Business Employment Dynamics in Alabama — First Quarter 2025

From December 2024 to March 2025, gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in Alabama were 95,520, while gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 92,217, 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 loss of 3,303 jobs in the private sector during the first quarter of 2025. (See table 1.) During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 6,688. (See chart 1.)

Chart 1. Line chart of private-sector gross job gains and losses in Alabama, March 2020–March 2025, seasonally adjusted. An accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses in Alabama, March 2020–March 2025, seasonally adjusted
Period	Gross job losses	Gross job gains
Mar 2020	96,983	89,143
Jun 2020	195,535	74,215
Sep 2020	89,859	118,680
Dec 2020	84,790	118,140
Mar 2021	92,194	106,225
Jun 2021	93,863	100,526
Sep 2021	100,415	106,955
Dec 2021	84,802	122,613
Mar 2022	97,170	105,974
Jun 2022	102,203	108,964
Sep 2022	97,194	114,933
Dec 2022	101,393	111,016
Mar 2023	93,712	109,854
Jun 2023	96,410	102,771
Sep 2023	100,817	102,456
Dec 2023	98,203	105,335
Mar 2024	95,836	101,248
Jun 2024	94,915	96,032
Sep 2024	101,412	99,198
Dec 2024	92,228	98,916
Mar 2025	95,520	92,217

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 the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.)

Gross job losses

In the first quarter of 2025, gross job losses represented 5.6 percent of private-sector employment in Alabama; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.4 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 2.) 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 77,418 jobs in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 2,691 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 18,102 jobs, an increase of 601 jobs from the previous quarter.

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Private-sector gross job losses as a percent of employment, United States and Alabama, March 2020–March 2025, seasonally adjusted
Period	United States	Alabama
Mar 2020	6.3	5.9
Jun 2020	16.8	12.5
Sep 2020	5.9	5.9
Dec 2020	5.7	5.5
Mar 2021	5.5	5.8
Jun 2021	5.9	6.0
Sep 2021	6.0	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	5.5	5.6
Jun 2023	5.9	5.7
Sep 2023	5.9	6.0
Dec 2023	5.7	5.8
Mar 2024	5.5	5.6
Jun 2024	5.9	5.6
Sep 2024	5.8	5.9
Dec 2024	5.7	5.3
Mar 2025	5.4	5.6

Gross job gains

In the first quarter of 2025, gross job gains represented 5.3 percent of private-sector employment in Alabama; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.6 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 3.) 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 74,521 in the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of 4,436 jobs compared to the previous quarter. Opening establishments accounted for 17,696 jobs gained in the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of 2,263 jobs from the previous quarter.

View Chart Data

Chart 3. Private-sector gross job gains as a percent of employment, United States and Alabama, March 2020–March 2025, seasonally adjusted
Period	United States	Alabama
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	7.5
Mar 2022	6.7	6.4
Jun 2022	6.5	6.6
Sep 2022	6.9	6.9
Dec 2022	6.3	6.6
Mar 2023	6.3	6.5
Jun 2023	6.2	6.0
Sep 2023	5.9	6.0
Dec 2023	6.0	6.2
Mar 2024	5.9	5.9
Jun 2024	5.8	5.6
Sep 2024	5.8	5.8
Dec 2024	5.9	5.8
Mar 2025	5.6	5.3

Industries

Gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in 6 of the 10 published industry sectors in Alabama in the first quarter of 2025. Transportation and warehousing had the largest over-the-quarter net job decrease, with a loss of 2,876 jobs. This was the result of 6,328 gross job losses and 3,452 gross job gains. The professional and business services industry had a net loss of 1,046 jobs. Education and health services showed a net gain of 1,002 jobs, the largest gain of any sector in the state.

Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

Data in this release contain annual revisions in accordance with standard procedures. These revisions include the previous four quarters of not seasonally adjusted data and five years of seasonally adjusted data.

Federal Government Shutdown

Publication of first quarter 2025 data was delayed by more than 6 weeks because of a lapse in federal appropriations. Collection of first quarter Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data – which Business Employment Dynamics data is based upon – had been completed in accordance with our normal schedule prior to the federal government shutdown.

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 homepage and the Business Employment Dynamics Summary.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Second Quarter 2025 are scheduled to be released on Thursday, February 26, 2026, 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	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	101,248	96,032	99,198	98,916	92,217	5.9	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.3
At expanding establishments	81,653	78,182	78,733	78,957	74,521	4.8	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.3
At opening establishments	19,595	17,850	20,465	19,959	17,696	1.1	1.0	1.2	1.2	1.0
Gross job losses	95,836	94,915	101,412	92,228	95,520	5.6	5.6	5.9	5.3	5.6
At contracting establishments	76,222	78,432	80,451	74,727	77,418	4.5	4.6	4.7	4.3	4.5
At closing establishments	19,614	16,483	20,961	17,501	18,102	1.1	1.0	1.2	1.0	1.1
Net employment change (2)	5,412	1,117	-2,214	6,688	-3,303	0.3	0.0	-0.1	0.5	-0.3
Construction
Gross job gains	9,127	8,827	8,964	8,067	8,535	8.7	8.2	8.3	7.4	7.8
At expanding establishments	7,315	7,407	7,526	6,533	6,979	7.0	6.9	7.0	6.0	6.4
At opening establishments	1,812	1,420	1,438	1,534	1,556	1.7	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.4
Gross job losses	7,437	7,194	8,433	8,178	8,264	7.1	6.8	7.8	7.6	7.6
At contracting establishments	5,910	5,854	6,772	6,685	6,743	5.6	5.5	6.3	6.2	6.2
At closing establishments	1,527	1,340	1,661	1,493	1,521	1.5	1.3	1.5	1.4	1.4
Net employment change (2)	1,690	1,633	531	-111	271	1.6	1.4	0.5	-0.2	0.2
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	9,770	8,450	8,220	7,295	7,609	3.4	2.9	2.8	2.6	2.6
At expanding establishments	8,949	7,791	7,234	6,261	6,957	3.1	2.7	2.5	2.2	2.4
At opening establishments	821	659	986	1,034	652	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.2
Gross job losses	7,257	7,394	8,660	8,152	7,738	2.5	2.6	3.0	2.9	2.7
At contracting establishments	6,601	6,563	7,672	7,070	7,167	2.3	2.3	2.7	2.5	2.5
At closing establishments	656	831	988	1,082	571	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.2
Net employment change (2)	2,513	1,056	-440	-857	-129	0.9	0.3	-0.2	-0.3	-0.1
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	3,811	3,615	3,750	3,496	3,389	4.8	4.6	4.7	4.4	4.2
At expanding establishments	2,956	2,924	2,958	2,713	2,719	3.7	3.7	3.7	3.4	3.4
At opening establishments	855	691	792	783	670	1.1	0.9	1.0	1.0	0.8
Gross job losses	3,436	3,695	3,860	3,257	3,537	4.3	4.6	4.9	4.1	4.5
At contracting establishments	2,651	2,876	2,841	2,627	2,691	3.3	3.6	3.6	3.3	3.4
At closing establishments	785	819	1,019	630	846	1.0	1.0	1.3	0.8	1.1
Net employment change (2)	375	-80	-110	239	-148	0.5	0.0	-0.2	0.3	-0.3
Retail trade
Gross job gains	13,102	13,244	14,082	11,975	12,413	5.4	5.5	5.8	5.0	5.2
At expanding establishments	11,070	11,287	11,648	10,021	10,630	4.6	4.7	4.8	4.2	4.5
At opening establishments	2,032	1,957	2,434	1,954	1,783	0.8	0.8	1.0	0.8	0.7
Gross job losses	11,475	13,950	13,628	14,088	11,525	4.8	5.8	5.6	5.9	4.8
At contracting establishments	9,761	12,009	11,664	11,953	9,781	4.1	5.0	4.8	5.0	4.1
At closing establishments	1,714	1,941	1,964	2,135	1,744	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.7
Net employment change (2)	1,627	-706	454	-2,113	888	0.6	-0.3	0.2	-0.9	0.4
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	3,840	3,244	3,844	5,907	3,452	5.1	4.4	5.2	7.9	4.6
At expanding establishments	3,327	2,724	3,301	5,193	2,830	4.4	3.7	4.5	6.9	3.8
At opening establishments	513	520	543	714	622	0.7	0.7	0.7	1.0	0.8
Gross job losses	5,696	3,933	4,384	3,188	6,328	7.6	5.3	6.0	4.2	8.5
At contracting establishments	4,973	3,485	3,429	2,551	5,582	6.6	4.7	4.7	3.4	7.5
At closing establishments	723	448	955	637	746	1.0	0.6	1.3	0.8	1.0
Net employment change (2)	-1,856	-689	-540	2,719	-2,876	-2.5	-0.9	-0.8	3.7	-3.9
Financial activities
Gross job gains	5,525	5,160	4,844	4,582	4,982	5.5	5.1	4.8	4.5	4.9
At expanding establishments	4,303	4,026	3,763	3,315	3,956	4.3	4.0	3.7	3.3	3.9
At opening establishments	1,222	1,134	1,081	1,267	1,026	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.0
Gross job losses	5,328	4,514	4,792	4,753	4,747	5.3	4.5	4.7	4.7	4.6
At contracting establishments	4,064	3,516	3,684	3,675	3,504	4.0	3.5	3.6	3.6	3.4
At closing establishments	1,264	998	1,108	1,078	1,243	1.3	1.0	1.1	1.1	1.2
Net employment change (2)	197	646	52	-171	235	0.2	0.6	0.1	-0.2	0.3
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	18,433	18,723	17,168	19,308	16,410	6.9	7.0	6.5	7.3	6.3
At expanding establishments	14,735	14,669	13,233	15,521	12,844	5.5	5.5	5.0	5.9	4.9
At opening establishments	3,698	4,054	3,935	3,787	3,566	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.4
Gross job losses	18,991	20,039	21,611	17,683	17,456	7.2	7.5	8.2	6.7	6.7
At contracting establishments	15,387	16,565	16,540	14,220	13,877	5.8	6.2	6.3	5.4	5.3
At closing establishments	3,604	3,474	5,071	3,463	3,579	1.4	1.3	1.9	1.3	1.4
Net employment change (2)	-558	-1,316	-4,443	1,625	-1,046	-0.3	-0.5	-1.7	0.6	-0.4
Education and health services
Gross job gains	13,927	12,280	12,281	13,105	13,382	5.5	4.9	4.9	5.2	5.2
At expanding establishments	11,091	9,975	9,560	10,044	10,329	4.4	4.0	3.8	4.0	4.0
At opening establishments	2,836	2,305	2,721	3,061	3,053	1.1	0.9	1.1	1.2	1.2
Gross job losses	13,622	10,588	12,488	12,382	12,380	5.4	4.2	4.9	4.9	4.8
At contracting establishments	8,729	7,903	9,075	9,189	9,222	3.5	3.1	3.6	3.6	3.6
At closing establishments	4,893	2,685	3,413	3,193	3,158	1.9	1.1	1.3	1.3	1.2
Net employment change (2)	305	1,692	-207	723	1,002	0.1	0.7	0.0	0.3	0.4
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	17,033	16,587	19,563	18,664	16,126	8.2	7.9	9.4	8.8	7.6
At expanding establishments	12,878	12,970	14,644	14,303	12,778	6.2	6.2	7.0	6.7	6.0
At opening establishments	4,155	3,617	4,919	4,361	3,348	2.0	1.7	2.4	2.1	1.6
Gross job losses	16,480	17,832	17,715	14,382	16,837	7.9	8.6	8.4	6.8	7.9
At contracting establishments	13,392	14,986	14,280	11,872	13,638	6.4	7.2	6.8	5.6	6.4
At closing establishments	3,088	2,846	3,435	2,510	3,199	1.5	1.4	1.6	1.2	1.5
Net employment change (2)	553	-1,245	1,848	4,282	-711	0.3	-0.7	1.0	2.0	-0.3
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	4,189	3,324	4,034	3,628	3,243	8.8	6.9	8.3	7.5	6.7
At expanding establishments	3,128	2,509	2,957	2,723	2,531	6.6	5.2	6.1	5.6	5.2
At opening establishments	1,061	815	1,077	905	712	2.2	1.7	2.2	1.9	1.5
Gross job losses	3,047	3,224	3,153	3,666	3,441	6.4	6.7	6.5	7.5	7.1
At contracting establishments	2,408	2,598	2,365	2,819	2,528	5.1	5.4	4.9	5.8	5.2
At closing establishments	639	626	788	847	913	1.3	1.3	1.6	1.7	1.9
Net employment change (2)	1,142	100	881	-38	-198	2.4	0.2	1.8	0.0	-0.4
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	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025	Mar. 2024	June 2024	Sept. 2024	Dec. 2024	Mar. 2025
United States(1)	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.9	5.6	5.5	5.9	5.8	5.7	5.4
Alabama	5.9	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.3	5.6	5.6	5.9	5.3	5.6
Alaska	10.7	10.2	8.0	10.3	10.0	8.5	9.6	9.6	9.5	8.1
Arizona	8.2	5.6	6.4	6.1	5.8	6.5	6.5	5.7	5.9	5.3
Arkansas	5.6	5.3	5.5	5.8	5.1	5.2	5.7	5.2	4.8	5.1
California	6.0	6.2	6.3	6.7	6.0	5.7	6.9	6.2	6.4	6.2
Colorado	6.4	6.6	6.3	6.2	6.2	7.4	5.8	6.4	6.5	6.8
Connecticut	5.8	5.8	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.2	5.5	5.6	5.5	5.3
Delaware	6.2	5.8	6.8	6.1	5.9	5.0	6.5	6.4	6.3	5.3
District of Columbia	5.1	5.1	4.9	5.0	4.8	5.0	5.4	5.0	5.5	5.8
Florida	5.8	6.1	6.5	6.0	5.8	5.5	5.8	5.7	6.2	5.5
Georgia	6.1	5.9	5.8	6.0	5.5	5.7	5.7	6.1	5.4	5.7
Hawaii	5.6	5.2	5.7	5.3	4.9	5.1	5.6	5.0	5.0	5.0
Idaho	7.9	7.5	7.1	8.2	7.3	8.1	7.2	7.5	6.8	7.3
Illinois	5.2	5.1	4.9	5.1	5.0	4.8	5.1	5.0	5.1	5.0
Indiana	5.3	5.2	5.3	5.5	5.4	5.1	5.5	5.3	5.1	5.2
Iowa	6.2	5.6	5.3	5.6	5.8	5.7	5.8	6.0	5.6	5.5
Kansas	5.9	5.9	5.3	5.9	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.6	5.2	5.4
Kentucky	5.9	5.3	5.4	5.3	5.2	5.1	5.8	5.4	5.5	4.8
Louisiana	6.3	5.8	6.1	6.2	5.6	5.6	6.2	5.8	5.5	5.6
Maine	7.4	7.2	6.2	7.0	7.4	6.3	7.1	7.1	7.1	6.3
Maryland	6.1	7.1	5.9	6.0	5.9	5.5	5.9	6.1	5.9	5.7
Massachusetts	5.3	5.7	5.0	5.3	5.0	5.1	5.6	5.8	5.5	5.1
Michigan	5.5	5.7	5.3	5.4	5.2	5.2	5.4	5.8	5.9	5.3
Minnesota	6.1	5.7	5.1	5.5	5.1	5.2	5.2	5.8	5.1	5.5
Mississippi	6.0	5.7	6.3	6.3	5.7	5.8	6.3	5.7	6.2	6.1
Missouri	5.9	5.6	5.6	5.7	5.4	5.4	5.8	5.8	5.3	5.2
Montana	8.1	7.9	7.2	8.4	8.0	7.6	7.6	8.0	7.8	7.5
Nebraska	5.9	5.5	5.6	5.6	5.2	5.1	5.6	5.6	5.5	5.3
Nevada	6.0	5.8	6.2	6.1	5.4	6.1	5.8	5.9	5.6	5.9
New Hampshire	6.4	6.1	5.6	6.3	6.5	5.8	6.0	6.7	5.9	6.1
New Jersey	5.5	5.9	5.4	6.0	5.6	5.5	5.5	5.8	5.5	5.4
New Mexico	6.4	6.1	6.3	6.1	5.9	6.1	6.5	6.2	5.9	5.8
New York	6.0	5.8	5.7	5.7	6.6	5.0	5.5	5.8	5.5	5.0
North Carolina	5.5	5.6	5.5	6.1	5.4	5.4	5.5	5.8	5.5	5.5
North Dakota	6.9	6.6	6.5	6.5	6.7	6.0	6.6	6.5	6.6	6.5
Ohio	5.5	5.2	5.2	5.4	5.2	4.8	5.3	5.4	5.1	4.9
Oklahoma	5.8	5.7	6.1	6.0	5.5	5.3	6.4	5.5	5.5	5.3
Oregon	6.6	6.0	6.3	6.2	5.8	5.9	6.3	6.6	6.6	6.2
Pennsylvania	5.1	4.9	5.1	5.2	5.0	4.6	5.2	5.0	4.8	4.7
Rhode Island	6.8	6.6	6.2	7.3	6.6	5.7	6.7	6.4	6.3	5.9
South Carolina	6.5	6.1	6.2	6.4	6.1	6.3	6.0	5.9	5.9	5.5
South Dakota	6.4	6.0	5.9	6.7	6.2	5.8	6.2	5.9	5.9	6.5
Tennessee	5.7	5.5	5.6	5.5	5.4	5.0	5.6	5.7	6.2	5.1
Texas	5.5	5.4	5.7	5.8	5.1	5.1	5.3	5.3	5.2	5.1
Utah	6.9	6.5	6.8	6.8	6.6	6.3	6.9	6.2	6.3	6.0
Vermont	7.5	6.7	6.6	6.7	6.9	6.3	7.4	7.1	6.7	6.8
Virginia	5.8	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.6	5.3	5.7	5.7	5.5	5.1
Washington	5.7	5.9	5.8	5.8	5.7	6.2	5.6	5.8	5.7	5.5
West Virginia	7.1	7.0	5.9	6.5	6.4	6.1	6.7	6.6	6.1	5.7
Wisconsin	5.7	5.3	5.1	5.3	5.0	4.9	5.6	5.5	5.2	4.9
Wyoming	8.4	8.2	8.9	8.9	8.1	8.4	8.8	8.5	8.3	8.7
Puerto Rico	5.3	5.5	5.4	4.3	6.3	4.7	4.9	5.0	5.4	5.4
Virgin Islands	6.4	4.9	4.7	5.2	5.4	5.3	5.7	7.5	10.8	7.6
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, December 23, 2025

Southeast Information Office

Business Employment Dynamics in Alabama — First Quarter 2025