November 26, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Gross job gains and losses in the first quarter

From December 2002 to March 2003, the number of job gains from opening and expanding establishments was 7.4 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.9 million. Expanding and contracting establishments accounted for most of the jobs gained and lost.

Private sector gross job gains and losses, December 2002 to March 2003 (seasonally adjusted)
[Chart data—TXT]

In the first quarter of 2003, expanding establishments added 5.9 million jobs, while opening establishments added 1.5 million. Gross job gains were smaller than in the previous quarter at both expanding and opening establishments.

In the first quarter of 2003, contracting establishments lost 6.4 million jobs, while closing establishments accounted for a loss of 1.6 million jobs. There were more jobs lost to contraction than there were in the previous quarter, but fewer lost as a result of establishments closing.

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 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 03-761.