From June 2018 to September 2018, gross job gains in Hawaii totaled 27,074, while gross job losses numbered 29,782, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Richard Holden, the Bureau’s Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations, noted that gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 2,708. During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 1,606.

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.)

Hawaii’s number of quarterly gross job gains decreased by 945 during the third quarter of 2018, following an increase of 1,139 in the previous quarter. Gross job losses rose by 157 in the current quarter, after rising by 3,517 the previous quarter. The net loss of 2,708 jobs in the third quarter of 2018 was the second consecutive quarterly loss following three consecutive quarters of net job gains. (See chart 1.)

Gross job gains represented 5.1 percent of private sector employment in Hawaii in the third quarter of  2018, while gross job losses accounted for 5.5 percent of employment. Nationally, gross job gains and gross job losses each accounted for 6.0 percent of private employment. (See chart 2.) The rate of gross job gains in Hawaii has been below the U.S. rate each quarter since data became available in 1992. The rate of gross job losses in Hawaii has been below the U.S. rate each quarter since March 2001.

During the third quarter of 2018, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in 7 of the 8 industry sectors in Hawaii. For example, within leisure and hospitality, gross job losses exceeded gross jobs gains by 630. While 5,384 jobs were gained in opening and expanding establishments in the industry, 6,014 jobs were lost by closing and contracting establishments. In construction, 2,844 jobs were created in opening and expanding establishments, while 3,306 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments. (See table 1.)

In contrast, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in one industry sector in the third quarter of 2018. The education and health services industry had a net employment gain of 306.

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/.

The Business Employment Dynamics release for Fourth Quarter 2018 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 24, 2019.

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 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records. Most employers in the U.S. are required to file quarterly reports on the employment and wages of workers covered by unemployment insurance (UI) laws, and to pay quarterly UI taxes. The QCEW is based largely on quarterly UI reports which are sent by businesses to the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). These UI reports are supplemented by two additional BLS data collections to render administrative data into economic statistics. Together these data comprise the QCEW and form the basis of the Bureau’s establishment universe sampling frame.

In the BED program, the quarterly 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.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request: voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, Hawaii, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains and job losses (3 months ended)					Gross job gains and job losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	Sept 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018	Sept 2018	Sept 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018	Sept 2018
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	29,071	27,322	26,880	28,019	27,074	5.4	5.1	5.0	5.2	5.1
At expanding establishments	22,553	22,558	22,075	23,106	21,829	4.2	4.2	4.1	4.3	4.1
At opening establishments	6,518	4,764	4,805	4,913	5,245	1.2	0.9	0.9	0.9	1.0
Gross job losses	27,155	25,437	26,108	29,625	29,782	5.1	4.7	4.8	5.5	5.5
At contracting establishments	22,999	20,413	21,129	23,065	23,251	4.3	3.8	3.9	4.3	4.3
At closing establishments	4,156	5,024	4,979	6,560	6,531	0.8	0.9	0.9	1.2	1.2
Net employment change (2)	1,916	1,885	772	-1,606	-2,708	0.3	0.4	0.2	-0.3	-0.4
Construction
Gross job gains	2,883	2,882	3,088	3,239	2,844	8.1	8.1	8.7	9.1	7.9
At expanding establishments	2,358	2,386	2,653	2,787	2,477	6.6	6.7	7.5	7.8	6.9
At opening establishments	525	496	435	452	367	1.5	1.4	1.2	1.3	1.0
Gross job losses	3,603	3,044	2,977	3,073	3,306	10.0	8.6	8.3	8.6	9.2
At contracting establishments	2,940	2,539	2,431	2,474	2,611	8.2	7.2	6.8	6.9	7.3
At closing establishments	663	505	546	599	695	1.8	1.4	1.5	1.7	1.9
Net employment change (2)	-720	-162	111	166	-462	-1.9	-0.5	0.4	0.5	-1.3
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	677	689	760	663	595	3.8	3.9	4.3	3.7	3.3
At expanding establishments	576	602	554	592	499	3.2	3.4	3.1	3.3	2.8
At opening establishments	101	87	206	71	96	0.6	0.5	1.2	0.4	0.5
Gross job losses	658	697	819	734	737	3.7	3.8	4.6	4.1	4.2
At contracting establishments	568	547	555	569	567	3.2	3.0	3.1	3.2	3.2
At closing establishments	90	150	264	165	170	0.5	0.8	1.5	0.9	1.0
Net employment change (2)	19	-8	-59	-71	-142	0.1	0.1	-0.3	-0.4	-0.9
Retail trade
Gross job gains	3,833	3,753	3,373	4,055	3,409	5.4	5.3	4.7	5.7	4.8
At expanding establishments	2,989	3,392	3,023	3,656	2,985	4.2	4.8	4.2	5.1	4.2
At opening establishments	844	361	350	399	424	1.2	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.6
Gross job losses	3,880	3,625	3,489	4,119	3,653	5.5	5.1	4.9	5.7	5.1
At contracting establishments	3,549	3,220	3,046	3,602	3,140	5.0	4.5	4.3	5.0	4.4
At closing establishments	331	405	443	517	513	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7
Net employment change (2)	-47	128	-116	-64	-244	-0.1	0.2	-0.2	0.0	-0.3
Financial activities
Gross job gains	1,180	1,303	1,088	1,173	1,252	4.2	4.6	3.9	4.2	4.4
At expanding establishments	967	1,024	930	954	1,054	3.4	3.6	3.3	3.4	3.7
At opening establishments	213	279	158	219	198	0.8	1.0	0.6	0.8	0.7
Gross job losses	1,200	1,113	1,175	1,246	1,451	4.3	3.9	4.2	4.4	5.1
At contracting establishments	959	854	925	877	1,110	3.4	3.0	3.3	3.1	3.9
At closing establishments	241	259	250	369	341	0.9	0.9	0.9	1.3	1.2
Net employment change (2)	-20	190	-87	-73	-199	-0.1	0.7	-0.3	-0.2	-0.7
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	3,875	3,979	3,813	3,907	3,983	4.6	4.8	4.6	4.7	4.9
At expanding establishments	3,254	3,248	3,158	3,140	3,104	3.9	3.9	3.8	3.8	3.8
At opening establishments	621	731	655	767	879	0.7	0.9	0.8	0.9	1.1
Gross job losses	4,468	3,769	3,892	4,173	4,134	5.4	4.5	4.7	5.1	4.9
At contracting establishments	3,569	2,845	3,121	3,180	3,018	4.3	3.4	3.8	3.9	3.6
At closing establishments	899	924	771	993	1,116	1.1	1.1	0.9	1.2	1.3
Net employment change (2)	-593	210	-79	-266	-151	-0.8	0.3	-0.1	-0.4	0.0
Education and health services
Gross job gains	5,388	3,020	3,685	3,141	3,642	6.4	3.5	4.3	3.7	4.3
At expanding establishments	3,454	2,583	3,147	2,731	3,055	4.1	3.0	3.7	3.2	3.6
At opening establishments	1,934	437	538	410	587	2.3	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.7
Gross job losses	2,962	2,850	3,186	4,073	3,336	3.5	3.3	3.7	4.8	3.9
At contracting establishments	2,501	2,381	2,705	3,257	2,753	3.0	2.8	3.1	3.8	3.2
At closing establishments	461	469	481	816	583	0.5	0.5	0.6	1.0	0.7
Net employment change (2)	2,426	170	499	-932	306	2.9	0.2	0.6	-1.1	0.4
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	6,095	6,457	5,791	6,236	5,384	4.9	5.2	4.7	5.0	4.4
At expanding establishments	4,728	5,106	4,476	4,992	4,391	3.8	4.1	3.6	4.0	3.6
At opening establishments	1,367	1,351	1,315	1,244	993	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.0	0.8
Gross job losses	6,018	5,107	5,923	6,726	6,014	4.9	4.1	4.8	5.4	4.9
At contracting establishments	5,247	4,223	4,735	5,272	4,921	4.3	3.4	3.8	4.2	4.0
At closing establishments	771	884	1,188	1,454	1,093	0.6	0.7	1.0	1.2	0.9
Net employment change (2)	77	1,350	-132	-490	-630	0.0	1.1	-0.1	-0.4	-0.5
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	1,471	1,465	1,368	1,391	1,406	5.6	5.6	5.2	5.3	5.4
At expanding establishments	1,205	1,124	1,124	1,219	1,197	4.6	4.3	4.3	4.6	4.6
At opening establishments	266	341	244	172	209	1.0	1.3	0.9	0.7	0.8
Gross job losses	1,557	1,297	1,392	1,557	1,531	6.0	4.9	5.3	5.9	5.8
At contracting establishments	1,246	1,010	1,032	1,111	1,182	4.8	3.8	3.9	4.2	4.5
At closing establishments	311	287	360	446	349	1.2	1.1	1.4	1.7	1.3
Net employment change (2)	-86	168	-24	-166	-125	-0.4	0.7	-0.1	-0.6	-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)
	Sept. 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018	Sept. 2018	Sept. 2017	Dec. 2017	Mar. 2018	June 2018	Sept. 2018
United States(1)	6.0	6.4	6.0	6.1	6.0	6.1	5.6	5.4	5.8	6.0
Alabama	6.0	6.0	6.0	5.8	5.9	5.8	5.4	5.3	5.7	5.9
Alaska	8.7	9.7	9.8	10.9	8.9	10.8	10.2	8.8	10.7	10.6
Arizona	6.6	6.3	6.0	6.0	6.6	5.2	5.3	5.3	5.9	5.0
Arkansas	5.8	6.1	5.4	5.0	6.0	5.5	5.1	5.0	5.6	5.5
California	6.5	6.9	6.4	6.7	6.5	6.3	6.0	5.9	6.3	6.2
Colorado	6.7	6.8	6.8	6.8	6.6	6.5	6.1	6.0	6.1	6.8
Connecticut	5.4	5.3	5.1	5.8	5.2	5.8	5.2	5.2	5.0	5.6
Delaware	6.4	7.0	7.1	6.5	5.6	6.6	6.4	5.9	6.0	6.6
District of Columbia	5.4	5.8	6.0	5.6	5.3	5.2	5.0	4.7	5.5	5.5
Florida	5.8	8.2	6.1	6.5	6.7	7.5	5.3	5.5	6.1	5.7
Georgia	6.2	6.9	6.5	6.2	6.7	6.1	5.6	5.6	6.4	6.2
Hawaii	5.4	5.1	5.0	5.2	5.1	5.1	4.7	4.8	5.5	5.5
Idaho	6.7	7.4	7.9	7.3	6.8	6.8	6.6	5.9	6.7	6.9
Illinois	5.6	6.0	5.7	5.6	5.6	6.0	5.3	5.1	5.5	5.7
Indiana	5.4	5.7	5.6	5.4	5.2	5.6	5.0	5.1	5.5	5.4
Iowa	5.5	5.9	5.5	5.7	5.3	5.7	5.3	5.3	5.4	5.7
Kansas	6.3	5.9	5.2	5.7	5.9	5.7	5.2	5.5	5.6	5.7
Kentucky	6.0	6.1	6.2	5.9	5.7	6.0	5.6	5.9	5.6	6.0
Louisiana	6.2	6.2	6.5	6.1	6.2	6.1	6.0	5.8	6.5	6.2
Maine	6.5	7.2	7.2	8.1	6.0	7.5	6.6	7.0	7.1	7.5
Maryland	6.3	6.2	6.3	6.0	6.3	6.2	6.3	5.7	5.8	6.6
Massachusetts	5.4	5.7	5.4	6.1	5.5	5.6	5.4	5.2	5.4	6.2
Michigan	5.3	5.7	5.7	5.6	5.0	6.0	5.4	4.6	5.1	6.2
Minnesota	5.3	5.8	5.3	5.8	5.4	5.7	5.5	5.0	5.3	5.7
Mississippi	5.9	6.3	5.5	5.7	5.8	5.9	5.4	5.8	6.0	5.7
Missouri	5.9	5.7	5.4	5.7	5.9	5.9	5.5	5.2	5.7	6.0
Montana	7.2	8.5	7.8	8.0	7.2	7.9	7.4	7.1	7.8	7.9
Nebraska	5.9	6.2	5.6	5.9	5.8	5.9	5.5	5.5	5.8	6.0
Nevada	6.2	6.6	6.5	6.1	6.7	5.8	5.2	5.4	5.8	5.6
New Hampshire	5.5	6.7	6.1	6.7	5.6	6.6	5.9	5.9	6.3	6.8
New Jersey	6.0	6.4	5.6	6.5	6.0	6.3	5.8	5.8	5.7	6.3
New Mexico	6.6	6.5	6.3	6.5	6.4	6.3	6.1	5.5	6.2	6.4
New York	6.3	6.2	6.2	6.3	6.1	6.1	5.8	5.6	5.8	6.4
North Carolina	6.0	6.3	6.2	6.1	5.6	6.0	5.5	5.2	5.5	6.5
North Dakota	6.7	6.8	7.0	6.7	6.6	6.7	6.8	6.3	6.2	6.6
Ohio	5.3	5.7	5.5	5.6	5.3	5.7	5.2	5.0	5.4	5.7
Oklahoma	6.6	6.4	6.1	6.3	6.6	6.0	5.8	5.5	6.5	6.1
Oregon	6.6	6.8	7.8	6.2	6.2	6.4	6.0	5.6	6.2	6.3
Pennsylvania	5.5	5.5	5.2	5.3	5.4	5.2	5.0	4.9	5.1	5.2
Rhode Island	6.0	6.6	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.3	6.0	6.1	6.1	6.4
South Carolina	5.8	7.0	5.9	7.5	5.8	6.2	5.3	4.7	6.5	6.5
South Dakota	5.8	6.4	6.4	6.1	5.9	5.9	5.7	5.9	6.1	5.8
Tennessee	5.4	5.9	5.0	5.5	5.8	5.2	4.9	4.8	5.1	5.2
Texas	5.9	6.4	5.8	5.9	5.9	5.8	5.3	5.1	5.2	5.4
Utah	7.0	7.0	7.4	6.9	7.3	6.3	5.9	6.0	6.3	6.5
Vermont	6.5	7.4	6.4	7.2	6.9	7.8	6.5	7.0	7.3	7.4
Virginia	5.9	6.3	5.8	6.1	5.6	6.2	5.5	5.2	5.8	6.3
Washington	6.4	6.9	7.2	7.3	6.1	6.4	6.0	5.7	6.3	6.3
West Virginia	6.7	6.3	6.8	6.8	7.0	6.3	6.1	5.8	6.4	6.4
Wisconsin	5.0	5.6	5.6	5.4	5.1	5.7	5.0	4.7	5.5	5.9
Wyoming	8.7	8.7	8.4	8.2	8.2	7.9	8.4	8.0	8.3	8.3
Puerto Rico	4.5	7.1	8.4	8.0	7.2	6.8	11.8	6.8	6.2	5.8
Virgin Islands	4.2	9.2	12.0	12.5	10.9	11.6	28.2	16.8	8.6	6.3
Footnotes (1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.