March 08, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Majority of private-industry employees work in small establishments

In March 1999, over half of workers in private industry were employed at establishments that had fewer than 100 employees.

[Chart data—TXT]

Establishments with fewer than 100 workers accounted for 54.7 percent of private-industry employment. Another 16.5 percent worked in establishments employing 100 to 249 workers.

The smallest establishments—those with fewer than five workers—employed 6.4 percent of workers. The largest establishments—those with 1,000 or more employees—accounted for 11.8 percent.

The BLS Covered Employment and Wages program produced these data. Data presented here are for all private-industry workers covered by State unemployment insurance programs. Data for 1999 are preliminary and subject to revision. Find more information on employment in 1999 in "Employment and Wages, Annual Averages, 1999," BLS Bulletin 2534.