November 20, 2007 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Job losses and gains by industry, first quarter of 2007

From December 2006 to March 2007, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 7.5 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.1 million.

Three-month private sector gross job gains and losses, selected industries, seasonally adjusted, first quarter of 2007
[Chart data—TXT]

Gross job gains in manufacturing decreased to a level of 500,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2007 and gross job losses fell to 579,000, resulting in a net loss of 79,000 jobs.

In education and health services, gross job gains were 799,000, while gross job losses were 655,000, resulting in a net job gain of 144,000.

In construction, gross job gains from December 2006 to March 2007 increased to 850,000 and gross job losses fell to 816,000, resulting in a net gain of 34,000 jobs.

Gross job gains in retail trade inched up to 1,087,000 and gross job losses fell to 971,000, resulting in a net gain of 116,000 jobs. This was the second consecutive quarter that this sector had a net gain.

The leisure and hospitality sector gained 1,165,000 jobs and lost 1,096,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2007, for a net gain of 69,000.

These data are from the Business Employment Dynamics program. To learn more, see "Business Employment Dynamics: First Quarter 2007" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 07-1790.

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