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News Release Information

17-1477-CHI
Tuesday, December 19, 2017

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

Business Employment Dynamics in Wisconsin — First Quarter 2017

From December 2016 to March 2017, gross job gains in Wisconsin totaled 143,931, while gross job losses numbered 116,833, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 27,098. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 2,762.

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.)

The 143,931 gross job gains in March 2017 followed the 134,052 gross job gains in the three-month period ended December 2016. During the past 5 years, gross job gains in Wisconsin peaked at 145,540 in December 2015 and were at a low of 124,327 in March 2014. (See chart 1.) Wisconsin’s 116,833 gross job losses in March 2017 followed the 131,290 gross job losses recorded in December 2016. Over the past 5 years, gross job losses reached a high of 139,248 in June 2016 and a low of 116,833 in March 2017. (See chart 1.) The gross job losses in March 2017 were the series low for the state.

Gross job gains represented 5.9 percent of private sector employment in Wisconsin in the quarter ended March 2017, while nationally gross job gains accounted for 6.0 percent of private sector employment. (See chart 2.) Since the series inception in 1992, the rate of gross job gains in Wisconsin has been below the U.S. rate each quarter. Wisconsin’s gross job losses represented 4.8 percent of private sector employment in March 2017, compared to the U.S. rate of 5.4 percent. With only one exception, Wisconsin’s rate of gross job losses has been below the national rate since the series began.

During the first quarter of 2017, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in nine industry sectors in Wisconsin. For example, within leisure and hospitality, gross job gains exceeded gross jobs losses by 7,835. While more than 22,000 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments in the industry, opening and expanding establishments in the three-months ended in March 2017 created more than 30,000 jobs. Two industry sectors — retail trade and construction— had net employment gains greater than 4,400. Three other industries had net employment gains of more than 1,300. (See table 1.)

Gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in one industry sector in the first quarter of 2017. Within transportation and warehousing, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 1,187.

Wisconsin was among the five states in the East North Central Census division. All five states in the division had gross job gains that exceeded gross job losses. (See table A.) All five states had rates of gross job gains that were lower than the 6.0-percent national rate. Four states had rates of gross job losses that were below the 5.4-percent national rate.

Table A. Private sector gross job gains and losses for the United States, East North Central Division, and East North Central states, March 2017, 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

7,328,0006.06,674,0005.4654,0000.6

East North Central (1)

1,062,983946,609116,374

Illinois

298,2565.8276,5905.421,6660.4

Indiana

149,5795.7131,8595.117,7200.6

Michigan

211,0955.6184,4145.026,6810.6

Ohio

260,1225.7236,9135.123,2090.6

Wisconsin

143,9315.9116,8334.827,0981.1

Footnotes:
(1) Data were calculated for this release using published gross job gains and gross job losses for states located in the East 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 2017 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

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). The BED data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records. Most employers in the U.S. are required to file quarterly reports on the employment and wages of workers covered by unemployment insurance (UI) laws, and to pay quarterly UI taxes. The QCEW is based largely on quarterly UI reports which are sent by businesses to the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). These UI reports are supplemented by two additional BLS data collections to render administrative data into economic statistics. Together these data comprise the QCEW and form the basis of the Bureau’s establishment universe sampling frame.

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, Wisconsin, 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.
2016
June
2016
Sept
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
Mar.
2016
June
2016
Sept
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017

Total private (1)

 

Gross job gains

137,502138,276133,986134,052143,9315.65.75.55.55.9

At expanding establishments

117,430117,041111,232113,086122,0294.84.84.64.65.0

At opening establishments

20,07221,23522,75420,96621,9020.80.90.90.90.9

Gross job losses

127,509139,248134,840131,290116,8335.25.75.65.34.8

At contracting establishments

110,526119,877116,020110,880102,1564.54.94.84.54.2

At closing establishments

16,98319,37118,82020,41014,6770.70.80.80.80.6

Net employment change (2)

9,993-972-8542,76227,0980.40.0-0.10.21.1

Construction

 

Gross job gains

11,99311,06610,30010,59013,32710.69.89.39.411.5

At expanding establishments

10,0909,4998,2378,97511,4818.98.47.48.09.9

At opening establishments

1,9031,5672,0631,6151,8461.71.41.91.41.6

Gross job losses

9,80111,92510,24411,4428,9208.710.69.210.27.7

At contracting establishments

8,21610,0198,8079,4167,6027.38.97.98.46.6

At closing establishments

1,5851,9061,4372,0261,3181.41.71.31.81.1

Net employment change (2)

2,192-85956-8524,4071.9-0.80.1-0.83.8

Manufacturing

 

Gross job gains

14,06113,15211,98114,45413,4343.02.92.63.12.9

At expanding establishments

13,49512,78811,26813,95713,0122.92.82.43.02.8

At opening establishments

5663647134974220.10.10.20.10.1

Gross job losses

14,48914,16714,66312,77311,5503.13.13.22.82.4

At contracting establishments

13,51013,28713,76511,97310,9112.92.93.02.62.3

At closing establishments

9798808988006390.20.20.20.20.1

Net employment change (2)

-428-1,015-2,6821,6811,884-0.1-0.2-0.60.30.5

Wholesale trade

 

Gross job gains

5,1424,9664,9474,8895,2714.14.04.04.04.2

At expanding establishments

4,3964,5504,2164,2704,5853.53.73.43.53.7

At opening establishments

7464167316196860.60.30.60.50.5

Gross job losses

4,6175,1175,1025,2804,3713.74.14.24.33.5

At contracting establishments

3,7694,2164,4014,0863,5993.03.43.63.32.9

At closing establishments

8489017011,1947720.70.70.61.00.6

Net employment change (2)

525-151-155-3919000.4-0.1-0.2-0.30.7

Retail trade

 

Gross job gains

20,39318,62516,68715,70919,1646.76.05.45.16.2

At expanding establishments

18,62016,67215,17713,81317,3916.15.44.94.55.6

At opening establishments

1,7731,9531,5101,8961,7730.60.60.50.60.6

Gross job losses

14,97917,60718,96416,72514,2554.95.66.15.54.6

At contracting establishments

13,53016,22317,17915,01312,9804.45.25.54.94.2

At closing establishments

1,4491,3841,7851,7121,2750.50.40.60.60.4

Net employment change (2)

5,4141,018-2,277-1,0164,9091.80.4-0.7-0.41.6

Transportation and warehousing

 

Gross job gains

4,6884,7015,8606,9194,9284.95.06.27.25.0

At expanding establishments

4,1634,2505,1766,2654,6854.44.55.56.54.8

At opening establishments

5254516846542430.50.50.70.70.2

Gross job losses

5,5825,5654,7134,4826,1155.85.95.04.66.3

At contracting establishments

4,9864,8844,0263,8855,6515.25.24.34.05.8

At closing establishments

5966816875974640.60.70.70.60.5

Net employment change (2)

-894-8641,1472,437-1,187-0.9-0.91.22.6-1.3

Financial activities

 

Gross job gains

4,9155,7185,9115,5775,2083.33.94.03.83.5

At expanding establishments

4,2854,9584,9194,5534,6972.93.43.33.13.2

At opening establishments

6307609921,0245110.40.50.70.70.3

Gross job losses

5,0405,2975,5815,6544,3883.53.63.83.82.9

At contracting establishments

4,2174,2124,5884,5133,6142.92.93.13.02.4

At closing establishments

8231,0859931,1417740.60.70.70.80.5

Net employment change (2)

-125421330-77820-0.20.30.20.00.6

Professional and business services

 

Gross job gains

20,42620,81520,09120,06219,9326.56.56.36.26.2

At expanding establishments

17,38617,96116,98917,50917,0865.55.65.35.45.3

At opening establishments

3,0402,8543,1022,5532,8461.00.91.00.80.9

Gross job losses

21,66122,00019,43420,21818,5486.76.96.16.35.8

At contracting establishments

18,33718,30716,64116,76616,0595.75.75.25.25.0

At closing establishments

3,3243,6932,7933,4522,4891.01.20.91.10.8

Net employment change (2)

-1,235-1,185657-1561,384-0.2-0.40.2-0.10.4

Education and health services

 

Gross job gains

15,80217,88518,56616,72917,5623.84.34.43.94.1

At expanding establishments

13,42015,01214,71512,92313,5143.23.63.53.03.2

At opening establishments

2,3822,8733,8513,8064,0480.60.70.90.90.9

Gross job losses

14,27218,62915,23517,26115,9023.44.43.64.13.7

At contracting establishments

12,40315,17812,01713,64013,6483.03.62.83.23.2

At closing establishments

1,8693,4513,2183,6212,2540.40.80.80.90.5

Net employment change (2)

1,530-7443,331-5321,6600.4-0.10.8-0.20.4

Leisure and hospitality

 

Gross job gains

27,86127,51527,60526,77330,15810.110.010.09.710.8

At expanding establishments

22,62822,18322,02821,77724,7498.28.18.07.98.9

At opening establishments

5,2335,3325,5774,9965,4091.91.92.01.81.9

Gross job losses

26,30428,27729,67726,23122,3239.610.210.99.68.0

At contracting establishments

22,46324,64125,40422,39419,6458.28.99.38.27.0

At closing establishments

3,8413,6364,2733,8372,6781.41.31.61.41.0

Net employment change (2)

1,557-762-2,0725427,8350.5-0.2-0.90.12.8

Other services (3)

 

Gross job gains

4,6765,1405,7725,0145,3886.16.77.46.56.9

At expanding establishments

3,9134,5874,5204,2704,5335.16.05.85.55.8

At opening establishments

7635531,2527448551.00.71.61.01.1

Gross job losses

4,9434,8225,0075,7734,7456.46.36.57.46.1

At contracting establishments

4,2144,0154,2314,9874,0465.55.25.56.45.2

At closing establishments

7298077767866990.91.11.01.00.9

Net employment change (2)

-267318765-759643-0.30.40.9-0.90.8

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
CategoryGross job gains as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Gross job losses as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Mar.
2016
June
2016
Sept.
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
Mar.
2016
June
2016
Sept.
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017

United States(1)

6.06.26.46.26.05.76.05.85.95.4

Alabama

5.95.86.25.86.15.55.95.85.85.2

Alaska

9.610.49.19.89.49.611.211.210.09.8

Arizona

5.96.27.26.05.85.76.05.25.55.4

Arkansas

5.55.46.25.95.65.45.95.65.45.0

California

6.66.96.96.96.76.36.66.26.36.0

Colorado

6.67.07.16.66.86.16.56.26.56.2

Connecticut

5.35.45.25.15.55.05.45.45.25.1

Delaware

6.66.86.36.26.66.56.76.66.25.9

District of Columbia

5.35.96.25.65.75.65.85.85.64.7

Florida

6.26.57.46.76.15.85.95.86.15.5

Georgia

6.26.96.76.66.35.86.45.95.85.8

Hawaii

5.25.46.05.05.15.05.84.85.04.8

Idaho

8.27.27.97.57.96.57.07.36.76.3

Illinois

5.66.05.76.15.85.65.95.75.65.4

Indiana

5.55.45.85.45.75.35.25.15.25.1

Iowa

6.15.76.15.76.15.46.25.85.95.5

Kansas

5.85.76.25.95.85.96.35.65.75.6

Kentucky

5.96.26.86.15.76.06.06.35.85.4

Louisiana

6.06.06.85.96.46.76.96.56.55.9

Maine

7.27.76.77.47.26.96.87.47.16.4

Maryland

6.26.46.66.66.16.06.25.96.25.9

Massachusetts

5.46.05.75.65.55.15.25.45.45.1

Michigan

5.35.95.75.55.64.95.45.55.45.0

Minnesota

5.55.96.15.75.85.25.55.55.74.7

Mississippi

5.95.76.36.35.76.26.55.55.65.9

Missouri

5.65.75.75.75.95.35.45.45.64.9

Montana

7.97.97.67.88.17.38.67.77.57.1

Nebraska

5.95.76.45.75.95.55.95.96.25.2

Nevada

6.46.56.86.26.65.95.85.55.65.2

New Hampshire

6.06.56.46.35.75.85.96.35.95.6

New Jersey

5.86.46.36.45.56.05.75.95.95.8

New Mexico

6.46.47.06.66.46.46.76.26.56.2

New York

6.26.36.36.16.25.85.85.95.95.7

North Carolina

6.16.36.36.36.25.65.85.95.75.5

North Dakota

6.76.88.26.77.68.98.97.17.76.7

Ohio

5.55.65.75.75.75.25.75.75.45.1

Oklahoma

5.75.86.36.56.36.36.86.06.36.5

Oregon

7.16.86.96.66.95.86.66.46.35.7

Pennsylvania

5.45.35.65.45.25.35.45.15.15.0

Rhode Island

5.86.15.65.76.35.96.25.95.85.9

South Carolina

6.06.36.36.56.06.05.85.65.45.6

South Dakota

6.26.46.46.06.46.16.26.26.15.9

Tennessee

5.45.85.95.85.15.25.45.25.14.9

Texas

5.45.86.25.95.85.85.55.55.45.2

Utah

7.36.77.46.87.76.06.46.76.46.1

Vermont

6.77.47.27.06.66.97.27.47.06.8

Virginia

5.96.56.26.26.06.06.16.15.95.6

Washington

7.17.36.77.16.86.06.06.66.75.6

West Virginia

5.95.86.56.46.36.96.96.46.26.4

Wisconsin

5.65.75.55.55.95.25.75.65.34.8

Wyoming

8.17.78.58.88.89.410.68.88.78.1

Puerto Rico

5.75.65.85.85.16.05.55.75.45.7

Virgin Islands

6.06.56.26.05.35.85.76.86.05.5

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

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017