Business Employment Dynamics in Arizona – Fourth Quarter 2023

From September 2023 to December 2023, gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments in Arizona were 193,895, while gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments were 183,915, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment loss of 9,980 jobs in the private sector during the fourth quarter of 2023. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 21,333. (See chart 1.)

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses in Arizona, December 2018–December 2023, seasonally adjusted
Period	Gross job losses	Gross job gains
Dec. 2018	126,828	153,894
Mar. 2019	137,068	142,797
Jun. 2019	136,633	141,755
Sep. 2019	123,021	157,220
Dec. 2019	132,216	161,479
Mar. 2020	155,238	144,453
Jun. 2020	286,213	143,080
Sep. 2020	147,994	187,118
Dec. 2020	120,812	180,677
Mar. 2021	135,891	161,154
Jun. 2021	146,008	171,290
Sep. 2021	130,276	180,981
Dec. 2021	129,496	176,502
Mar. 2022	148,331	178,730
Jun. 2022	165,627	171,965
Sep. 2022	147,844	189,864
Dec. 2022	162,816	179,255
Mar. 2023	147,769	162,184
Jun. 2023	178,441	192,346
Sep. 2023	162,523	183,856
Dec. 2023	193,895	183,915

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 fourth quarter of 2023, gross job gains represented 6.6 percent of private-sector employment in Arizona; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.9 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 Arizona, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 138,848 in the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease of 6,708 jobs compared to the previous quarter. (See table 1.) Opening establishments accounted for 45,067 jobs gained in the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of 6,767 jobs from the previous quarter.

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Chart 2. Private-sector gross job gains as a percent of employment, United States and Arizona, December 2018–December 2023, seasonally adjusted
Period	Arizona	United States
Dec. 2018	6.2	6.2
Mar. 2019	5.7	6.0
Jun. 2019	5.7	6.1
Sep. 2019	6.2	5.9
Dec. 2019	6.4	6.2
Mar. 2020	5.7	5.5
Jun. 2020	5.8	4.8
Sep. 2020	7.7	9.4
Dec. 2020	7.4	7.4
Mar. 2021	6.5	7.0
Jun. 2021	6.8	6.8
Sep. 2021	7.1	7.3
Dec. 2021	6.8	7.7
Mar. 2022	6.7	6.7
Jun. 2022	6.5	6.6
Sep. 2022	7.1	6.9
Dec. 2022	6.6	6.3
Mar. 2023	5.9	6.2
Jun. 2023	7.0	6.2
Sep. 2023	6.7	5.8
Dec. 2023	6.6	5.9

Gross job losses

In the fourth quarter of 2023, gross job losses represented 6.9 percent of private-sector employment in Arizona; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.6 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 Arizona, contracting establishments lost 184,226 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of 60,180 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 9,669 jobs, a decrease of 28,808 jobs from the previous quarter.

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Chart 3. Private-sector gross job losses as a percent of employment, United States and Arizona, December 2018–December 2023, seasonally adjusted
Period	Arizona	United States
Dec. 2018	5.2	5.6
Mar. 2019	5.6	5.5
Jun. 2019	5.5	5.9
Sep. 2019	4.9	5.8
Dec. 2019	5.2	5.6
Mar. 2020	6.1	6.2
Jun. 2020	11.7	16.9
Sep. 2020	6.1	6.0
Dec. 2020	5.0	5.7
Mar. 2021	5.4	5.5
Jun. 2021	5.8	5.9
Sep. 2021	5.0	6.1
Dec. 2021	5.0	5.4
Mar. 2022	5.7	5.5
Jun. 2022	6.3	6.2
Sep. 2022	5.5	5.9
Dec. 2022	6.0	5.9
Mar. 2023	5.4	5.4
Jun. 2023	6.5	5.9
Sep. 2023	5.9	5.9
Dec. 2023	6.9	5.6

Industries

Gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in 8 of the 11 industry sectors in Arizona in the fourth quarter of 2023. Education and health services had the largest over-the-quarter net job decrease, with a loss of 13,061 jobs. This was the result of 33,186 gross job losses and 20,125 gross job gains. The highest gross job gains and losses were in the professional and business services industry, which saw a gross job loss of 39,528 and a gross job gain of 35,547. This led to a net loss of 3,981 jobs. The transportation and warehousing industry had a net gain of 4,659 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 First Quarter 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

The release of First Quarter 2024 Business Employment Dynamics data, scheduled for October 30, 2024, will incorporate annual revisions in accordance with standard procedures. The revisions will include the previous 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). 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, Arizona, 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	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	179,255	162,184	192,346	183,856	183,915	6.6	5.9	7.0	6.7	6.6
At expanding establishments	130,901	131,279	139,603	145,556	138,848	4.8	4.8	5.1	5.3	5.0
At opening establishments	48,354	30,905	52,743	38,300	45,067	1.8	1.1	1.9	1.4	1.6
Gross job losses	162,816	147,769	178,441	162,523	193,895	6.0	5.4	6.5	5.9	6.9
At contracting establishments	124,866	114,908	144,942	124,046	184,226	4.6	4.2	5.3	4.5	6.6
At closing establishments	37,950	32,861	33,499	38,477	9,669	1.4	1.2	1.2	1.4	0.3
Net employment change (2)	16,439	14,415	13,905	21,333	-9,980	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.8	-0.3
Construction
Gross job gains	18,068	15,885	18,206	15,288	16,368	9.1	7.8	8.6	7.2	7.7
At expanding establishments	14,747	13,715	14,126	12,769	13,454	7.4	6.7	6.7	6.0	6.3
At opening establishments	3,321	2,170	4,080	2,519	2,914	1.7	1.1	1.9	1.2	1.4
Gross job losses	12,646	13,117	15,715	16,159	19,726	6.3	6.4	7.5	7.6	9.3
At contracting establishments	9,605	10,130	12,823	12,207	18,883	4.8	4.9	6.1	5.7	8.9
At closing establishments	3,041	2,987	2,892	3,952	843	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.9	0.4
Net employment change (2)	5,422	2,768	2,491	-871	-3,358	2.8	1.4	1.1	-0.4	-1.6
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	7,891	6,302	7,969	6,691	6,501	4.1	3.3	4.2	3.4	3.4
At expanding establishments	7,332	5,520	7,091	6,226	5,777	3.8	2.9	3.7	3.2	3.0
At opening establishments	559	782	878	465	724	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.2	0.4
Gross job losses	6,471	6,598	8,004	5,965	10,090	3.3	3.5	4.2	3.1	5.2
At contracting establishments	4,885	5,319	7,258	5,154	9,677	2.5	2.8	3.8	2.7	5.0
At closing establishments	1,586	1,279	746	811	413	0.8	0.7	0.4	0.4	0.2
Net employment change (2)	1,420	-296	-35	726	-3,589	0.8	-0.2	0.0	0.3	-1.8
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	6,452	6,266	6,855	7,451	5,997	5.8	5.5	5.9	6.3	5.1
At expanding establishments	4,428	5,270	4,769	6,131	4,949	4.0	4.6	4.1	5.2	4.2
At opening establishments	2,024	996	2,086	1,320	1,048	1.8	0.9	1.8	1.1	0.9
Gross job losses	5,679	5,655	5,572	5,700	7,993	5.1	4.9	4.9	4.8	6.7
At contracting establishments	4,012	3,554	4,011	4,006	7,727	3.6	3.1	3.5	3.4	6.5
At closing establishments	1,667	2,101	1,561	1,694	266	1.5	1.8	1.4	1.4	0.2
Net employment change (2)	773	611	1,283	1,751	-1,996	0.7	0.6	1.0	1.5	-1.6
Retail trade
Gross job gains	15,392	15,673	17,956	15,286	16,321	4.5	4.6	5.2	4.4	4.7
At expanding establishments	13,277	13,557	14,925	13,628	14,441	3.9	4.0	4.3	3.9	4.2
At opening establishments	2,115	2,116	3,031	1,658	1,880	0.6	0.6	0.9	0.5	0.5
Gross job losses	19,119	15,826	17,680	16,805	19,283	5.6	4.6	5.2	4.8	5.6
At contracting establishments	16,829	14,091	15,762	14,589	18,286	4.9	4.1	4.6	4.2	5.3
At closing establishments	2,290	1,735	1,918	2,216	997	0.7	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.3
Net employment change (2)	-3,727	-153	276	-1,519	-2,962	-1.1	0.0	0.0	-0.4	-0.9
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	9,393	6,010	7,551	7,197	10,999	7.0	4.4	5.6	5.3	7.8
At expanding establishments	7,697	5,154	6,574	6,694	10,393	5.7	3.8	4.9	4.9	7.4
At opening establishments	1,696	856	977	503	606	1.3	0.6	0.7	0.4	0.4
Gross job losses	5,981	9,448	6,275	6,266	6,340	4.4	6.9	4.6	4.5	4.5
At contracting establishments	4,724	8,439	5,304	4,843	6,110	3.5	6.2	3.9	3.5	4.3
At closing establishments	1,257	1,009	971	1,423	230	0.9	0.7	0.7	1.0	0.2
Net employment change (2)	3,412	-3,438	1,276	931	4,659	2.6	-2.5	1.0	0.8	3.3
Information
Gross job gains	2,937	2,402	2,840	2,578	3,225	5.7	4.7	5.6	5.1	6.4
At expanding establishments	2,183	2,089	1,916	2,114	2,732	4.2	4.1	3.8	4.2	5.4
At opening establishments	754	313	924	464	493	1.5	0.6	1.8	0.9	1.0
Gross job losses	3,383	3,209	3,538	2,982	3,678	6.6	6.3	6.9	5.9	7.3
At contracting establishments	2,465	2,401	2,903	2,377	3,488	4.8	4.7	5.7	4.7	6.9
At closing establishments	918	808	635	605	190	1.8	1.6	1.2	1.2	0.4
Net employment change (2)	-446	-807	-698	-404	-453	-0.9	-1.6	-1.3	-0.8	-0.9
Financial activities
Gross job gains	11,456	12,500	13,037	10,430	14,692	4.9	5.4	5.7	4.5	6.4
At expanding establishments	8,453	10,392	10,112	8,121	11,782	3.6	4.5	4.4	3.5	5.1
At opening establishments	3,003	2,108	2,925	2,309	2,910	1.3	0.9	1.3	1.0	1.3
Gross job losses	17,447	10,375	16,548	11,299	14,456	7.4	4.5	7.2	4.9	6.3
At contracting establishments	13,831	7,381	12,969	7,892	13,246	5.9	3.2	5.6	3.4	5.8
At closing establishments	3,616	2,994	3,579	3,407	1,210	1.5	1.3	1.6	1.5	0.5
Net employment change (2)	-5,991	2,125	-3,511	-869	236	-2.5	0.9	-1.5	-0.4	0.1
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	31,513	32,437	33,294	36,470	35,547	6.6	7.0	7.1	7.8	7.6
At expanding establishments	24,265	27,312	26,208	31,172	28,954	5.1	5.9	5.6	6.7	6.2
At opening establishments	7,248	5,125	7,086	5,298	6,593	1.5	1.1	1.5	1.1	1.4
Gross job losses	34,747	29,221	42,316	33,872	39,528	7.4	6.3	9.1	7.2	8.5
At contracting establishments	25,929	22,711	34,599	25,389	37,820	5.5	4.9	7.4	5.4	8.1
At closing establishments	8,818	6,510	7,717	8,483	1,708	1.9	1.4	1.7	1.8	0.4
Net employment change (2)	-3,234	3,216	-9,022	2,598	-3,981	-0.8	0.7	-2.0	0.6	-0.9
Education and health services
Gross job gains	22,965	21,898	28,015	26,938	20,125	4.7	4.5	5.6	5.3	3.9
At expanding establishments	18,191	18,531	22,444	23,022	15,993	3.7	3.8	4.5	4.5	3.1
At opening establishments	4,774	3,367	5,571	3,916	4,132	1.0	0.7	1.1	0.8	0.8
Gross job losses	20,807	19,084	20,763	19,895	33,186	4.3	3.9	4.1	3.9	6.5
At contracting establishments	15,147	14,090	16,137	13,556	31,263	3.1	2.9	3.2	2.7	6.1
At closing establishments	5,660	4,994	4,626	6,339	1,923	1.2	1.0	0.9	1.2	0.4
Net employment change (2)	2,158	2,814	7,252	7,043	-13,061	0.4	0.6	1.5	1.4	-2.6
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	26,949	22,699	29,726	30,621	22,939	7.9	6.5	8.6	8.8	6.5
At expanding establishments	20,133	18,941	22,871	25,121	18,904	5.9	5.4	6.6	7.2	5.4
At opening establishments	6,816	3,758	6,855	5,500	4,035	2.0	1.1	2.0	1.6	1.1
Gross job losses	21,753	24,912	27,790	28,612	25,772	6.3	7.1	8.0	8.1	7.4
At contracting establishments	16,960	20,206	22,229	22,517	24,536	4.9	5.8	6.4	6.4	7.0
At closing establishments	4,793	4,706	5,561	6,095	1,236	1.4	1.3	1.6	1.7	0.4
Net employment change (2)	5,196	-2,213	1,936	2,009	-2,833	1.6	-0.6	0.6	0.7	-0.9
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	6,298	5,299	5,871	5,457	5,398	7.9	6.6	7.1	6.7	6.6
At expanding establishments	4,880	4,261	4,365	4,430	4,110	6.1	5.3	5.3	5.4	5.0
At opening establishments	1,418	1,038	1,506	1,027	1,288	1.8	1.3	1.8	1.3	1.6
Gross job losses	5,846	5,472	6,133	5,583	4,684	7.3	6.7	7.5	6.8	5.7
At contracting establishments	4,004	3,499	4,880	3,850	4,499	5.0	4.3	6.0	4.7	5.5
At closing establishments	1,842	1,973	1,253	1,733	185	2.3	2.4	1.5	2.1	0.2
Net employment change (2)	452	-173	-262	-126	714	0.6	-0.1	-0.4	-0.1	0.9
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	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	June 2023	Sept. 2023	Dec. 2023
United States(1)	6.3	6.2	6.2	5.8	5.9	5.9	5.4	5.9	5.9	5.6
Alabama	6.6	6.4	5.9	5.9	6.2	6.1	5.5	5.7	6.0	5.8
Alaska	10.9	10.4	11.0	8.5	10.1	9.2	8.0	8.9	10.5	9.9
Arizona	6.6	5.9	7.0	6.7	6.6	6.0	5.4	6.5	5.9	6.9
Arkansas	6.2	5.8	5.8	5.6	6.1	5.2	5.0	6.0	5.7	5.3
California	6.6	6.1	6.7	6.2	6.3	6.6	6.4	6.4	6.5	6.5
Colorado	7.6	7.2	7.3	5.5	8.4	6.9	6.5	6.6	6.2	7.5
Connecticut	5.9	6.1	6.4	5.8	5.6	5.9	5.3	5.7	6.2	5.7
Delaware	7.0	6.7	6.0	6.0	6.2	7.5	5.2	5.7	6.5	5.9
District of Columbia	5.6	5.9	5.4	5.5	5.2	5.5	4.8	5.3	5.4	5.6
Florida	6.2	6.3	6.8	6.5	5.9	6.0	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.8
Georgia	6.7	6.2	6.4	6.1	6.1	5.9	5.8	6.5	6.1	5.7
Hawaii	6.0	5.5	5.7	5.3	6.1	4.9	5.0	5.2	6.9	5.0
Idaho	8.4	7.9	7.9	7.3	8.5	6.9	7.5	7.5	8.2	5.8
Illinois	5.4	5.8	5.4	4.8	4.9	5.1	4.8	5.3	5.5	5.1
Indiana	5.7	5.5	5.5	5.8	5.6	5.2	5.0	6.1	5.8	5.3
Iowa	6.4	6.0	6.0	5.5	6.0	6.2	5.4	5.9	5.8	5.7
Kansas	6.3	6.1	6.1	5.7	5.8	5.6	5.4	6.0	6.0	5.4
Kentucky	6.0	6.1	5.6	5.7	5.7	5.3	4.9	5.9	5.5	5.2
Louisiana	6.1	6.3	6.1	6.2	6.2	6.2	5.6	6.4	6.0	6.1
Maine	7.4	7.7	7.6	6.8	7.3	6.8	6.2	7.6	7.8	7.0
Maryland	6.6	6.8	6.7	6.4	6.3	6.9	5.6	6.3	6.5	5.9
Massachusetts	5.5	5.8	5.9	5.4	5.3	5.8	4.7	5.7	6.1	5.6
Michigan	5.9	5.7	5.9	5.2	5.5	5.2	4.9	5.3	5.9	5.6
Minnesota	5.9	5.7	6.0	3.1	6.8	5.8	4.9	5.6	4.2	7.0
Mississippi	6.8	6.1	6.3	6.2	6.1	6.2	5.7	6.6	6.2	5.7
Missouri	6.1	6.5	5.9	5.6	6.0	5.8	5.1	5.9	5.8	5.6
Montana	9.2	8.7	7.8	7.7	8.8	7.8	7.1	8.4	8.5	7.2
Nebraska	6.0	6.3	6.0	6.0	5.9	5.7	5.1	5.6	5.9	5.6
Nevada	6.4	6.2	6.6	6.5	6.6	6.1	5.7	6.0	5.5	5.1
New Hampshire	6.7	7.0	6.7	5.9	6.2	6.0	5.9	6.3	6.7	5.9
New Jersey	6.8	6.1	6.8	5.9	5.9	5.9	5.7	5.9	5.9	5.8
New Mexico	6.7	6.8	6.4	6.1	6.9	6.2	5.9	6.2	6.7	5.8
New York	5.9	6.5	6.3	5.8	5.8	6.0	5.1	5.7	6.1	5.7
North Carolina	6.6	6.4	6.1	5.6	6.1	5.7	5.3	5.7	6.2	4.7
North Dakota	6.4	7.6	6.9	6.6	6.7	6.7	5.6	6.7	6.6	6.3
Ohio	5.9	5.8	5.6	5.2	5.3	5.7	4.9	5.7	5.7	5.2
Oklahoma	6.6	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.1	5.9	5.3	6.0	6.0	5.7
Oregon	6.5	7.3	6.4	6.1	6.1	6.2	6.1	6.9	6.9	6.3
Pennsylvania	5.5	5.5	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.2	4.6	5.5	5.2	4.9
Rhode Island	6.9	7.5	6.7	6.5	6.8	6.4	5.9	7.0	6.8	6.4
South Carolina	6.9	6.8	6.4	6.8	6.2	6.2	5.8	6.8	5.7	5.4
South Dakota	6.5	7.2	6.8	6.3	6.6	6.5	5.9	6.2	6.3	5.9
Tennessee	5.8	5.9	5.9	2.7	4.9	5.6	5.0	5.5	4.2	4.6
Texas	6.2	5.9	5.8	5.7	5.7	5.3	5.0	5.4	5.5	5.2
Utah	6.9	7.0	6.8	6.8	6.4	6.6	6.2	6.2	6.5	6.2
Vermont	7.8	8.2	7.4	6.3	7.2	7.0	6.0	7.5	8.0	6.6
Virginia	6.2	6.2	6.0	5.8	5.9	5.8	5.2	5.8	6.0	5.6
Washington	5.9	6.4	6.0	5.4	6.0	5.3	5.5	5.6	6.0	5.2
West Virginia	6.6	7.1	6.1	6.5	6.1	6.4	5.3	6.1	6.5	6.5
Wisconsin	6.0	6.0	5.6	5.2	5.4	5.5	4.9	5.9	5.9	5.1
Wyoming	9.2	8.9	8.4	8.2	8.8	7.9	7.8	8.7	8.2	8.3
Puerto Rico	6.6	5.1	5.8	5.7	4.9	6.1	5.7	4.9	5.4	4.8
Virgin Islands	5.9	7.5	7.4	8.2	5.7	4.7	6.5	6.8	7.1	5.8
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: Thursday, August 08, 2024

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