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News Release Information

20-177-KAN
Friday, February 07, 2020

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Business Employment Dynamics in Colorado – Second Quarter 2019

From March 2019 to June 2019 gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in Colorado totaled 161,898, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments numbered 142,841, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 19,057. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that gross jobs gains have exceeded gross job losses in each quarter since the second quarter of 2010, with the exception of the third quarter of 2018 when losses exceeded gains by 2,666.

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. 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 number of gross job gains in the second quarter of 2019 were at their highest level since the first quarter of 2001 when gross job gains numbered 162,295. Colorado’s employment gains have remained above 140,000 each quarter for the most recent 5 years. Gross job losses declined in the second quarter of 2019. Job losses peaked in the fourth quarter of 2001, when more than 170,000 jobs were lost. (See chart 1.)

Gross job gains represented 7.0 percent of private-sector employment in Colorado in the second quarter of 2019, while nationally gross job gains accounted for 6.0 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 2.) Since the series began in September 1992, the rate of gross job gains in Colorado has been above the U.S. rate each quarter.

During the second quarter of 2019, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in nine industry sectors in Colorado. For example, within professional and business services, gross job gains exceeded gross jobs losses by 6,112. While almost 29,000 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments in the industry, more than 35,000 jobs were created by opening and expanding establishments. In leisure and hospitality, more than 34,000 jobs were created in opening and expanding establishments and approximately 29,000 jobs lost in closing and contracting establishments. (See table 1.)

In contrast, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in two industry sectors. Within retail trade, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 1,675. In manufacturing, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by less than 500.

For More 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 third quarter 2019 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.


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 either units with positive third month employment in the previous quarter, with no employment or zero employment reported 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.

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, Colorado, 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
2018
Sept
2018
Dec.
2018
Mar.
2019
June
2019
June
2018
Sept
2018
Dec.
2018
Mar.
2019
June
2019

Total private (1)

Gross job gains

153,001149,713155,491150,523161,8986.86.66.86.67.0

At expanding establishments

125,127120,080123,227118,702129,7335.65.35.45.25.6

At opening establishments

27,87429,63332,26431,82132,1651.21.31.41.41.4

Gross job losses

137,876152,379137,868143,527142,8416.16.86.06.36.2

At contracting establishments

110,514121,909109,792115,707113,1484.95.44.85.14.9

At closing establishments

27,36230,47028,07627,82029,6931.21.41.21.21.3

Net employment change (2)

15,125-2,66617,6236,99619,0570.7-0.20.80.30.8

Construction

Gross job gains

14,27714,68915,11615,43615,2028.28.68.68.68.5

At expanding establishments

11,45311,29611,59512,56312,3916.66.66.67.06.9

At opening establishments

2,8243,3933,5212,8732,8111.62.02.01.61.6

Gross job losses

14,00414,73113,03213,86114,7258.18.67.57.88.2

At contracting establishments

10,91411,66210,14011,00111,7726.36.85.86.26.6

At closing establishments

3,0903,0692,8922,8602,9531.81.81.71.61.6

Net employment change (2)

273-422,0841,5754770.10.01.10.80.3

Manufacturing

Gross job gains

5,6535,3175,8635,7985,4053.83.64.03.93.6

At expanding establishments

5,1474,5925,1945,2114,8113.53.13.53.53.2

At opening establishments

5067256695875940.30.50.50.40.4

Gross job losses

4,8365,6514,9854,5335,8923.23.83.33.13.9

At contracting establishments

4,0484,7284,0514,0085,0152.73.22.72.73.3

At closing establishments

7889239345258770.50.60.60.40.6

Net employment change (2)

817-3348781,265-4870.6-0.20.70.8-0.3

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains

5,4055,4465,3475,0305,3965.05.05.04.65.0

At expanding establishments

4,4374,3644,3054,0674,3444.14.04.03.74.0

At opening establishments

9681,0821,0429631,0520.91.01.00.91.0

Gross job losses

4,8175,2014,7194,4664,8204.44.84.44.14.4

At contracting establishments

3,4773,8573,5693,4253,5813.23.63.33.13.3

At closing establishments

1,3401,3441,1501,0411,2391.21.21.11.01.1

Net employment change (2)

5882456285645760.60.20.60.50.6

Retail trade

Gross job gains

16,40617,02415,86417,31615,9216.06.25.96.35.8

At expanding establishments

13,77015,15313,50314,99613,9735.05.55.05.55.1

At opening establishments

2,6361,8712,3612,3201,9481.00.70.90.80.7

Gross job losses

16,59818,61515,93015,63017,5966.06.85.95.76.4

At contracting establishments

14,65315,81713,80413,52715,0585.35.85.14.95.5

At closing establishments

1,9452,7982,1262,1032,5380.71.00.80.80.9

Net employment change (2)

-192-1,591-661,686-1,6750.0-0.60.00.6-0.6

Transportation and warehousing

Gross job gains

4,6896,1806,0144,7095,1746.17.97.55.86.3

At expanding establishments

4,0614,0835,4014,2294,2645.35.26.75.25.2

At opening establishments

6282,0976134809100.82.70.80.61.1

Gross job losses

4,1483,8083,2455,2824,0905.44.94.06.55.0

At contracting establishments

3,6003,0652,6814,5673,3734.73.93.35.64.1

At closing establishments

5487435647157170.71.00.70.90.9

Net employment change (2)

5412,3722,769-5731,0840.73.03.5-0.71.3

Information

Gross job gains

4,1763,4283,1292,6893,9445.54.54.13.65.2

At expanding establishments

3,6182,9502,5762,1193,5364.83.93.42.84.7

At opening establishments

5584785535704080.70.60.70.80.5

Gross job losses

3,3043,7043,0393,1183,3464.45.04.14.24.4

At contracting establishments

2,6802,9832,2922,7582,8103.64.03.13.73.7

At closing establishments

6247217473605360.81.01.00.50.7

Net employment change (2)

872-27690-4295981.1-0.50.0-0.60.8

Financial activities

Gross job gains

9,3768,7549,0658,8479,7575.75.35.55.45.9

At expanding establishments

6,9696,6456,4686,5927,1424.24.03.94.04.3

At opening establishments

2,4072,1092,5972,2552,6151.51.31.61.41.6

Gross job losses

7,9378,9818,8638,6239,5714.85.45.45.25.8

At contracting establishments

5,8346,2756,2745,9326,9263.53.83.83.64.2

At closing establishments

2,1032,7062,5892,6912,6451.31.61.61.61.6

Net employment change (2)

1,439-2272022241860.9-0.10.10.20.1

Professional and business services

Gross job gains

32,56930,33031,53730,82535,0777.77.17.47.28.1

At expanding establishments

25,80123,57824,16624,49827,8326.15.55.75.76.4

At opening establishments

6,7686,7527,3716,3277,2451.61.61.71.51.7

Gross job losses

28,31529,19330,04327,79628,9656.76.97.06.56.6

At contracting establishments

21,12121,54422,26621,38320,9075.05.15.25.04.8

At closing establishments

7,1947,6497,7776,4138,0581.71.81.81.51.8

Net employment change (2)

4,2541,1371,4943,0296,1121.00.20.40.71.5

Education and health services

Gross job gains

16,19116,01216,54315,14816,5554.84.84.94.54.8

At expanding establishments

13,85914,03413,73712,45313,7424.14.24.13.74.0

At opening establishments

2,3321,9782,8062,6952,8130.70.60.80.80.8

Gross job losses

15,35815,41714,61514,69214,9114.54.64.34.34.4

At contracting establishments

12,20612,41011,47911,85811,6163.63.73.43.53.4

At closing establishments

3,1523,0073,1362,8343,2950.90.90.90.81.0

Net employment change (2)

8335951,9284561,6440.30.20.60.20.4

Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains

33,07731,17132,80729,26534,4619.69.19.68.510.0

At expanding establishments

27,47025,60127,12623,61928,6578.07.57.96.98.3

At opening establishments

5,6075,5705,6815,6465,8041.61.61.71.61.7

Gross job losses

28,90836,35929,81735,47629,0338.510.68.710.48.4

At contracting establishments

24,55831,31725,63329,72824,4847.29.17.58.77.1

At closing establishments

4,3505,0424,1845,7484,5491.31.51.21.71.3

Net employment change (2)

4,169-5,1882,990-6,2115,4281.1-1.50.9-1.91.6

Other services (3)

Gross job gains

6,0856,1525,7445,5286,1958.08.07.57.27.9

At expanding establishments

4,8764,7904,3044,3924,8686.46.25.65.76.2

At opening establishments

1,2091,3621,4401,1361,3271.61.81.91.51.7

Gross job losses

4,8355,9486,0235,5144,8536.37.77.87.16.2

At contracting establishments

3,7674,5074,6214,0153,6634.95.86.05.24.7

At closing establishments

1,0681,4411,4021,4991,1901.41.91.81.91.5

Net employment change (2)

1,250204-279141,3421.70.3-0.30.11.7

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
2018
Sept.
2018
Dec.
2018
Mar.
2019
June
2019
June
2018
Sept.
2018
Dec.
2018
Mar.
2019
June
2019

United States(1)

6.16.06.35.96.05.86.05.65.55.9

Alabama

5.86.06.36.05.85.75.95.35.56.0

Alaska

10.98.911.010.010.810.710.79.89.010.2

Arizona

6.06.66.25.65.75.95.15.15.55.7

Arkansas

5.06.15.95.25.05.75.65.05.15.7

California

6.76.56.96.36.66.46.25.96.26.4

Colorado

6.86.66.86.67.06.16.86.06.36.2

Connecticut

5.85.35.35.25.85.15.74.95.75.9

Delaware

6.45.76.66.46.06.06.55.65.56.3

District of Columbia

5.65.35.65.45.45.65.55.14.95.5

Florida

6.46.86.46.16.56.15.86.15.66.3

Georgia

6.36.76.36.86.26.46.15.85.76.4

Hawaii

5.35.15.85.44.75.45.45.15.96.1

Idaho

7.36.87.47.57.16.86.96.36.16.7

Illinois

5.65.55.55.25.65.65.85.65.15.3

Indiana

5.55.25.65.95.25.55.45.04.85.8

Iowa

5.75.35.85.15.85.45.75.35.45.6

Kansas

5.75.96.15.45.75.65.75.45.75.7

Kentucky

5.95.86.15.85.85.76.05.45.55.9

Louisiana

6.26.36.25.96.06.56.35.85.96.5

Maine

8.06.17.37.27.57.17.56.76.47.5

Maryland

6.16.36.86.46.35.86.66.45.76.4

Massachusetts

6.15.65.85.76.05.56.15.35.25.7

Michigan

5.55.05.65.15.55.26.25.24.65.8

Minnesota

5.85.55.75.25.85.25.75.45.15.5

Mississippi

5.75.96.55.75.86.05.95.36.26.0

Missouri

5.75.95.85.45.65.76.05.45.35.8

Montana

8.07.28.97.68.07.87.97.28.07.7

Nebraska

5.85.95.95.75.75.85.95.75.65.7

Nevada

6.16.76.66.05.95.85.75.55.46.0

New Hampshire

6.75.76.66.36.46.26.85.75.76.3

New Jersey

6.56.06.45.76.25.86.45.75.65.8

New Mexico

6.76.46.86.46.36.26.46.15.86.3

New York

6.36.16.36.06.05.86.45.75.35.9

North Carolina

6.15.76.76.36.15.76.45.35.15.7

North Dakota

6.76.66.87.16.76.26.66.26.46.7

Ohio

5.65.45.65.55.65.45.85.35.15.7

Oklahoma

6.46.76.55.85.96.36.16.15.86.2

Oregon

6.26.26.76.36.36.36.36.05.86.1

Pennsylvania

5.35.45.35.15.25.15.24.84.85.3

Rhode Island

6.36.26.45.86.46.16.45.75.66.7

South Carolina

7.55.87.46.46.36.76.55.46.06.2

South Dakota

6.16.06.35.76.26.15.75.86.46.0

Tennessee

5.55.85.85.45.55.35.34.94.85.0

Texas

5.96.06.25.55.75.35.45.25.25.3

Utah

6.97.36.97.36.96.46.46.26.26.5

Vermont

7.26.97.46.76.97.17.66.86.37.1

Virginia

6.25.76.36.46.15.86.35.65.55.9

Washington

7.36.26.46.26.66.56.55.65.65.7

West Virginia

6.87.06.36.06.26.46.46.56.66.5

Wisconsin

5.55.15.45.15.55.55.95.04.85.3

Wyoming

8.48.310.08.68.58.48.47.87.89.6

Puerto Rico

7.97.26.07.16.46.25.86.85.15.8

Virgin Islands

13.212.87.911.98.87.05.97.17.46.1

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

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, February 07, 2020