November 22, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Gross job gains and losses: first quarter 2006

From December 2005 to March 2006, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 7.6 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 6.8 million.

[Chart data—TXT]

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in all sectors, except manufacturing, information, and utilities. Firms with 20 to 49 employees accounted for 18.9 percent of the net gains in employment, representing the largest contribution to employment growth among all firm size classes.

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: First Quarter 2006" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06–1981. 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.