February 16, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Gross job gains and losses in the second quarter of 2005

From March to June 2005, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 7.9 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.4 million.

Private sector gross job gains and losses, March 2005 to June 2005 (seasonally adjusted)
[Chart data—TXT]

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in all industry sectors, except manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. Firms with 20-49 employees accounted for 17.8 percent of the net gains in employment, representing the largest contribution to employment growth among all firm size classes. Firms with 5-9 employees made up the smallest share of net gains, 5.8 percent.

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: Second Quarter 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06–267.