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News Release Information

14-2152-DAL
Thursday, December 18, 2014

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Business Employment Dynamics in Texas – First Quarter 2014

From December 2013 to March 2014 gross job gains in private sector establishments in Texas totaled 553,296, while gross job losses numbered 479,767, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 73,529. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 79,141.

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. 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 job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See the Technical Note for more information.)

Gross job gains in Texas have trended upward since bottoming out at about 436,000 in June 2009. After increasing in the previous two quarters, the number of gross job gains decreased by 13,308 in the three months ended in March 2014. Job losses in the state peaked in March 2009, when more than 620,000 jobs were lost, but have remained below 500,000 since December 2009. (See chart 1.)

Gross job gains represented 5.9 percent of private sector employment in Texas in the quarter ended March 2014, while nationally gross job gains accounted for 6.0 percent of private employment. (See chart 2.) The rate of gross job gains in Texas has been below the U.S. rate in each quarter since March 2009 and generally below the U.S. rate since the series began in September 1992. Similarly, the Texas rate of gross job loss as a percent of private sector employment, at 5.1 percent, was lower than the national rate of 5.7 percent in March 2014. With few exceptions, the Texas gross job loss rate has remained below the U.S. rate since the series inception.

During the first quarter 2014, Texas gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 10 of the 11 industry sectors. For example, more than 89,600 jobs were created by opening and expanding establishments in leisure and hospitality during the period, though over 69,300 jobs were lost at closing and contracting establishments. The resulting net gain of 20,246 jobs was the largest of any sector in the first quarter 2014. Other industries showing large net job gains included professional and business services and construction. Within professional and business services, more than 108,000 jobs were created at opening and expanding establishments, while nearly 96,000 jobs were lost at closing and contracting establishments, resulting in a net gain of 12,786. Construction recorded a net employment gain of 10,675, with about 56,100 gross job gains in opening and expanding establishments and around 45,400 job losses in closing and contracting establishments. (See table 1.)

In contrast, the information sector recorded a net employment loss of 2,152 jobs. Although more than 8,100 jobs were added in opening and expanding establishments, these gains were an offset by a loss of over 10,300 jobs at closing and contracting establishments.

Additional statistics and other 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/. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request: voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Second Quarter 2014 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. (EST).

Changes to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

Data in this release incorporate annual revisions to the BED series. Annual revisions are published each year with the release of first quarter data. These revisions cover the last four quarters of not seasonally adjusted data and five years of seasonally adjusted data.


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), or the ES-202 program. The BED data are compiled from existing quarterly QCEW records. The QCEW reports are sent by the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) to BLS and form the basis of the Bureau’s QCEW program and establishment universe sampling frame. These reports are also used to produce the QCEW data on total employment and wages. Other important Bureau uses of the QCEW reports are in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES program produces monthly estimates of employment, net changes, and earnings by detailed industry.

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 establishments and jobs lost at closing and contracting establishments.

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 establishments 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 establishments 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 establishments with positive third month employment in the previous quarter, with no employment or zero employment reported in the current quarter.

Contractions. These are establishments with positive employment in the third month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net decrease in employment over this period.

 
Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, Texas, 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)
Mar.
2013
June
2013
Sept.
2013
Dec.
2013
Mar.
2014
Mar.
2013
June
2013
Sept.
2013
Dec.
2013
Mar.
2014

Total private (1)

 

Gross job gains

547,024535,691552,753566,604553,2965.95.86.06.15.9

At expanding establishments

451,169449,694463,733475,439461,5834.94.95.05.14.9

At opening establishments

95,85585,99789,02091,16591,7131.00.91.01.01.0

Gross job losses

471,555469,198485,228487,463479,7675.15.15.25.35.1

At contracting establishments

404,677392,813411,210407,182407,2554.44.34.44.44.3

At closing establishments

66,87876,38574,01880,28172,5120.70.80.80.90.8

Net employment change (2)

75,46966,49367,52579,14173,5290.80.70.80.80.8

Construction

 

Gross job gains

56,77352,20353,27655,01256,1189.48.68.78.98.9

At expanding establishments

49,29444,54646,05847,86348,5418.27.37.57.77.7

At opening establishments

7,4797,6577,2187,1497,5771.21.31.21.21.2

Gross job losses

45,11048,90447,19349,16445,4437.58.07.67.97.2

At contracting establishments

38,69842,55340,76841,74438,9036.47.06.66.76.2

At closing establishments

6,4126,3516,4257,4206,5401.11.01.01.21.0

Net employment change (2)

11,6633,2996,0835,84810,6751.90.61.11.01.7

Manufacturing

 

Gross job gains

30,86429,64529,81631,01128,8893.53.43.53.53.3

At expanding establishments

28,26827,09527,62728,27126,2103.23.13.23.23.0

At opening establishments

2,5962,5502,1892,7402,6790.30.30.30.30.3

Gross job losses

28,05629,07729,26027,22127,0123.33.43.43.13.1

At contracting establishments

25,78525,89526,03724,28324,4673.03.03.02.82.8

At closing establishments

2,2713,1823,2232,9382,5450.30.40.40.30.3

Net employment change (2)

2,8085685563,7901,8770.20.00.10.40.2

Wholesale trade

 

Gross job gains

26,79526,29928,16728,84527,2844.94.75.05.14.8

At expanding establishments

22,44721,92723,74624,92822,9184.13.94.24.44.0

At opening establishments

4,3484,3724,4213,9174,3660.80.80.80.70.8

Gross job losses

20,53224,31322,44121,36422,8543.84.44.03.84.1

At contracting establishments

16,33120,59118,13116,27918,4993.03.73.22.93.3

At closing establishments

4,2013,7224,3105,0854,3550.80.70.80.90.8

Net employment change (2)

6,2631,9865,7267,4814,4301.10.31.01.30.7

Retail trade

 

Gross job gains

71,13869,26471,82973,76670,6445.95.75.96.05.7

At expanding establishments

61,97560,72761,26164,17861,9905.15.05.05.25.0

At opening establishments

9,1638,53710,5689,5888,6540.80.70.90.80.7

Gross job losses

66,51851,55058,77161,15365,2285.54.24.85.05.2

At contracting establishments

60,37344,92353,09254,24758,4745.03.74.34.44.7

At closing establishments

6,1456,6275,6796,9066,7540.50.50.50.60.5

Net employment change (2)

4,62017,71413,05812,6135,4160.41.51.11.00.5

Transportation and warehousing

 

Gross job gains

19,25020,61219,19823,25721,4394.95.24.85.95.4

At expanding establishments

16,62617,33016,26221,00718,2564.24.44.15.34.6

At opening establishments

2,6243,2822,9362,2503,1830.70.80.70.60.8

Gross job losses

18,20115,71718,62820,18719,4534.74.04.75.04.8

At contracting establishments

15,91613,00215,60316,50116,8754.13.33.94.14.2

At closing establishments

2,2852,7153,0253,6862,5780.60.70.80.90.6

Net employment change (2)

1,0494,8955703,0701,9860.21.20.10.90.6

Information

 

Gross job gains

8,10910,1719,4469,5678,1644.15.14.74.84.0

At expanding establishments

7,0729,0988,3158,4146,7293.64.64.14.23.3

At opening establishments

1,0371,0731,1311,1531,4350.50.50.60.60.7

Gross job losses

7,9297,9698,8267,43710,3164.04.04.43.75.1

At contracting establishments

7,0686,4247,6956,3689,0493.63.23.83.24.5

At closing establishments

8611,5451,1311,0691,2670.40.80.60.50.6

Net employment change (2)

1802,2026202,130-2,1520.11.10.31.1-1.1

Financial activities

 

Gross job gains

30,37032,39833,64232,54729,8114.64.85.04.84.3

At expanding establishments

24,65526,35427,15525,61824,0543.73.94.03.83.5

At opening establishments

5,7156,0446,4876,9295,7570.90.91.01.00.8

Gross job losses

26,66727,36127,60929,57728,2934.14.14.14.44.2

At contracting establishments

21,01020,70521,90123,51922,2073.23.13.33.53.3

At closing establishments

5,6576,6565,7086,0586,0860.91.00.80.90.9

Net employment change (2)

3,7035,0376,0332,9701,5180.50.70.90.40.1

Professional and business services

 

Gross job gains

107,590103,042113,127113,877108,6737.57.07.77.77.2

At expanding establishments

89,21186,35595,29591,58390,1196.25.96.56.26.0

At opening establishments

18,37916,68717,83222,29418,5541.31.11.21.51.2

Gross job losses

94,56397,77297,33099,48295,8876.66.76.66.76.3

At contracting establishments

77,97278,68581,06781,42480,0175.45.45.55.55.3

At closing establishments

16,59119,08716,26318,05815,8701.21.31.11.21.0

Net employment change (2)

13,0275,27015,79714,39512,7860.90.31.11.00.9

Education and health services

 

Gross job gains

67,78961,11664,68668,85762,5864.84.34.54.84.4

At expanding establishments

49,78951,63054,38958,61752,6653.53.63.84.13.7

At opening establishments

18,0009,48610,29710,2409,9211.30.70.70.70.7

Gross job losses

53,33556,41956,89655,33058,6143.83.94.03.84.1

At contracting establishments

46,21647,20347,01844,98750,1633.33.33.33.13.5

At closing establishments

7,1199,2169,87810,3438,4510.50.60.70.70.6

Net employment change (2)

14,4544,6977,79013,5273,9721.00.40.51.00.3

Leisure and hospitality

 

Gross job gains

84,86686,55383,26484,38289,6267.57.67.37.37.7

At expanding establishments

66,83068,16966,42167,49970,1035.96.05.85.86.0

At opening establishments

18,03618,38416,84316,88319,5231.61.61.51.51.7

Gross job losses

73,91772,53178,29174,88369,3806.66.46.96.56.0

At contracting establishments

65,04461,54367,06363,62158,0625.85.45.95.55.0

At closing establishments

8,87310,98811,22811,26211,3180.81.01.01.01.0

Net employment change (2)

10,94914,0224,9739,49920,2460.91.20.40.81.7

Other services (3)

 

Gross job gains

19,23320,45620,19620,48321,0586.97.37.27.27.4

At expanding establishments

15,43816,50716,05516,39916,7435.55.95.75.85.9

At opening establishments

3,7953,9494,1414,0844,3151.41.41.51.41.5

Gross job losses

17,69518,22018,80619,72017,7176.36.56.77.06.2

At contracting establishments

14,54114,81015,25515,86214,1935.25.35.45.65.0

At closing establishments

3,1543,4103,5513,8583,5241.11.21.31.41.2

Net employment change (2)

1,5382,2361,3907633,3410.60.80.50.21.2

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
StateGross job gains as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Gross job losses as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Mar.
2013
June
2013
Sept.
2013
Dec.
2013
Mar.
2014
Mar.
2013
June
2013
Sept.
2013
Dec.
2013
Mar.
2014

United States (1)

6.66.46.36.46.05.65.85.85.85.7

Alabama

6.16.05.56.05.65.55.65.75.35.7

Alaska

10.910.79.810.110.89.79.910.110.49.6

Arizona

6.16.26.46.75.75.85.95.55.46.0

Arkansas

5.85.35.86.05.85.76.05.75.55.0

California

9.17.06.97.36.86.16.56.26.36.1

Colorado

7.17.07.06.96.76.26.16.36.15.9

Connecticut

5.25.65.35.35.15.24.85.45.45.0

Delaware

6.56.56.66.66.35.85.86.05.85.9

District of Columbia

5.96.26.05.85.95.45.75.15.45.5

Florida

6.77.17.07.06.56.16.46.26.05.8

Georgia

6.66.66.66.86.55.86.16.05.85.6

Hawaii

5.25.25.65.44.84.75.14.74.55.1

Idaho

8.18.07.78.38.47.27.47.27.37.2

Illinois

5.65.85.75.85.85.45.35.75.35.5

Indiana

5.65.75.66.15.35.35.35.45.15.5

Iowa

5.96.05.96.05.85.45.45.55.55.5

Kansas

5.76.26.16.25.75.65.65.75.35.5

Kentucky

5.95.96.06.56.15.85.75.55.45.9

Louisiana

7.06.36.96.76.76.16.66.06.15.8

Maine

6.88.17.47.06.77.06.47.37.57.0

Maryland

6.36.26.16.45.95.86.16.16.35.8

Massachusetts

6.46.15.55.45.35.05.05.55.35.0

Michigan

6.26.35.96.05.55.05.75.85.65.1

Minnesota

6.16.15.65.65.35.25.25.55.65.7

Mississippi

5.95.96.26.65.75.56.15.85.65.9

Missouri

6.55.95.86.05.65.65.35.75.55.5

Montana

8.28.07.78.27.27.67.97.67.57.9

Nebraska

6.06.06.36.35.95.45.45.75.75.6

Nevada

6.36.76.06.36.65.45.65.85.35.2

New Hampshire

6.46.86.06.85.76.15.96.55.85.9

New Jersey

6.56.56.26.45.96.05.76.26.46.2

New Mexico

6.46.96.76.96.36.66.76.76.46.4

New York

6.36.56.46.66.26.05.86.16.06.0

North Carolina

6.16.36.36.45.95.75.85.85.75.6

North Dakota

8.37.38.38.28.66.67.66.96.96.8

Ohio

6.06.25.66.05.65.65.35.65.35.6

Oklahoma

6.06.46.46.26.16.05.95.76.26.0

Oregon

7.27.27.16.97.06.16.36.36.66.1

Pennsylvania

5.55.35.25.45.25.45.25.25.24.9

Rhode Island

6.36.56.26.25.75.95.76.15.75.7

South Carolina

5.96.36.26.76.25.75.45.65.55.8

South Dakota

6.36.56.26.96.36.25.76.36.06.1

Tennessee

5.55.65.56.35.45.15.35.34.75.3

Texas

5.95.86.06.15.95.15.15.25.35.1

Utah

7.47.06.97.46.56.36.56.46.16.0

Vermont

7.07.47.17.66.76.97.77.46.66.8

Virginia

5.75.65.95.75.35.45.65.95.65.5

Washington

8.67.37.06.96.66.36.16.66.35.9

West Virginia

6.46.26.06.56.36.26.66.46.46.7

Wisconsin

5.55.85.55.75.35.25.35.45.25.1

Wyoming

8.88.68.49.48.48.79.18.28.18.0

Puerto Rico

5.76.06.16.65.16.36.06.65.26.4

Virgin Islands

5.74.95.75.54.96.56.86.56.06.1

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, December 18, 2014