Business Employment Dynamics in Alabama — Second Quarter 2023

From March 2023 to June 2023, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 100,702, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in Alabama were 95,939, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 4,763 jobs in the private sector during the second quarter of 2023. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 14,589. (See chart 1.)

Chart 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses in Alabama, June 2018–June 2023, seasonally adjusted

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses in Alabama, June 2018–June 2023, seasonally adjusted
Period	Gross job gains	Gross job losses
Jun. 2018	94,095	89,664
Sep. 2018	95,156	93,864
Dec. 2018	99,380	86,323
Mar. 2019	98,889	89,928
Jun. 2019	94,715	95,704
Sep. 2019	93,993	94,581
Dec. 2019	100,240	89,940
Mar. 2020	89,099	96,996
Jun. 2020	74,133	195,835
Sep. 2020	118,728	90,296
Dec. 2020	118,592	84,685
Mar. 2021	106,112	92,213
Jun. 2021	100,365	93,847
Sep. 2021	107,013	100,889
Dec. 2021	123,033	84,677
Mar. 2022	105,936	97,260
Jun. 2022	108,815	102,132
Sep. 2022	114,951	97,672
Dec. 2022	111,392	101,269
Mar. 2023	107,346	92,757
Jun. 2023	100,702	95,939

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 second quarter of 2023, gross job gains represented 5.9 percent of private-sector employment in Alabama; 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 Alabama, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 80,324 in the second quarter of 2023, a decrease of 3,492 jobs compared to the previous quarter. (See table 1.) Opening establishments accounted for 20,378 jobs gained in the second quarter of 2023, a decrease of 3,152 jobs from the previous quarter.

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Private-sector gross job gains as a percent of employment, United States and Alabama, June 2018–June 2023, seasonally adjusted
Period	United States	Alabama
Jun. 2018	6.2	5.9
Sep. 2018	6.0	5.9
Dec. 2018	6.2	6.2
Mar. 2019	6.0	6.1
Jun. 2019	6.1	5.9
Sep. 2019	5.9	5.8
Dec. 2019	6.2	6.2
Mar. 2020	5.5	5.5
Jun. 2020	4.8	4.7
Sep. 2020	9.4	7.8
Dec. 2020	7.4	7.6
Mar. 2021	7.0	6.7
Jun. 2021	6.8	6.3
Sep. 2021	7.3	6.7
Dec. 2021	7.7	7.6
Mar. 2022	6.7	6.4
Jun. 2022	6.6	6.6
Sep. 2022	6.9	6.9
Dec. 2022	6.3	6.6
Mar. 2023	6.2	6.4
Jun. 2023	6.2	5.9

Gross job losses

In the second quarter of 2023, gross job losses represented 5.7 percent of private-sector employment in Alabama; 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 Alabama, contracting establishments lost 79,792 jobs in the second quarter of 2023, an increase of 4,579 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 16,147 jobs, a decrease of 1,397 jobs from the previous quarter.

View Chart Data

Chart 3. Private-sector gross job losses as a percent of employment, United States and Alabama, June 2018–June 2023, seasonally adjusted
Period	United States	Alabama
Jun. 2018	5.8	5.6
Sep. 2018	6.0	5.9
Dec. 2018	5.6	5.4
Mar. 2019	5.5	5.6
Jun. 2019	5.9	5.9
Sep. 2019	5.8	5.9
Dec. 2019	5.6	5.5
Mar. 2020	6.2	5.9
Jun. 2020	16.9	12.5
Sep. 2020	6.0	5.9
Dec. 2020	5.7	5.5
Mar. 2021	5.5	5.8
Jun. 2021	5.9	6.0
Sep. 2021	6.1	6.3
Dec. 2021	5.4	5.2
Mar. 2022	5.5	5.9
Jun. 2022	6.2	6.2
Sep. 2022	5.9	5.9
Dec. 2022	5.9	6.1
Mar. 2023	5.4	5.5
Jun. 2023	5.9	5.7

Industries

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 7 of the 10 industry sectors in Alabama in the second quarter of 2023. Education and health services had the largest over-the-quarter net job increase, with a gain of 4,070 jobs. This was the result of 14,419 gross job gains and 10,349 gross job losses. The manufacturing industry had a net gain of 1,130 jobs. Transportation and warehousing showed a net loss of 1,419 jobs, the largest loss of any sector in the state. Alabama’s leisure and hospitality industry sector had a net loss of 954 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 the Business Employment Dynamics Home.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Third Quarter 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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.

More information on formal definitions of the data used in this release, along with coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.

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, Alabama, seasonally adjusted
Category	Gross job gains and losses (3 months ended)					Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
Category	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	108,815	114,951	111,392	107,346	100,702	6.6	6.9	6.6	6.4	5.9
At expanding establishments	83,445	94,899	87,297	83,816	80,324	5.1	5.7	5.2	5.0	4.7
At opening establishments	25,370	20,052	24,095	23,530	20,378	1.5	1.2	1.4	1.4	1.2
Gross job losses	102,132	97,672	101,269	92,757	95,939	6.2	5.9	6.1	5.5	5.7
At contracting establishments	87,827	77,381	79,922	75,213	79,792	5.3	4.7	4.8	4.5	4.7
At closing establishments	14,305	20,291	21,347	17,544	16,147	0.9	1.2	1.3	1.0	1.0
Net employment change (2)	6,683	17,279	10,123	14,589	4,763	0.4	1.0	0.5	0.9	0.2
Construction
Gross job gains	8,820	8,461	8,220	8,439	8,057	8.9	8.5	8.2	8.4	8.0
At expanding establishments	6,341	6,951	6,578	6,553	6,641	6.4	7.0	6.6	6.5	6.6
At opening establishments	2,479	1,510	1,642	1,886	1,416	2.5	1.5	1.6	1.9	1.4
Gross job losses	7,798	8,034	8,090	8,426	7,431	7.9	8.0	8.1	8.4	7.4
At contracting establishments	6,789	6,498	6,585	7,011	5,883	6.9	6.5	6.6	7.0	5.9
At closing establishments	1,009	1,536	1,505	1,415	1,548	1.0	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.5
Net employment change (2)	1,022	427	130	13	626	1.0	0.5	0.1	0.0	0.6
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	10,155	11,887	11,344	9,325	9,318	3.7	4.3	4.1	3.3	3.3
At expanding establishments	8,998	10,491	9,915	8,234	8,402	3.3	3.8	3.6	2.9	3.0
At opening establishments	1,157	1,396	1,429	1,091	916	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.3
Gross job losses	8,257	8,587	9,206	7,743	8,188	3.1	3.1	3.3	2.7	2.9
At contracting establishments	7,251	7,273	7,887	7,085	7,334	2.7	2.6	2.8	2.5	2.6
At closing establishments	1,006	1,314	1,319	658	854	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.2	0.3
Net employment change (2)	1,898	3,300	2,138	1,582	1,130	0.6	1.2	0.8	0.6	0.4
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	4,162	4,051	4,171	4,181	3,588	5.5	5.2	5.4	5.3	4.6
At expanding establishments	3,341	3,273	3,315	3,448	2,989	4.4	4.2	4.3	4.4	3.8
At opening establishments	821	778	856	733	599	1.1	1.0	1.1	0.9	0.8
Gross job losses	3,656	3,330	3,891	3,402	3,295	4.7	4.3	5.0	4.4	4.2
At contracting establishments	2,932	2,529	2,459	2,541	2,594	3.8	3.3	3.2	3.3	3.3
At closing establishments	724	801	1,432	861	701	0.9	1.0	1.8	1.1	0.9
Net employment change (2)	506	721	280	779	293	0.8	0.9	0.4	0.9	0.4
Retail trade
Gross job gains	13,436	15,040	13,858	13,423	13,710	5.7	6.3	5.9	5.7	5.7
At expanding establishments	10,841	13,268	11,601	10,584	11,819	4.6	5.6	4.9	4.5	4.9
At opening establishments	2,595	1,772	2,257	2,839	1,891	1.1	0.7	1.0	1.2	0.8
Gross job losses	16,122	13,635	14,065	12,107	12,822	6.8	5.7	5.9	5.1	5.3
At contracting establishments	14,640	11,871	11,890	10,823	11,568	6.2	5.0	5.0	4.6	4.8
At closing establishments	1,482	1,764	2,175	1,284	1,254	0.6	0.7	0.9	0.5	0.5
Net employment change (2)	-2,686	1,405	-207	1,316	888	-1.1	0.6	0.0	0.6	0.4
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	3,949	4,441	9,585	4,206	3,953	5.2	5.9	12.4	5.3	5.2
At expanding establishments	2,898	3,813	6,573	3,461	2,942	3.8	5.1	8.5	4.4	3.9
At opening establishments	1,051	628	3,012	745	1,011	1.4	0.8	3.9	0.9	1.3
Gross job losses	7,304	5,233	3,578	7,229	5,372	9.6	7.0	4.7	9.2	7.1
At contracting establishments	6,707	4,511	2,765	6,460	4,547	8.8	6.0	3.6	8.2	6.0
At closing establishments	597	722	813	769	825	0.8	1.0	1.1	1.0	1.1
Net employment change (2)	-3,355	-792	6,007	-3,023	-1,419	-4.4	-1.1	7.7	-3.9	-1.9
Financial activities
Gross job gains	6,219	6,291	6,377	6,428	5,310	6.3	6.3	6.4	6.4	5.2
At expanding establishments	4,314	5,152	4,924	4,515	4,048	4.4	5.2	4.9	4.5	4.0
At opening establishments	1,905	1,139	1,453	1,913	1,262	1.9	1.1	1.5	1.9	1.2
Gross job losses	5,778	5,481	7,204	4,829	5,304	5.9	5.5	7.2	4.8	5.2
At contracting establishments	4,622	3,958	4,798	3,815	4,203	4.7	4.0	4.8	3.8	4.1
At closing establishments	1,156	1,523	2,406	1,014	1,101	1.2	1.5	2.4	1.0	1.1
Net employment change (2)	441	810	-827	1,599	6	0.4	0.8	-0.8	1.6	0.0
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	22,420	23,596	20,133	20,885	18,998	8.7	9.0	7.6	7.9	7.1
At expanding establishments	16,832	18,892	15,285	15,888	15,147	6.5	7.2	5.8	6.0	5.7
At opening establishments	5,588	4,704	4,848	4,997	3,851	2.2	1.8	1.8	1.9	1.4
Gross job losses	20,395	19,096	19,532	18,266	19,026	7.9	7.3	7.4	6.8	7.2
At contracting establishments	17,135	14,470	14,781	14,707	15,675	6.6	5.5	5.6	5.5	5.9
At closing establishments	3,260	4,626	4,751	3,559	3,351	1.3	1.8	1.8	1.3	1.3
Net employment change (2)	2,025	4,500	601	2,619	-28	0.8	1.7	0.2	1.1	-0.1
Education and health services
Gross job gains	14,169	14,756	12,560	14,586	14,419	6.1	6.2	5.3	6.0	5.8
At expanding establishments	10,715	12,157	9,548	11,185	10,498	4.6	5.1	4.0	4.6	4.2
At opening establishments	3,454	2,599	3,012	3,401	3,921	1.5	1.1	1.3	1.4	1.6
Gross job losses	10,250	10,677	12,916	10,838	10,349	4.4	4.5	5.3	4.5	4.2
At contracting establishments	8,387	8,092	9,975	6,702	8,450	3.6	3.4	4.1	2.8	3.4
At closing establishments	1,863	2,585	2,941	4,136	1,899	0.8	1.1	1.2	1.7	0.8
Net employment change (2)	3,919	4,079	-356	3,748	4,070	1.7	1.7	0.0	1.5	1.6
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	17,776	18,115	17,834	18,822	16,772	9.1	9.2	9.0	9.3	8.2
At expanding establishments	13,701	14,344	14,071	15,047	12,692	7.0	7.3	7.1	7.4	6.2
At opening establishments	4,075	3,771	3,763	3,775	4,080	2.1	1.9	1.9	1.9	2.0
Gross job losses	16,345	17,119	15,626	13,581	17,726	8.4	8.7	7.9	6.7	8.7
At contracting establishments	14,246	13,627	13,074	11,055	14,470	7.3	6.9	6.6	5.5	7.1
At closing establishments	2,099	3,492	2,552	2,526	3,256	1.1	1.8	1.3	1.2	1.6
Net employment change (2)	1,431	996	2,208	5,241	-954	0.7	0.5	1.1	2.6	-0.5
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	3,884	4,347	3,393	3,898	3,270	8.7	9.6	7.4	8.5	7.1
At expanding establishments	2,765	3,456	2,599	2,755	2,425	6.2	7.6	5.7	6.0	5.3
At opening establishments	1,119	891	794	1,143	845	2.5	2.0	1.7	2.5	1.8
Gross job losses	3,171	3,354	3,890	3,174	2,913	7.1	7.4	8.5	7.0	6.3
At contracting establishments	2,583	2,219	3,018	2,359	2,224	5.8	4.9	6.6	5.2	4.8
At closing establishments	588	1,135	872	815	689	1.3	2.5	1.9	1.8	1.5
Net employment change (2)	713	993	-497	724	357	1.6	2.2	-1.1	1.5	0.8
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
Category	Gross job gains as a percent of employment (3 months ended)					Gross job losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
Category	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023
United States(1)	6.6	6.9	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.2	5.9	5.9	5.4	5.9
Alabama	6.6	6.9	6.6	6.4	5.9	6.2	5.9	6.1	5.5	5.7
Alaska	10.2	8.5	10.9	10.4	11.0	9.0	10.4	9.2	8.0	8.9
Arizona	6.5	7.1	6.6	5.9	7.0	6.3	5.5	6.0	5.4	6.5
Arkansas	6.1	6.5	6.2	5.8	5.8	5.5	5.2	5.2	5.0	6.0
California	6.8	6.8	6.6	6.1	6.7	6.7	6.2	6.6	6.4	6.4
Colorado	7.3	7.0	7.6	7.2	7.3	6.6	7.1	6.9	6.5	6.6
Connecticut	6.4	6.3	5.9	6.1	6.4	6.3	6.2	5.9	5.3	5.7
Delaware	6.5	8.6	7.0	6.7	6.0	6.9	6.2	7.5	5.2	5.7
District of Columbia	6.1	7.2	5.6	5.9	5.4	6.3	5.0	5.5	4.8	5.3
Florida	7.5	7.8	6.2	6.3	6.8	6.3	5.6	6.0	5.6	5.8
Georgia	6.8	7.1	6.7	6.2	6.4	6.2	5.9	5.9	5.8	6.5
Hawaii	6.0	6.4	6.0	5.5	5.7	5.5	4.9	4.9	5.0	5.2
Idaho	7.1	7.8	8.4	7.9	7.9	8.4	7.5	6.9	7.5	7.5
Illinois	5.9	5.8	5.4	5.8	5.4	5.5	5.3	5.1	4.8	5.3
Indiana	5.7	6.4	5.7	5.5	5.5	5.9	5.5	5.2	5.0	6.1
Iowa	5.9	5.9	6.4	6.0	6.0	6.2	5.9	6.2	5.4	5.9
Kansas	6.5	7.4	6.3	6.1	6.1	7.1	5.5	5.6	5.4	6.0
Kentucky	6.3	6.6	6.0	6.1	5.6	6.5	5.4	5.3	4.9	5.9
Louisiana	6.7	6.9	6.1	6.3	6.1	6.4	5.7	6.2	5.6	6.4
Maine	7.2	7.6	7.4	7.7	7.6	8.0	7.3	6.8	6.2	7.6
Maryland	6.5	7.4	6.6	6.8	6.7	6.9	6.0	6.9	5.6	6.3
Massachusetts	6.1	6.2	5.5	5.8	5.9	5.5	6.1	5.8	4.7	5.7
Michigan	6.0	5.7	5.9	5.7	5.9	5.9	5.8	5.2	4.9	5.3
Minnesota	6.4	6.5	5.9	5.7	6.0	6.4	5.9	5.8	4.9	5.6
Mississippi	6.6	7.2	6.8	6.1	6.3	6.7	6.3	6.2	5.7	6.6
Missouri	6.2	6.8	6.1	6.5	5.9	5.9	6.3	5.8	5.1	5.9
Montana	8.2	8.7	9.2	8.7	7.8	9.1	7.8	7.8	7.1	8.4
Nebraska	6.4	7.1	6.0	6.3	6.0	6.5	6.1	5.7	5.1	5.6
Nevada	6.9	7.4	6.4	6.2	6.6	5.7	5.8	6.1	5.7	6.0
New Hampshire	6.7	6.9	6.7	7.0	6.7	6.7	6.7	6.0	5.9	6.3
New Jersey	6.6	6.8	6.8	6.1	6.8	6.2	6.4	5.9	5.7	5.9
New Mexico	6.7	8.0	6.7	6.8	6.4	7.1	5.9	6.2	5.9	6.2
New York	7.1	6.6	5.9	6.5	6.3	6.1	5.9	6.0	5.1	5.7
North Carolina	6.4	6.7	6.6	6.4	6.1	6.1	5.8	5.7	5.3	5.7
North Dakota	6.9	7.6	6.4	7.6	6.9	6.5	6.3	6.7	5.6	6.7
Ohio	5.9	5.8	5.9	5.8	5.6	5.9	5.5	5.7	4.9	5.7
Oklahoma	6.7	7.4	6.6	6.3	6.2	6.1	5.6	5.9	5.3	6.0
Oregon	6.0	6.7	6.5	7.3	6.4	7.0	6.0	6.2	6.1	6.9
Pennsylvania	5.5	6.1	5.5	5.5	5.2	5.6	5.1	5.2	4.6	5.5
Rhode Island	7.1	6.7	6.9	7.5	6.7	6.7	7.3	6.4	5.9	7.0
South Carolina	6.6	7.3	6.9	6.8	6.4	6.2	5.6	6.2	5.8	6.8
South Dakota	6.6	7.3	6.5	7.2	6.8	6.5	6.4	6.5	5.9	6.2
Tennessee	6.2	7.0	5.8	5.9	5.9	6.2	5.5	5.6	5.0	5.5
Texas	6.6	7.2	6.2	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.3	5.3	5.0	5.4
Utah	7.0	7.5	6.9	7.0	6.8	6.6	6.8	6.6	6.2	6.2
Vermont	7.5	7.2	7.8	8.2	7.4	7.6	7.8	7.0	6.0	7.5
Virginia	6.5	7.5	6.2	6.2	6.0	6.7	6.1	5.8	5.2	5.8
Washington	7.0	7.2	5.9	6.4	6.0	7.2	6.3	5.3	5.5	5.6
West Virginia	6.7	8.1	6.6	7.1	6.1	8.0	6.9	6.4	5.3	6.1
Wisconsin	6.0	6.0	6.0	6.0	5.6	6.0	5.8	5.5	4.9	5.9
Wyoming	8.4	9.2	9.2	8.9	8.4	9.2	8.4	7.9	7.8	8.7
Puerto Rico	6.7	6.2	6.6	5.1	5.8	6.1	5.3	6.1	5.7	4.9
Virgin Islands	8.0	8.5	5.9	7.5	7.4	9.2	5.5	4.7	6.5	6.8
Footnotes (1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. The sum of the states will not necessarily add to the U.S. total because of the independent seasonal adjustment of each state.

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, February 06, 2024

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Business Employment Dynamics in Alabama — Second Quarter 2023