

Virginia

6.16.57.16.45.95.65.45.85.65.9

Washington

6.97.36.76.87.16.46.16.86.25.6

West Virginia

6.06.45.86.65.96.86.76.76.36.9

Wisconsin

5.55.75.66.05.65.25.25.65.25.2

Wyoming

9.17.98.59.07.98.911.09.29.39.4

Puerto Rico

5.35.75.96.35.76.46.26.35.76.0

Virgin Islands

5.76.56.07.35.75.86.87.35.35.4

Footnotes
(1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, December 06, 2016