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News Release Information

25-165-ATL
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Business Employment Dynamics in Kentucky — Second Quarter 2024

From March 2024 to June 2024, gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in Kentucky were 99,857, while gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 88,544, 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 decline of 11,313 jobs in the private sector during the second quarter of 2024. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 14,479. (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 the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.)

Gross job gains

In the second quarter of 2024, gross job gains represented 5.2 percent of private-sector employment in Kentucky; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.8 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 Kentucky, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 72,165 in the second quarter of 2024, a decrease of 8,323 jobs compared to the previous quarter. (See table 1.) Opening establishments accounted for 16,379 jobs gained in the second quarter of 2024, a decrease of 1,082 jobs from the previous quarter.


Gross job losses

In the second quarter of 2024, gross job losses represented 5.9 percent of private-sector employment in both Kentucky and the U.S. (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 Kentucky, contracting establishments lost 79,725 jobs in the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 9,196 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 20,132 jobs, an increase of 7,191 jobs from the previous quarter.


Industries

Gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in 9 of the 11 published industry sectors in Kentucky in the second quarter of 2024. Professional and business services had the largest over-the-quarter net job decrease, with a loss of 4,590 jobs. This was the result of 21,441 gross job losses and 16,851 gross job gains. Education and health services showed a net gain of 1,955 jobs, the largest gain of any sector in the state.

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 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 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, Kentucky, seasonally adjusted
Category Gross job gains and losses
(3 months ended)
Gross job gains and losses
as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
June
2023
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
June
2023
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024

Total private (1)

Gross job gains

93,641 95,598 95,856 97,949 88,544 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.2

At expanding establishments

76,588 78,482 79,517 80,488 72,165 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.2

At opening establishments

17,053 17,116 16,339 17,461 16,379 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

Gross job losses

98,508 92,584 87,816 83,470 99,857 5.9 5.6 5.2 5.0 5.9

At contracting establishments

85,561 78,142 70,951 70,529 79,725 5.1 4.7 4.2 4.2 4.7

At closing establishments

12,947 14,442 16,865 12,941 20,132 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.8 1.2

Net employment change (2)

-4,867 3,014 8,040 14,479 -11,313 -0.3 0.1 0.5 0.7 -0.7

Construction

Gross job gains

8,019 8,291 9,226 9,332 7,270 8.9 9.3 10.2 9.9 7.7

At expanding establishments

6,827 6,720 7,526 7,660 6,084 7.6 7.5 8.3 8.1 6.4

At opening establishments

1,192 1,571 1,700 1,672 1,186 1.3 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.3

Gross job losses

7,812 7,657 7,102 6,929 8,480 8.7 8.6 7.8 7.4 9.0

At contracting establishments

6,796 6,247 5,747 5,743 6,907 7.6 7.0 6.3 6.1 7.3

At closing establishments

1,016 1,410 1,355 1,186 1,573 1.1 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.7

Net employment change (2)

207 634 2,124 2,403 -1,210 0.2 0.7 2.4 2.5 -1.3

Manufacturing

Gross job gains

7,401 6,847 8,308 8,659 6,424 2.8 2.7 3.2 3.4 2.4

At expanding establishments

6,520 6,344 7,758 7,943 5,776 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.1 2.2

At opening establishments

881 503 550 716 648 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2

Gross job losses

8,005 6,844 6,679 6,396 7,773 3.2 2.7 2.6 2.4 3.0

At contracting establishments

7,596 6,355 6,106 5,797 7,286 3.0 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.8

At closing establishments

409 489 573 599 487 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Net employment change (2)

-604 3 1,629 2,263 -1,349 -0.4 0.0 0.6 1.0 -0.6

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains

3,648 4,054 3,362 3,795 3,145 4.6 5.1 4.2 4.7 3.9

At expanding establishments

3,027 3,522 3,031 3,067 2,568 3.8 4.4 3.8 3.8 3.2

At opening establishments

621 532 331 728 577 0.8 0.7 0.4 0.9 0.7

Gross job losses

3,636 3,260 3,845 3,000 3,655 4.5 4.0 4.7 3.7 4.5

At contracting establishments

3,179 2,695 2,841 2,460 3,083 3.9 3.3 3.5 3.0 3.8

At closing establishments

457 565 1,004 540 572 0.6 0.7 1.2 0.7 0.7

Net employment change (2)

12 794 -483 795 -510 0.1 1.1 -0.5 1.0 -0.6

Retail trade

Gross job gains

11,724 12,322 11,477 11,350 10,751 5.6 5.9 5.5 5.4 5.1

At expanding establishments

10,100 10,046 10,028 9,477 9,095 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.5 4.3

At opening establishments

1,624 2,276 1,449 1,873 1,656 0.8 1.1 0.7 0.9 0.8

Gross job losses

11,966 11,999 11,238 10,326 12,570 5.6 5.7 5.4 4.9 5.9

At contracting establishments

10,611 10,460 9,161 9,228 10,598 5.0 5.0 4.4 4.4 5.0

At closing establishments

1,355 1,539 2,077 1,098 1,972 0.6 0.7 1.0 0.5 0.9

Net employment change (2)

-242 323 239 1,024 -1,819 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.5 -0.8

Transportation and warehousing

Gross job gains

4,147 5,445 7,199 5,372 5,144 3.2 4.3 5.5 4.1 4.1

At expanding establishments

3,735 4,961 6,790 4,844 4,808 2.9 3.9 5.2 3.7 3.8

At opening establishments

412 484 409 528 336 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3

Gross job losses

7,606 5,355 5,075 7,518 7,014 5.9 4.2 3.9 5.8 5.4

At contracting establishments

7,020 4,954 4,429 7,139 6,584 5.4 3.9 3.4 5.5 5.1

At closing establishments

586 401 646 379 430 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.3

Net employment change (2)

-3,459 90 2,124 -2,146 -1,870 -2.7 0.1 1.6 -1.7 -1.3

Information

Gross job gains

1,211 1,271 880 772 855 5.5 5.8 3.9 3.7 4.1

At expanding establishments

860 1,026 661 519 582 3.9 4.7 2.9 2.5 2.8

At opening establishments

351 245 219 253 273 1.6 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.3

Gross job losses

1,158 1,308 1,264 1,464 1,093 5.3 6.0 5.6 6.9 5.3

At contracting establishments

857 1,007 954 1,190 871 3.9 4.6 4.2 5.6 4.2

At closing establishments

301 301 310 274 222 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.1

Net employment change (2)

53 -37 -384 -692 -238 0.2 -0.2 -1.7 -3.2 -1.2

Financial activities

Gross job gains

4,655 5,059 3,794 4,328 3,973 4.9 5.3 4.0 4.6 4.2

At expanding establishments

3,598 4,252 2,936 3,296 2,926 3.8 4.5 3.1 3.5 3.1

At opening establishments

1,057 807 858 1,032 1,047 1.1 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.1

Gross job losses

4,279 5,223 4,402 4,153 4,114 4.5 5.5 4.6 4.4 4.3

At contracting establishments

3,314 4,192 3,151 3,218 3,135 3.5 4.4 3.3 3.4 3.3

At closing establishments

965 1,031 1,251 935 979 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.0 1.0

Net employment change (2)

376 -164 -608 175 -141 0.4 -0.2 -0.6 0.2 -0.1

Professional and business services

Gross job gains

18,349 16,524 14,305 17,861 16,851 7.9 7.2 6.3 7.9 7.3

At expanding establishments

14,620 13,072 10,893 14,677 13,351 6.3 5.7 4.8 6.5 5.8

At opening establishments

3,729 3,452 3,412 3,184 3,500 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5

Gross job losses

17,758 18,814 17,910 14,577 21,441 7.7 8.2 7.9 6.4 9.3

At contracting establishments

15,052 15,642 14,534 11,892 14,287 6.5 6.8 6.4 5.2 6.2

At closing establishments

2,706 3,172 3,376 2,685 7,154 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.2 3.1

Net employment change (2)

591 -2,290 -3,605 3,284 -4,590 0.2 -1.0 -1.6 1.5 -2.0

Education and health services

Gross job gains

14,456 14,437 14,944 14,285 14,034 5.0 4.9 5.0 4.7 4.7

At expanding establishments

11,628 11,503 12,132 11,840 11,400 4.0 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.8

At opening establishments

2,828 2,934 2,812 2,445 2,634 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.9

Gross job losses

13,189 11,506 10,848 9,957 12,079 4.6 3.9 3.7 3.3 4.0

At contracting establishments

10,660 9,038 7,989 7,706 9,011 3.7 3.1 2.7 2.6 3.0

At closing establishments

2,529 2,468 2,859 2,251 3,068 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.7 1.0

Net employment change (2)

1,267 2,931 4,096 4,328 1,955 0.4 1.0 1.3 1.4 0.7

Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains

15,093 16,078 17,471 17,168 14,993 7.4 8.0 8.6 8.3 7.2

At expanding establishments

11,849 12,662 13,886 13,443 11,879 5.8 6.3 6.8 6.5 5.7

At opening establishments

3,244 3,416 3,585 3,725 3,114 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.5

Gross job losses

18,290 15,911 14,625 14,572 16,724 9.0 7.8 7.1 7.0 8.1

At contracting establishments

16,457 13,810 12,336 12,491 14,218 8.1 6.8 6.0 6.0 6.9

At closing establishments

1,833 2,101 2,289 2,081 2,506 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.2

Net employment change (2)

-3,197 167 2,846 2,596 -1,731 -1.6 0.2 1.5 1.3 -0.9

Other services (3)

Gross job gains

3,576 3,859 3,316 3,558 3,413 8.0 8.5 7.2 7.7 7.4

At expanding establishments

2,877 3,232 2,592 2,727 2,624 6.4 7.1 5.6 5.9 5.7

At opening establishments

699 627 724 831 789 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.8 1.7

Gross job losses

3,212 3,238 3,292 3,197 3,238 7.2 7.1 7.2 7.0 7.0

At contracting establishments

2,724 2,613 2,511 2,612 2,558 6.1 5.7 5.5 5.7 5.5

At closing establishments

488 625 781 585 680 1.1 1.4 1.7 1.3 1.5

Net employment change (2)

364 621 24 361 175 0.8 1.4 0.0 0.7 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)
June
2023
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
June
2023
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024

United States(1)

6.2 5.9 6.0 5.7 5.8 5.9 6.0 5.7 5.4 5.9

Alabama

6.0 6.0 6.2 5.7 5.6 5.7 6.0 5.7 5.5 5.6

Alaska

11.0 8.5 10.2 10.5 10.2 8.9 10.5 9.9 8.6 9.6

Arizona

7.0 6.8 6.5 8.4 5.6 6.3 5.7 6.6 6.4 6.8

Arkansas

5.9 5.6 6.2 5.6 5.2 6.0 5.8 5.0 5.2 5.8

California

6.8 6.4 6.4 5.8 6.1 6.4 6.5 6.4 5.6 6.8

Colorado

7.3 5.4 8.2 6.4 6.5 6.5 6.1 7.6 7.7 6.2

Connecticut

6.4 5.8 5.6 5.6 5.8 5.7 6.2 5.7 5.2 5.6

Delaware

6.4 6.0 6.1 6.0 5.9 5.8 6.5 5.8 5.1 6.5

District of Columbia

5.4 5.4 5.2 5.1 5.1 5.3 5.4 5.6 4.9 6.0

Florida

6.8 6.5 6.1 5.8 6.0 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.4 5.9

Georgia

6.3 6.1 6.2 6.0 5.7 6.4 6.1 5.7 5.7 5.7

Hawaii

5.7 5.3 6.1 5.4 5.1 5.3 6.8 5.0 5.1 5.4

Idaho

7.8 7.2 8.5 7.9 7.5 7.4 7.9 5.8 8.3 7.4

Illinois

5.4 4.8 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.3 5.1 4.8 5.3

Indiana

5.6 5.7 5.5 5.3 5.2 5.8 5.7 5.1 5.0 5.5

Iowa

6.0 5.6 6.1 6.1 5.5 5.9 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.7

Kansas

6.1 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 6.0 6.0 5.3 5.6 5.7

Kentucky

5.6 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.2 5.9 5.6 5.2 5.0 5.9

Louisiana

6.0 6.2 6.3 6.2 5.7 6.5 6.0 5.8 5.7 6.3

Maine

7.6 7.0 7.4 7.2 7.3 7.6 7.8 7.0 6.1 7.0

Maryland

6.7 6.3 6.2 5.8 7.2 6.6 6.4 5.8 5.7 6.5

Massachusetts

5.9 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.7 5.6 5.9 5.5 5.1 5.6

Michigan

5.9 5.2 5.5 5.4 5.7 5.3 5.9 5.5 5.2 5.6

Minnesota

6.0 3.3 6.9 5.8 5.7 5.5 4.3 6.9 5.7 5.4

Mississippi

6.4 6.2 6.1 5.7 5.8 6.5 6.2 5.7 6.1 6.3

Missouri

5.8 5.6 6.0 5.7 5.6 5.9 5.8 5.6 5.3 5.8

Montana

7.8 7.7 8.8 8.1 7.9 8.4 8.4 7.2 7.5 7.6

Nebraska

6.2 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.4 5.7 5.9 5.7 5.1 5.6

Nevada

6.5 6.5 6.7 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.6 5.4 6.2 5.7

New Hampshire

6.7 5.8 6.2 6.5 6.1 6.3 6.7 5.9 5.8 6.0

New Jersey

6.4 6.0 5.9 5.5 5.9 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.4 5.4

New Mexico

6.6 6.4 6.9 6.0 6.0 6.3 6.8 5.8 6.0 6.3

New York

6.2 5.8 5.7 5.9 5.9 5.8 6.0 5.6 5.0 5.5

North Carolina

6.1 5.7 6.3 5.4 5.6 5.7 6.1 4.9 5.5 5.7

North Dakota

6.9 6.6 6.7 6.9 6.6 6.7 6.6 6.3 6.1 6.6

Ohio

5.6 5.2 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.6 5.2 4.8 5.4

Oklahoma

6.3 6.3 6.1 5.6 5.6 6.1 6.0 5.8 5.2 6.4

Oregon

6.4 6.1 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.6 6.7 6.2 6.1 6.4

Pennsylvania

5.2 5.2 5.2 5.1 4.9 5.5 5.1 4.8 4.6 5.1

Rhode Island

6.7 6.4 6.8 6.9 6.6 6.8 6.7 6.3 5.7 6.7

South Carolina

6.4 6.6 6.2 6.4 5.9 6.6 5.7 5.3 6.3 6.4

South Dakota

6.7 6.3 6.6 6.3 6.0 6.0 6.3 5.8 5.8 6.3

Tennessee

5.8 5.6 6.2 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.7 5.5 4.9 5.7

Texas

5.8 5.7 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.1 5.3

Utah

6.9 6.9 6.6 6.7 6.4 6.4 6.6 6.5 6.0 6.6

Vermont

7.4 6.4 7.3 7.2 6.6 7.5 7.9 6.6 6.3 7.5

Virginia

6.1 5.9 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.9 6.0 5.5 5.2 5.6

Washington

6.1 5.8 6.0 5.7 5.7 5.7 6.0 5.4 5.3 5.3

West Virginia

6.1 6.5 6.5 6.9 6.6 6.4 6.6 5.8 5.7 6.8

Wisconsin

5.6 5.2 5.5 5.5 5.3 5.8 5.8 5.2 4.8 5.5

Wyoming

8.4 8.3 8.9 8.4 8.2 8.7 8.2 8.4 8.3 9.0

Puerto Rico

5.9 5.7 4.9 5.4 5.6 5.0 5.3 4.8 4.6 4.9

Virgin Islands

7.5 8.2 6.0 5.6 4.3 6.5 6.8 5.9 4.5 5.1

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 11, 2025