From September 2022 to December 2022, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 82,624, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in Iowa were 81,148, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 1,476 jobs in the private sector during the fourth quarter of 2022. During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 2,257. (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 Technical Note.)

Gross job gains

In the fourth quarter of 2022, gross job gains represented 6.4 percent of private-sector employment in Iowa; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 6.2 percent of private-sector employment. (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 Iowa, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 68,244 in the fourth quarter of 2022, an increase of 5,192 jobs compared to the previous quarter. (See table 1.) Opening establishments accounted for 14,380 jobs gained in the fourth quarter of 2022, an increase of 2,158 jobs from the previous quarter.

Gross job losses

In the fourth quarter of 2022, gross job losses represented 6.3 percent of private-sector employment in Iowa; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.9 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 Iowa, contracting establishments lost 66,757 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2022, an increase of 2,865 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 14,391 jobs, an increase of 752 jobs from the previous quarter.

Industries

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 5 of the 10 industry sectors in Iowa in the fourth quarter of 2022. Leisure and hospitality had the largest over-the-quarter net job increase, with a gain of 1,056 jobs. This was the result of 14,381 gross job gains and 13,325 gross job losses. The wholesale trade industry had a net gain of 998 jobs. Construction showed a net loss of 851 jobs, the largest loss of any sector in the state. Iowa’s retail trade industry sector had a net loss of 632 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 www.bls.gov/bdm/.

The Business Employment Dynamics for First Quarter 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

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 units and jobs lost at closing and contracting units.

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 units 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 units 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 units with positive third month employment in the previous quarter and either not reported, or reported with zero employment, in the current quarter.

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

The full Technical Note for the Business Employment Dynamics program, which includes information on coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the current quarterly news release online at www.bls.gov/news.release/cewbd.htm.

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, Iowa, 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. 2021	Mar. 2022	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Dec. 2021	Mar. 2022	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	84,654	83,938	75,454	75,274	82,624	6.6	6.5	5.8	5.8	6.4
At expanding establishments	69,054	69,395	63,716	63,052	68,244	5.4	5.4	4.9	4.9	5.3
At opening establishments	15,600	14,543	11,738	12,222	14,380	1.2	1.1	0.9	0.9	1.1
Gross job losses	67,805	67,785	86,309	77,531	81,148	5.4	5.3	6.7	6.0	6.3
At contracting establishments	56,966	56,748	63,247	63,892	66,757	4.5	4.4	4.9	4.9	5.2
At closing establishments	10,839	11,037	23,062	13,639	14,391	0.9	0.9	1.8	1.1	1.1
Net employment change (2)	16,849	16,153	-10,855	-2,257	1,476	1.2	1.2	-0.9	-0.2	0.1
Construction
Gross job gains	8,575	9,234	8,297	7,551	7,584	10.9	11.2	10.2	9.4	9.4
At expanding establishments	5,998	7,572	6,930	6,094	5,723	7.6	9.2	8.5	7.6	7.1
At opening establishments	2,577	1,662	1,367	1,457	1,861	3.3	2.0	1.7	1.8	2.3
Gross job losses	7,033	8,389	8,555	7,569	8,435	8.9	10.3	10.6	9.5	10.5
At contracting establishments	5,751	6,851	5,728	6,140	6,733	7.3	8.4	7.1	7.7	8.4
At closing establishments	1,282	1,538	2,827	1,429	1,702	1.6	1.9	3.5	1.8	2.1
Net employment change (2)	1,542	845	-258	-18	-851	2.0	0.9	-0.4	-0.1	-1.1
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	7,667	7,425	7,136	6,449	7,211	3.5	3.4	3.2	2.9	3.2
At expanding establishments	7,105	6,797	6,601	5,956	6,688	3.2	3.1	3.0	2.7	3.0
At opening establishments	562	628	535	493	523	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2
Gross job losses	5,235	5,148	6,803	6,415	6,479	2.4	2.3	3.1	2.9	2.9
At contracting establishments	4,874	4,754	5,328	5,954	5,836	2.2	2.1	2.4	2.7	2.6
At closing establishments	361	394	1,475	461	643	0.2	0.2	0.7	0.2	0.3
Net employment change (2)	2,432	2,277	333	34	732	1.1	1.1	0.1	0.0	0.3
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	4,009	3,577	3,194	3,088	3,685	6.3	5.4	4.9	4.7	5.5
At expanding establishments	3,324	3,152	2,619	2,641	3,265	5.2	4.8	4.0	4.0	4.9
At opening establishments	685	425	575	447	420	1.1	0.6	0.9	0.7	0.6
Gross job losses	2,304	2,991	4,307	3,134	2,687	3.5	4.6	6.6	4.8	4.0
At contracting establishments	1,830	2,482	2,817	2,628	2,089	2.8	3.8	4.3	4.0	3.1
At closing establishments	474	509	1,490	506	598	0.7	0.8	2.3	0.8	0.9
Net employment change (2)	1,705	586	-1,113	-46	998	2.8	0.8	-1.7	-0.1	1.5
Retail trade
Gross job gains	9,888	12,243	8,839	9,147	9,337	5.7	7.0	5.0	5.3	5.4
At expanding establishments	8,844	11,179	7,859	7,951	8,477	5.1	6.4	4.4	4.6	4.9
At opening establishments	1,044	1,064	980	1,196	860	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.5
Gross job losses	9,332	7,188	10,943	12,225	9,969	5.4	4.1	6.2	7.0	5.8
At contracting establishments	8,573	6,425	9,327	10,931	8,985	5.0	3.7	5.3	6.3	5.2
At closing establishments	759	763	1,616	1,294	984	0.4	0.4	0.9	0.7	0.6
Net employment change (2)	556	5,055	-2,104	-3,078	-632	0.3	2.9	-1.2	-1.7	-0.4
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	5,563	3,499	2,904	3,753	4,959	8.8	5.4	4.6	6.0	7.8
At expanding establishments	5,059	3,151	2,464	3,398	4,537	8.0	4.9	3.9	5.4	7.1
At opening establishments	504	348	440	355	422	0.8	0.5	0.7	0.6	0.7
Gross job losses	2,623	4,086	4,639	3,360	4,138	4.1	6.3	7.3	5.3	6.4
At contracting establishments	2,252	3,749	3,745	2,931	3,494	3.5	5.8	5.9	4.6	5.4
At closing establishments	371	337	894	429	644	0.6	0.5	1.4	0.7	1.0
Net employment change (2)	2,940	-587	-1,735	393	821	4.7	-0.9	-2.7	0.7	1.4
Financial activities
Gross job gains	4,454	4,881	3,952	4,678	4,849	4.1	4.4	3.7	4.3	4.5
At expanding establishments	3,366	4,065	3,225	3,792	3,900	3.1	3.7	3.0	3.5	3.6
At opening establishments	1,088	816	727	886	949	1.0	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.9
Gross job losses	4,309	4,644	5,410	4,732	5,134	4.0	4.2	5.0	4.4	4.7
At contracting establishments	3,646	3,848	3,480	3,837	4,148	3.4	3.5	3.2	3.6	3.8
At closing establishments	663	796	1,930	895	986	0.6	0.7	1.8	0.8	0.9
Net employment change (2)	145	237	-1,458	-54	-285	0.1	0.2	-1.3	-0.1	-0.2
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	13,080	11,966	11,676	11,342	11,239	9.3	8.3	8.1	7.8	7.7
At expanding establishments	9,698	8,918	9,429	8,898	8,757	6.9	6.2	6.5	6.1	6.0
At opening establishments	3,382	3,048	2,247	2,444	2,482	2.4	2.1	1.6	1.7	1.7
Gross job losses	9,808	10,122	12,210	11,459	11,446	7.0	7.0	8.4	7.8	7.8
At contracting establishments	7,141	7,939	8,535	8,942	8,538	5.1	5.5	5.9	6.1	5.8
At closing establishments	2,667	2,183	3,675	2,517	2,908	1.9	1.5	2.5	1.7	2.0
Net employment change (2)	3,272	1,844	-534	-117	-207	2.3	1.3	-0.3	0.0	-0.1
Education and health services
Gross job gains	10,722	9,038	9,510	10,435	12,865	5.1	4.3	4.5	5.0	6.1
At expanding establishments	8,988	7,793	8,372	9,012	10,822	4.3	3.7	4.0	4.3	5.1
At opening establishments	1,734	1,245	1,138	1,423	2,043	0.8	0.6	0.5	0.7	1.0
Gross job losses	9,236	8,647	10,340	9,252	13,180	4.4	4.1	5.0	4.5	6.2
At contracting establishments	7,973	7,559	8,228	7,036	11,096	3.8	3.6	4.0	3.4	5.2
At closing establishments	1,263	1,088	2,112	2,216	2,084	0.6	0.5	1.0	1.1	1.0
Net employment change (2)	1,486	391	-830	1,183	-315	0.7	0.2	-0.5	0.5	-0.1
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	14,416	16,303	13,663	12,621	14,381	10.9	12.1	10.1	9.2	10.5
At expanding establishments	11,890	12,364	11,105	10,140	11,203	9.0	9.2	8.2	7.4	8.2
At opening establishments	2,526	3,939	2,558	2,481	3,178	1.9	2.9	1.9	1.8	2.3
Gross job losses	12,399	10,589	15,368	13,487	13,325	9.4	7.9	11.3	9.9	9.8
At contracting establishments	10,136	8,311	10,999	11,141	10,737	7.7	6.2	8.1	8.2	7.9
At closing establishments	2,263	2,278	4,369	2,346	2,588	1.7	1.7	3.2	1.7	1.9
Net employment change (2)	2,017	5,714	-1,705	-866	1,056	1.5	4.2	-1.2	-0.7	0.7
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	2,979	2,899	2,870	3,041	3,106	7.9	7.6	7.6	8.0	8.2
At expanding establishments	2,261	2,400	2,341	2,529	2,323	6.0	6.3	6.2	6.7	6.1
At opening establishments	718	499	529	512	783	1.9	1.3	1.4	1.3	2.1
Gross job losses	2,290	2,649	3,556	2,928	2,934	6.1	6.9	9.5	7.7	7.7
At contracting establishments	1,867	2,182	2,290	2,097	2,167	5.0	5.7	6.1	5.5	5.7
At closing establishments	423	467	1,266	831	767	1.1	1.2	3.4	2.2	2.0
Net employment change (2)	689	250	-686	113	172	1.8	0.7	-1.9	0.3	0.5
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. 2021	Mar. 2022	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Dec. 2021	Mar. 2022	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022
United States(1)	7.7	6.6	6.4	6.8	6.2	5.4	5.4	6.7	5.8	5.9
Alabama	7.6	6.2	6.6	7.1	6.5	5.2	6.0	7.0	6.2	6.0
Alaska	11.8	10.1	10.1	8.6	10.9	8.7	9.3	9.6	10.3	9.3
Arizona	6.8	6.8	6.7	7.9	6.7	5.0	5.7	7.3	5.5	6.1
Arkansas	7.8	5.9	5.6	6.4	6.1	4.8	5.4	6.0	5.5	5.3
California	8.5	7.4	6.6	6.7	6.5	5.5	5.6	7.2	6.1	6.6
Colorado	7.6	7.5	7.3	5.0	7.6	6.1	6.3	6.7	5.8	6.9
Connecticut	6.9	6.3	6.3	6.3	5.9	5.3	5.3	6.5	6.2	6.0
Delaware	8.2	7.3	6.5	8.6	6.7	6.0	5.6	8.2	6.1	7.6
District of Columbia	7.3	6.0	6.0	7.2	5.6	4.9	4.9	6.8	4.8	5.6
Florida	7.7	6.5	7.5	7.8	6.2	6.0	5.7	6.9	5.5	6.1
Georgia	7.9	6.8	6.6	7.0	6.5	5.5	5.7	6.7	6.0	5.9
Hawaii	7.1	6.1	5.9	6.2	6.0	5.1	5.1	5.9	4.8	4.8
Idaho	8.5	8.5	7.1	8.5	8.4	6.3	6.2	9.1	7.5	6.9
Illinois	7.5	6.2	5.9	6.0	5.4	4.9	5.0	5.9	5.3	5.2
Indiana	7.3	6.0	5.6	6.4	5.7	4.7	4.8	6.8	5.5	5.2
Iowa	6.6	6.5	5.8	5.8	6.4	5.4	5.3	6.7	6.0	6.3
Kansas	7.6	6.2	6.5	7.6	6.3	5.3	5.4	7.5	5.6	5.6
Kentucky	7.4	6.6	6.3	6.7	5.9	4.9	5.0	8.7	5.4	5.3
Louisiana	9.6	6.5	6.6	7.3	6.0	5.8	7.1	7.3	5.7	6.5
Maine	8.2	8.0	17.7	7.4	7.3	6.9	6.1	8.1	7.4	6.9
Maryland	7.3	6.6	6.7	7.5	6.4	5.3	5.9	8.1	6.0	6.7
Massachusetts	7.0	6.6	6.1	6.2	5.5	5.7	5.1	5.4	6.1	5.8
Michigan	7.5	6.3	6.0	5.7	5.9	5.2	5.1	6.5	5.9	5.2
Minnesota	7.3	6.0	6.6	6.8	6.2	5.2	5.4	7.1	6.0	6.0
Mississippi	7.9	6.1	6.5	7.2	6.8	5.7	6.0	7.0	6.3	6.2
Missouri	7.4	6.5	6.3	6.8	6.0	5.5	5.4	5.9	6.3	5.8
Montana	9.9	9.3	8.2	8.5	9.2	7.2	8.5	9.4	7.7	7.8
Nebraska	7.0	6.8	6.0	6.9	5.9	5.8	5.9	6.6	6.2	5.7
Nevada	8.3	6.8	6.9	7.6	6.4	4.8	5.2	6.7	5.7	6.2
New Hampshire	7.6	7.7	6.6	6.9	6.7	6.4	5.4	7.9	6.7	6.0
New Jersey	8.7	7.1	6.5	6.8	6.8	5.4	5.5	6.3	6.3	5.9
New Mexico	8.2	7.4	6.5	7.7	6.5	6.3	6.2	7.1	5.9	6.2
New York	7.7	6.7	7.1	6.7	6.0	5.4	5.2	6.6	6.0	6.2
North Carolina	8.1	6.5	6.3	6.6	5.9	5.0	5.3	6.2	5.9	5.4
North Dakota	7.6	7.5	6.8	7.6	6.4	6.5	6.5	6.7	6.4	6.7
Ohio	7.0	6.1	5.7	5.8	5.9	5.2	4.8	6.3	5.6	5.8
Oklahoma	7.6	6.3	6.4	7.1	6.6	5.9	5.7	6.2	5.5	6.0
Oregon	7.8	7.5	6.1	6.7	6.5	6.1	5.7	7.1	8.6	6.4
Pennsylvania	6.8	6.3	5.5	6.1	5.5	4.8	4.9	5.6	5.2	5.1
Rhode Island	8.5	7.9	7.0	6.7	6.9	6.6	5.7	7.3	7.4	6.5
South Carolina	7.9	6.9	6.4	7.3	7.0	5.3	6.2	6.9	5.6	6.2
South Dakota	7.2	7.7	6.6	7.3	6.5	5.9	6.1	6.8	6.4	6.4
Tennessee	7.3	6.6	6.3	7.0	5.8	5.6	4.7	6.4	5.4	5.7
Texas	7.7	6.3	6.5	7.4	6.2	4.8	5.4	6.1	5.2	5.3
Utah	7.5	7.8	7.0	7.9	6.8	6.0	5.9	6.8	6.7	6.6
Vermont	8.1	8.0	7.3	7.2	7.8	6.9	6.3	8.4	8.0	7.1
Virginia	7.2	6.4	6.5	7.5	6.2	5.3	5.8	7.0	6.1	5.8
Washington	7.8	7.3	7.0	7.1	5.9	5.3	5.0	7.1	6.1	5.3
West Virginia	7.9	7.3	6.3	6.8	6.7	6.0	5.9	7.9	6.5	6.6
Wisconsin	6.6	6.5	5.9	6.1	6.1	5.2	4.8	6.8	5.9	5.6
Wyoming	10.1	8.9	8.4	9.2	9.2	7.8	8.3	9.1	8.5	8.0
Puerto Rico	6.4	7.0	6.5	6.2	6.7	5.5	4.9	6.1	5.2	6.1
Virgin Islands	8.0	6.9	8.8	7.9	6.0	9.5	10.3	12.6	4.9	4.3
Footnotes (1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.