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News Release Information

18-69-CHI
Monday, March 05, 2018

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

Business Employment Dynamics in Illinois — Second Quarter 2017

From March 2017 to June 2017, gross job gains in Illinois totaled 295,556, while gross job losses numbered 283,177, 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 12,379. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 21,666.

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 295,556 gross job gains in the 3-month period ended June 2017 were less than the 298,256 gains in the previous 3-month period. During the past 5 years, gross job gains in Illinois peaked at  321,203 in December 2015 and were at a low of 257,254 in December 2012. The 283,177 gross job losses in the quarter ended June 2017, although larger than those seen in the previous quarter, remained below the 5-year peak of 301,468 in the quarter ended June 2016. (See chart 1.)

Gross job gains represented 5.7 percent of private sector employment in Illinois in the quarter ended June 2017, while nationally gross job gains accounted for 6.2 percent of private sector employment. Illinois’ rate of gross job gains has been below the national rate each quarter during the past 5 years. The rate of gross job losses as a percent of private sector employment in Illinois was 5.5 percent, below the national rate of 5.8 percent in the quarter ended June 2017. The rate of gross job losses in Illinois has been below the U.S. rate each quarter over the past 5 years, with two exceptions. (See chart 2.)

During the second quarter of 2017, gross job gains exceeded gross losses in seven industry sectors in Illinois. For example, within manufacturing, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 6,656. While nearly 17,000 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments in the industry, opening and expanding establishments created almost 24,000 jobs. In professional and business services, nearly 66,000 jobs were created in opening and expanding establishments while approximately 62,000 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments resulting in a net employment gain of 3,757. In the five other sectors, each had net employment gains of less than 2,000 during the second quarter of 2017. (See table 1.)

Gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in four industry sectors in the second quarter of 2017. Within retail trade, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 3,100. Net job losses in each of the three remaining supersectors were less than 1,500.

All states in the East North Central Census division, including Illinois, had gross job gains that exceeded gross job losses in the quarter ended June 2017. (See table A.) All five states in the division had rates of gross job gains that were lower than the 6.2-percent national rate and rates of gross job losses that were lower than the 5.8-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, June 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

7,604,0006.27,128,0005.8476,0000.4

East North Central (1)

1,065,1541,010,64654,508

Illinois

295,5565.7283,1775.512,3790.2

Indiana

148,7795.7143,4825.55,2970.2

Michigan

214,6075.7198,7005.315,9070.4

Ohio

266,5325.8248,8535.417,6790.4

Wisconsin

139,6805.6136,4345.53,2460.1

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 for third quarter 2017 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.


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 second 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, Illinois, 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)
June
2016
Sept
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
June
2017
June
2016
Sept
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
June
2017

Total private (1)

 

Gross job gains

302,719294,960309,191298,256295,5566.05.76.15.85.7

At expanding establishments

238,485236,783239,702237,832242,8834.74.64.74.64.7

At opening establishments

64,23458,17769,48960,42452,6731.31.11.41.21.0

Gross job losses

301,468291,637290,285276,590283,1775.95.75.65.45.5

At contracting establishments

246,731230,519232,108223,655234,5054.84.54.54.44.6

At closing establishments

54,73761,11858,17752,93548,6721.11.21.11.00.9

Net employment change (2)

1,2513,32318,90621,66612,3790.10.00.50.40.2

Construction

 

Gross job gains

26,73424,42524,99830,81624,94712.111.211.614.011.3

At expanding establishments

21,96219,80918,72225,06020,1699.99.18.711.49.1

At opening establishments

4,7724,6166,2765,7564,7782.22.12.92.62.2

Gross job losses

31,44026,50128,80123,07226,32314.212.213.410.511.9

At contracting establishments

25,93220,91523,19318,08821,90111.79.610.88.29.9

At closing establishments

5,5085,5865,6084,9844,4222.52.62.62.32.0

Net employment change (2)

-4,706-2,076-3,8037,744-1,376-2.1-1.0-1.83.5-0.6

Manufacturing

 

Gross job gains

18,25516,72818,28718,45923,3673.22.93.33.24.1

At expanding establishments

16,07414,45215,13316,14321,6922.82.52.72.83.8

At opening establishments

2,1812,2763,1542,3161,6750.40.40.60.40.3

Gross job losses

20,96520,29417,70720,44116,7113.73.53.13.62.9

At contracting establishments

18,35816,68815,39718,17514,3903.22.92.73.22.5

At closing establishments

2,6073,6062,3102,2662,3210.50.60.40.40.4

Net employment change (2)

-2,710-3,566580-1,9826,656-0.5-0.60.2-0.41.2

Wholesale trade

 

Gross job gains

12,77714,02220,42312,47312,8234.24.66.74.14.2

At expanding establishments

10,60111,56717,68310,11610,9583.53.85.83.33.6

At opening establishments

2,1762,4552,7402,3571,8650.70.80.90.80.6

Gross job losses

11,74012,64712,55114,92811,1633.94.24.24.93.7

At contracting establishments

9,2049,6519,64212,0498,8683.13.23.24.02.9

At closing establishments

2,5362,9962,9092,8792,2950.81.01.00.90.8

Net employment change (2)

1,0371,3757,872-2,4551,6600.30.42.5-0.80.5

Retail trade

 

Gross job gains

38,46631,31933,44135,15432,3316.25.15.45.75.2

At expanding establishments

30,11027,61628,29030,79827,8494.94.54.65.04.5

At opening establishments

8,3563,7035,1514,3564,4821.30.60.80.70.7

Gross job losses

33,52537,81733,83133,35935,4315.46.15.65.45.8

At contracting establishments

29,62832,19429,20428,90630,6444.85.24.84.75.0

At closing establishments

3,8975,6234,6274,4534,7870.60.90.80.70.8

Net employment change (2)

4,941-6,498-3901,795-3,1000.8-1.0-0.20.3-0.6

Transportation and warehousing

 

Gross job gains

12,04713,23917,84311,86912,2854.95.57.14.85.0

At expanding establishments

9,60911,16015,7209,95610,1393.94.66.34.04.1

At opening establishments

2,4382,0792,1231,9132,1461.00.90.80.80.9

Gross job losses

14,56010,28412,23114,90513,4016.04.24.95.95.4

At contracting establishments

12,3588,0289,52312,57011,5665.13.33.85.04.7

At closing establishments

2,2022,2562,7082,3351,8350.90.91.10.90.7

Net employment change (2)

-2,5132,9555,612-3,036-1,116-1.11.32.2-1.1-0.4

Information

 

Gross job gains

5,3285,8456,9907,2614,1075.45.97.17.44.2

At expanding establishments

4,5393,6355,7476,2783,4944.63.75.86.43.6

At opening establishments

7892,2101,2439836130.82.21.31.00.6

Gross job losses

5,6435,3064,7758,0384,8915.75.44.88.25.0

At contracting establishments

4,1614,1423,8556,8324,2194.24.23.97.04.3

At closing establishments

1,4821,1649201,2066721.51.20.91.20.7

Net employment change (2)

-3155392,215-777-784-0.30.52.3-0.8-0.8

Financial activities

 

Gross job gains

16,81416,87616,00416,62415,8074.64.64.44.64.4

At expanding establishments

13,66313,31412,04212,69113,0343.73.63.33.53.6

At opening establishments

3,1513,5623,9623,9332,7730.91.01.11.10.8

Gross job losses

16,42916,27015,73314,53814,2804.54.54.33.93.9

At contracting establishments

12,92312,30111,70811,08011,1483.53.43.23.03.0

At closing establishments

3,5063,9694,0253,4583,1321.01.11.10.90.9

Net employment change (2)

3856062712,0861,5270.10.10.10.70.5

Professional and business services

 

Gross job gains

61,46967,13564,85756,66265,8516.67.36.96.07.0

At expanding establishments

49,59053,39749,54644,96253,5815.35.85.34.85.7

At opening establishments

11,87913,73815,31111,70012,2701.31.51.61.21.3

Gross job losses

68,67157,07763,74458,96262,0947.46.26.86.36.6

At contracting establishments

53,98744,51849,92647,18450,1525.84.85.35.05.3

At closing establishments

14,68412,55913,81811,77811,9421.61.41.51.31.3

Net employment change (2)

-7,20210,0581,113-2,3003,757-0.81.10.1-0.30.4

Education and health services

 

Gross job gains

43,38736,15734,11734,58533,9864.84.03.83.93.8

At expanding establishments

30,84430,47927,82828,65128,9443.43.43.13.23.2

At opening establishments

12,5435,6786,2895,9345,0421.40.60.70.70.6

Gross job losses

31,95135,19236,12029,49033,2373.53.94.03.23.7

At contracting establishments

26,38628,61628,56422,99827,9252.93.23.22.53.1

At closing establishments

5,5656,5767,5566,4925,3120.60.70.80.70.6

Net employment change (2)

11,436965-2,0035,0957491.30.1-0.20.70.1

Leisure and hospitality

 

Gross job gains

49,69050,56551,18152,60850,2848.48.58.68.78.3

At expanding establishments

39,02338,68235,96240,34940,0386.66.56.06.76.6

At opening establishments

10,66711,88315,21912,25910,2461.82.02.62.01.7

Gross job losses

47,99451,44447,63542,25548,9398.08.78.07.08.0

At contracting establishments

40,04740,69838,77033,78440,9106.76.96.55.66.7

At closing establishments

7,94710,7468,8658,4718,0291.31.81.51.41.3

Net employment change (2)

1,696-8793,54610,3531,3450.4-0.20.61.70.3

Other services (3)

 

Gross job gains

12,13012,57612,45511,81412,3836.36.66.56.16.4

At expanding establishments

9,2029,3509,1538,8609,4604.84.94.84.64.9

At opening establishments

2,9283,2263,3022,9542,9231.51.71.71.51.5

Gross job losses

13,30112,51812,17711,41211,8916.96.56.45.96.2

At contracting establishments

10,0549,2489,1728,4489,4085.24.84.84.44.9

At closing establishments

3,2473,2703,0052,9642,4831.71.71.61.51.3

Net employment change (2)

-1,17158278402492-0.60.10.10.20.2

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.
(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)
June
2016
Sept.
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
June
2017
June
2016
Sept.
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
June
2017

United States(1)

6.26.46.26.06.26.05.85.95.45.8

Alabama

5.86.25.86.15.55.95.85.85.25.6

Alaska

10.49.19.89.411.011.211.210.09.89.9

Arizona

6.27.26.05.86.26.05.25.55.45.7

Arkansas

5.46.25.95.65.25.95.65.45.05.6

California

6.96.96.96.76.96.66.26.36.06.6

Colorado

7.07.16.66.87.16.56.26.56.26.3

Connecticut

5.45.25.15.55.75.45.45.25.15.1

Delaware

6.86.36.26.66.66.76.66.25.97.0

District of Columbia

5.96.25.65.75.75.85.85.64.75.6

Florida

6.57.46.76.16.65.95.86.15.56.1

Georgia

6.96.76.66.36.26.45.95.85.86.1

Hawaii

5.46.05.05.15.25.84.85.04.85.4

Idaho

7.27.97.57.97.37.07.36.76.36.6

Illinois

6.05.76.15.85.75.95.75.65.45.5

Indiana

5.45.85.45.75.75.25.15.25.15.5

Iowa

5.76.15.76.15.66.25.85.95.55.7

Kansas

5.76.25.95.85.56.35.65.75.66.6

Kentucky

6.26.86.15.76.16.06.35.85.45.9

Louisiana

6.06.85.96.46.26.96.56.55.96.5

Maine

7.76.77.47.27.76.87.47.16.47.7

Maryland

6.46.66.66.16.46.25.96.25.96.2

Massachusetts

6.05.75.65.56.15.25.45.45.15.2

Michigan

5.95.75.55.65.75.45.55.45.05.3

Minnesota

5.96.15.75.85.75.55.55.74.75.3

Mississippi

5.76.36.35.75.96.55.55.65.96.0

Missouri

5.75.75.75.95.65.45.45.64.95.6

Montana

7.97.67.88.17.98.67.77.57.17.7

Nebraska

5.76.45.75.95.65.95.96.25.26.1

Nevada

6.56.86.26.66.35.85.55.65.26.0

New Hampshire

6.56.46.35.76.65.96.35.95.65.9

New Jersey

6.46.36.45.56.75.75.95.95.85.5

New Mexico

6.47.06.66.46.76.76.26.56.26.3

New York

6.36.36.16.26.55.85.95.95.75.7

North Carolina

6.36.36.36.26.35.85.95.75.55.9

North Dakota

6.88.26.77.66.88.97.17.76.76.9

Ohio

5.65.75.75.75.85.75.75.45.15.4

Oklahoma

5.86.36.56.36.66.86.06.36.55.9

Oregon

6.86.96.66.96.56.66.46.35.75.9

Pennsylvania

5.35.65.45.25.55.45.15.15.05.2

Rhode Island

6.15.65.76.36.56.25.95.85.95.9

South Carolina

6.36.36.56.06.15.85.65.45.66.0

South Dakota

6.46.46.06.46.36.26.26.15.96.3

Tennessee

5.85.95.85.15.45.45.25.14.95.1

Texas

5.86.25.95.85.85.55.55.45.25.4

Utah

6.77.46.87.76.86.46.76.46.16.2

Vermont

7.47.27.06.67.97.27.47.06.86.8

Virginia

6.56.26.26.06.26.16.15.95.65.9

Washington

7.36.77.16.87.16.06.66.75.66.1

West Virginia

5.86.56.46.36.46.96.46.26.46.5

Wisconsin

5.75.55.55.95.65.75.65.34.85.5

Wyoming

7.78.58.88.88.510.68.88.78.19.0

Puerto Rico

5.65.85.85.15.25.55.75.45.75.2

Virgin Islands

6.56.26.05.36.25.76.86.05.54.7

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

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, March 05, 2018