May 19, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Gross job gains and losses in the third quarter of 2005

From June to September 2005, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 8.1 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.4 million.

[Chart data—TXT]

Gross job gains represented 7.3 percent of private sector employment, while gross job losses represented 6.8 percent of private sector employment. 

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in all sectors except manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, and other services.

These data are from Business Employment Dynamics. Data presented here are for workers in private industry covered by State unemployment insurance programs. Find more in "Business Employment Dynamics: Third Quarter 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06–856. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from expansions in employment at existing units and the addition of new jobs at opening units. Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing units and the loss of jobs at closing units.