Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

25-795-ATL
Wednesday, May 14, 2025

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

Business Employment Dynamics in North Carolina — Third Quarter 2024

From June 2024 to September 2024, gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in North Carolina were 252,538, while gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 229,777, 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 22,761 jobs in the private sector during the third quarter of 2024. (See table 1.) During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 3,254. (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 losses

In the third quarter of 2024, gross job losses represented 6.1 percent of private-sector employment in North Carolina; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.8 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 North Carolina, contracting establishments lost 181,840 jobs in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 3,577 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 70,698 jobs, an increase of 17,681 jobs from the previous quarter.


Gross job gains

In the third quarter of 2024, gross job gains represented 5.6 percent of private-sector employment in North Carolina; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.8 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 North Carolina, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 181,714 in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 2,698 jobs compared to the previous quarter. Opening establishments accounted for 48,063 jobs gained in the third quarter of 2024, a decrease of 2,705 jobs from the previous quarter.


Industries

Gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in 9 of the 11 published industry sectors in North Carolina in the third quarter of 2024. Leisure and hospitality had the largest over-the-quarter net job decrease, with a loss of 12,787 jobs. This was the result of 40,691 gross job gains and 53,478 gross job losses. Education and health services showed a net gain of 3,601 jobs, the largest gain of any sector in the state. North Carolina’s transportation and warehousing industry sector had a net gain of 1,909 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 homepage and the Business Employment Dynamics Summary.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Fourth Quarter 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 30, 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, North Carolina, seasonally adjusted
Category Gross job gains and losses
(3 months ended)
Gross job gains and losses
as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024

Total private (1)

Gross job gains

236,764 261,585 226,681 235,180 229,777 5.7 6.3 5.4 5.6 5.6

At expanding establishments

190,453 200,690 187,699 184,412 181,714 4.6 4.8 4.5 4.4 4.4

At opening establishments

46,311 60,895 38,982 50,768 48,063 1.1 1.5 0.9 1.2 1.2

Gross job losses

252,527 203,579 226,676 238,434 252,538 6.1 4.9 5.5 5.7 6.1

At contracting establishments

199,147 175,980 173,549 185,417 181,840 4.8 4.2 4.2 4.4 4.4

At closing establishments

53,380 27,599 53,127 53,017 70,698 1.3 0.7 1.3 1.3 1.7

Net employment change (2)

-15,763 58,006 5 -3,254 -22,761 -0.4 1.4 -0.1 -0.1 -0.5

Construction

Gross job gains

18,133 23,157 18,595 17,524 17,545 6.9 8.7 6.8 6.4 6.5

At expanding establishments

13,886 17,269 15,238 13,598 13,605 5.3 6.5 5.6 5.0 5.0

At opening establishments

4,247 5,888 3,357 3,926 3,940 1.6 2.2 1.2 1.4 1.5

Gross job losses

17,883 13,113 16,552 17,743 19,051 6.9 4.9 6.1 6.5 7.1

At contracting establishments

13,020 10,999 12,044 13,181 12,951 5.0 4.1 4.4 4.8 4.8

At closing establishments

4,863 2,114 4,508 4,562 6,100 1.9 0.8 1.7 1.7 2.3

Net employment change (2)

250 10,044 2,043 -219 -1,506 0.0 3.8 0.7 -0.1 -0.6

Manufacturing

Gross job gains

13,467 14,182 13,525 13,674 11,459 2.9 3.0 2.8 2.9 2.4

At expanding establishments

12,085 12,590 12,384 12,186 10,420 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.2

At opening establishments

1,382 1,592 1,141 1,488 1,039 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2

Gross job losses

19,723 14,458 14,028 14,709 15,486 4.2 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.3

At contracting establishments

16,691 13,018 12,212 12,631 12,527 3.6 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.7

At closing establishments

3,032 1,440 1,816 2,078 2,959 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.6

Net employment change (2)

-6,256 -276 -503 -1,035 -4,027 -1.3 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2 -0.9

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains

9,380 10,326 9,667 9,452 8,773 4.5 4.9 4.6 4.6 4.2

At expanding establishments

7,805 7,755 7,511 7,234 7,104 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.4

At opening establishments

1,575 2,571 2,156 2,218 1,669 0.8 1.2 1.0 1.1 0.8

Gross job losses

10,227 8,173 8,956 9,363 9,678 4.9 3.9 4.2 4.5 4.6

At contracting establishments

7,528 6,943 6,347 7,130 6,486 3.6 3.3 3.0 3.4 3.1

At closing establishments

2,699 1,230 2,609 2,233 3,192 1.3 0.6 1.2 1.1 1.5

Net employment change (2)

-847 2,153 711 89 -905 -0.4 1.0 0.4 0.1 -0.4

Retail trade

Gross job gains

27,004 27,295 25,888 26,145 25,800 5.1 5.2 4.9 4.9 4.9

At expanding establishments

23,606 22,498 22,180 22,194 21,981 4.5 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.2

At opening establishments

3,398 4,797 3,708 3,951 3,819 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.7

Gross job losses

28,400 26,512 24,053 27,857 28,198 5.4 5.1 4.5 5.3 5.4

At contracting establishments

23,872 23,879 20,148 23,753 23,066 4.5 4.6 3.8 4.5 4.4

At closing establishments

4,528 2,633 3,905 4,104 5,132 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.8 1.0

Net employment change (2)

-1,396 783 1,835 -1,712 -2,398 -0.3 0.1 0.4 -0.4 -0.5

Transportation and warehousing

Gross job gains

8,722 15,092 8,060 8,184 10,865 4.8 8.2 4.4 4.5 6.0

At expanding establishments

6,944 13,047 6,447 6,673 8,204 3.8 7.1 3.5 3.7 4.5

At opening establishments

1,778 2,045 1,613 1,511 2,661 1.0 1.1 0.9 0.8 1.5

Gross job losses

13,681 7,438 12,522 9,271 8,956 7.6 4.1 6.8 5.1 4.9

At contracting establishments

11,960 6,542 11,085 7,574 6,739 6.6 3.6 6.0 4.2 3.7

At closing establishments

1,721 896 1,437 1,697 2,217 1.0 0.5 0.8 0.9 1.2

Net employment change (2)

-4,959 7,654 -4,462 -1,087 1,909 -2.8 4.1 -2.4 -0.6 1.1

Information

Gross job gains

4,332 4,205 4,181 3,596 4,185 5.2 5.0 4.8 4.2 4.9

At expanding establishments

3,188 2,408 3,377 2,672 3,141 3.8 2.9 3.9 3.1 3.7

At opening establishments

1,144 1,797 804 924 1,044 1.4 2.1 0.9 1.1 1.2

Gross job losses

4,766 4,412 3,788 4,236 4,532 5.7 5.2 4.4 4.9 5.3

At contracting establishments

3,292 3,803 2,608 3,137 3,022 3.9 4.5 3.0 3.6 3.5

At closing establishments

1,474 609 1,180 1,099 1,510 1.8 0.7 1.4 1.3 1.8

Net employment change (2)

-434 -207 393 -640 -347 -0.5 -0.2 0.4 -0.7 -0.4

Financial activities

Gross job gains

14,240 15,835 13,009 13,789 13,325 4.7 5.3 4.3 4.5 4.4

At expanding establishments

10,931 11,101 10,537 10,434 10,206 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.4

At opening establishments

3,309 4,734 2,472 3,355 3,119 1.1 1.6 0.8 1.1 1.0

Gross job losses

14,833 12,409 13,371 12,672 14,596 4.9 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.8

At contracting establishments

10,879 10,373 9,622 8,816 9,846 3.6 3.4 3.2 2.9 3.2

At closing establishments

3,954 2,036 3,749 3,856 4,750 1.3 0.7 1.2 1.3 1.6

Net employment change (2)

-593 3,426 -362 1,117 -1,271 -0.2 1.2 -0.1 0.3 -0.4

Professional and business services

Gross job gains

53,652 53,342 45,263 52,087 50,498 7.2 7.1 6.1 7.0 6.8

At expanding establishments

43,121 38,873 37,037 39,354 39,213 5.8 5.2 5.0 5.3 5.3

At opening establishments

10,531 14,469 8,226 12,733 11,285 1.4 1.9 1.1 1.7 1.5

Gross job losses

54,502 47,423 49,864 51,508 55,189 7.3 6.3 6.6 6.9 7.5

At contracting establishments

41,873 40,564 36,842 40,202 37,665 5.6 5.4 4.9 5.4 5.1

At closing establishments

12,629 6,859 13,022 11,306 17,524 1.7 0.9 1.7 1.5 2.4

Net employment change (2)

-850 5,919 -4,601 579 -4,691 -0.1 0.8 -0.5 0.1 -0.7

Education and health services

Gross job gains

34,219 33,663 31,721 33,654 33,951 5.2 5.1 4.8 5.0 5.0

At expanding establishments

28,200 25,673 27,300 26,367 27,574 4.3 3.9 4.1 3.9 4.1

At opening establishments

6,019 7,990 4,421 7,287 6,377 0.9 1.2 0.7 1.1 0.9

Gross job losses

28,068 24,608 26,914 31,762 30,350 4.3 3.7 4.0 4.7 4.4

At contracting establishments

21,566 20,390 19,443 23,593 20,619 3.3 3.1 2.9 3.5 3.0

At closing establishments

6,502 4,218 7,471 8,169 9,731 1.0 0.6 1.1 1.2 1.4

Net employment change (2)

6,151 9,055 4,807 1,892 3,601 0.9 1.4 0.8 0.3 0.6

Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains

41,848 49,982 45,688 45,906 40,691 7.9 9.3 8.4 8.5 7.5

At expanding establishments

31,332 39,030 36,623 35,654 30,229 5.9 7.3 6.7 6.6 5.6

At opening establishments

10,516 10,952 9,065 10,252 10,462 2.0 2.0 1.7 1.9 1.9

Gross job losses

48,559 35,706 44,678 47,081 53,478 9.2 6.7 8.2 8.7 9.9

At contracting establishments

39,666 31,498 34,282 36,312 40,516 7.5 5.9 6.3 6.7 7.5

At closing establishments

8,893 4,208 10,396 10,769 12,962 1.7 0.8 1.9 2.0 2.4

Net employment change (2)

-6,711 14,276 1,010 -1,175 -12,787 -1.3 2.6 0.2 -0.2 -2.4

Other services (3)

Gross job gains

9,200 10,609 8,135 9,290 9,197 7.7 8.7 6.6 7.7 7.5

At expanding establishments

7,160 7,420 6,560 6,416 7,030 6.0 6.1 5.3 5.3 5.7

At opening establishments

2,040 3,189 1,575 2,874 2,167 1.7 2.6 1.3 2.4 1.8

Gross job losses

8,810 7,500 9,162 8,598 9,686 7.4 6.2 7.5 7.0 8.0

At contracting establishments

6,303 6,301 6,602 6,275 5,945 5.3 5.2 5.4 5.1 4.9

At closing establishments

2,507 1,199 2,560 2,323 3,741 2.1 1.0 2.1 1.9 3.1

Net employment change (2)

390 3,109 -1,027 692 -489 0.3 2.5 -0.9 0.7 -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)
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024
Sept.
2023
Dec.
2023
Mar.
2024
June
2024
Sept.
2024

United States(1)

5.9 6.0 5.7 5.8 5.8 6.0 5.7 5.4 5.9 5.8

Alabama

6.0 6.2 5.7 5.6 5.7 6.0 5.7 5.5 5.6 5.9

Alaska

8.5 10.2 10.5 10.2 7.9 10.5 9.9 8.6 9.6 9.7

Arizona

6.8 6.5 8.4 5.6 6.3 5.7 6.6 6.4 6.8 6.5

Arkansas

5.6 6.2 5.6 5.2 5.2 5.8 5.0 5.2 5.8 5.2

California

6.4 6.4 5.8 6.1 6.4 6.5 6.4 5.6 6.8 6.1

Colorado

5.4 8.2 6.4 6.5 6.3 6.1 7.6 7.7 6.2 6.7

Connecticut

5.8 5.6 5.6 5.8 5.5 6.2 5.7 5.2 5.6 5.7

Delaware

6.0 6.1 6.0 5.9 6.8 6.5 5.8 5.1 6.5 6.4

District of Columbia

5.4 5.2 5.1 5.1 4.9 5.4 5.6 4.9 6.0 5.0

Florida

6.5 6.1 5.8 6.0 6.6 5.9 5.9 5.4 5.9 5.7

Georgia

6.1 6.2 6.0 5.7 5.7 6.1 5.7 5.7 5.7 6.1

Hawaii

5.3 6.1 5.4 5.1 5.6 6.8 5.0 5.1 5.4 5.0

Idaho

7.2 8.5 7.9 7.5 7.2 7.9 5.8 8.3 7.4 7.6

Illinois

4.8 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.0 5.3 5.1 4.8 5.3 5.1

Indiana

5.7 5.5 5.3 5.2 5.3 5.7 5.1 5.0 5.5 5.4

Iowa

5.6 6.1 6.1 5.5 5.2 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.7 6.0

Kansas

5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.3 6.0 5.3 5.6 5.7 5.6

Kentucky

5.7 5.7 5.7 5.2 5.4 5.6 5.2 5.0 5.9 5.5

Louisiana

6.2 6.3 6.2 5.7 6.1 6.0 5.8 5.7 6.3 5.8

Maine

7.0 7.4 7.2 7.3 6.2 7.8 7.0 6.1 7.0 7.0

Maryland

6.3 6.2 5.8 7.2 6.1 6.4 5.8 5.7 6.5 6.1

Massachusetts

5.4 5.5 5.2 5.7 4.9 5.9 5.5 5.1 5.6 5.8

Michigan

5.2 5.5 5.4 5.7 5.4 5.9 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.8

Minnesota

3.3 6.9 5.8 5.7 5.1 4.3 6.9 5.7 5.4 5.9

Mississippi

6.2 6.1 5.7 5.8 6.1 6.2 5.7 6.1 6.3 5.7

Missouri

5.6 6.0 5.7 5.6 5.5 5.8 5.6 5.3 5.8 5.8

Montana

7.7 8.8 8.1 7.9 7.3 8.4 7.2 7.5 7.6 8.1

Nebraska

6.0 5.9 5.8 5.4 5.6 5.9 5.7 5.1 5.6 5.6

Nevada

6.5 6.7 5.9 5.8 6.1 5.6 5.4 6.2 5.7 5.9

New Hampshire

5.8 6.2 6.5 6.1 5.5 6.7 5.9 5.8 6.0 6.7

New Jersey

6.0 5.9 5.5 5.9 5.3 6.0 5.8 5.4 5.4 5.8

New Mexico

6.4 6.9 6.0 6.0 6.2 6.8 5.8 6.0 6.3 6.3

New York

5.8 5.7 5.9 5.9 5.6 6.0 5.6 5.0 5.5 5.7

North Carolina

5.7 6.3 5.4 5.6 5.6 6.1 4.9 5.5 5.7 6.1

North Dakota

6.6 6.7 6.9 6.6 6.5 6.6 6.3 6.1 6.6 6.6

Ohio

5.2 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.1 5.6 5.2 4.8 5.4 5.4

Oklahoma

6.3 6.1 5.6 5.6 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.2 6.4 5.6

Oregon

6.1 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.3 6.7 6.2 6.1 6.4 6.6

Pennsylvania

5.2 5.2 5.1 4.9 5.1 5.1 4.8 4.6 5.1 5.1

Rhode Island

6.4 6.8 6.9 6.6 6.2 6.7 6.3 5.7 6.7 6.5

South Carolina

6.6 6.2 6.4 5.9 6.2 5.7 5.3 6.3 6.4 5.9

South Dakota

6.3 6.6 6.3 6.0 5.9 6.3 5.8 5.8 6.3 5.9

Tennessee

5.6 6.2 5.5 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.5 4.9 5.7 5.8

Texas

5.7 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.6 5.5 5.2 5.1 5.3 5.3

Utah

6.9 6.6 6.7 6.4 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.0 6.6 6.1

Vermont

6.4 7.3 7.2 6.6 6.6 7.9 6.6 6.3 7.5 7.3

Virginia

5.9 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.8 6.0 5.5 5.2 5.6 5.5

Washington

5.8 6.0 5.7 5.7 5.7 6.0 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.4

West Virginia

6.5 6.5 6.9 6.6 5.8 6.6 5.8 5.7 6.8 6.6

Wisconsin

5.2 5.5 5.5 5.3 5.0 5.8 5.2 4.8 5.5 5.4

Wyoming

8.3 8.9 8.4 8.2 8.6 8.2 8.4 8.3 9.0 9.0

Puerto Rico

5.7 4.9 5.4 5.6 5.4 5.3 4.8 4.6 4.9 5.1

Virgin Islands

8.2 6.0 5.6 4.3 4.4 6.8 5.9 4.5 5.1 6.1

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: Wednesday, May 14, 2025