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News Release Information

19-232-ATL
Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Business Employment Dynamics in Kentucky – Second Quarter 2018

From March 2018 to June 2018, gross job gains in private-sector establishments in Kentucky totaled 94,775, while gross job losses numbered 89,163, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 5,612 in the private sector during the second quarter of 2018. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 3,930. (See chart 1.)

The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of increases and decreases in employment that occur at all private businesses in the economy. Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track these changes in employment at private-sector establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. The difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See Technical Note.)

The 94,775 gross job gains in June 2018 followed the 97,348 gross job gains in March 2018. Kentucky’s gross job gains have remained between 90,000 and 100,000 each quarter since the fourth quarter of 2016. (See chart 1.) Kentucky’s gross job losses numbered 89,163 in June 2018, lower than the 93,418 gross job losses in March 2018.

Kentucky’s rate of gross job gains as a percent of private sector employment was 5.9 percent in the second quarter of 2018; nationally gross job gains accounted for 6.1 percent of private sector employment. (See chart 2.) Gross job losses represented 5.6 percent of private sector employment in Kentucky, while nationally gross job losses accounted for 5.8 percent of private sector employment in the second quarter of 2018.

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 8 of the 11 industry sectors in Kentucky in the second quarter of 2018. Education and health services added over 14,300 jobs at opening and expanding establishments, while closing and contracting establishments lost approximately 10,500 jobs. The resulting net gain of 3,798 was the largest of any Kentucky sector in the second quarter of 2018. Transportation and warehousing created over 6,000 jobs at opening and expanding establishments, but nearly 3,600 jobs were lost at closing and contracting establishments, resulting in a net gain of 2,441 jobs. Among the six other sectors, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by less than 1,000.

In contrast, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains in three industries in Kentucky. Leisure and hospitality lost approximately 17,600 jobs in closing and contracting establishments, and added nearly 15,400 jobs in opening and expanding establishments. The resulting net loss of 2,232 jobs was the largest of any sector in the state for the second quarter of 2018. Net losses in the remaining two industries were less than 400. (See table 1.) 

Kentucky was among the four states in the East South Central Census Division. In the second quarter of 2018, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee had gross job gains that exceeded gross job losses. (See table A.)  All four states in the division had rates of gross job gains that were below the 6.1-percent national rate. Kentucky was among the three states in the division that had rates of gross job losses that were below the 5.8-percent national rate. Mississippi had a rate of job loss above the national rate.

Table A. Private sector gross job gains and losses for the United States, East South Central Division, and East South Central states, June 2018, seasonally adjusted
Area Gross job gains Gross job losses Net change Net change as
a percent of
total
employment
Total As a
percent of
total
employment
Total As a
percent of
total
employment

United States

7,639,000 6.1 7,202,000 5.8 437,000 0.3

East South Central (1)

378,597 366,281 12,316

Alabama

92,414 5.8 91,229 5.7 1,185 0.1

Kentucky

94,775 5.9 89,163 5.6 5,612 0.3

Mississippi

51,181 5.7 53,851 6.0 -2,670 -0.3

Tennessee

140,227 5.5 132,038 5.1 8,189 0.4

Footnotes:
(1) Data were calculated for this release using published gross job gains and gross job losses for states located in the East South Central Census Division.

Note: Dash indicates data not available.

Additional statistics and other information

BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. For more information on the Business Employment Dynamics data, visit the BED web site at www.bls.gov/bdm/.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Third Quarter 2018 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.


Technical Note

The Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data are a product of a federal-state cooperative program known as Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The BED data are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from existing QCEW records. Most employers in the U.S. are required to file quarterly reports on the employment and wages of workers covered by unemployment insurance (UI) laws, and to pay quarterly UI taxes. The QCEW is based largely on quarterly UI reports which are sent by businesses to the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). These UI reports are supplemented by two additional BLS data collections to render administrative data into economic statistics. Together these data comprise the QCEW and form the basis of the Bureau’s establishment universe sampling frame.

In the BED program, the QCEW records are linked across quarters to provide a longitudinal history for each establishment. The linkage process allows the tracking of net employment changes at the establishment level, which in turn allows the estimation of jobs gained at opening and expanding establishments and jobs lost at closing and contracting establishments.

The change in the number of jobs over time is the net result of increases and decreases in employment that occur at all businesses in the economy. BED statistics track these changes in employment at private business establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment from expansions at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. The difference between the number of gross jobs gained and the number of gross jobs lost is the net change in employment.

Gross job gains and gross job losses are expressed as rates by dividing their levels by the average of employment in the current and previous quarters. The rates are calculated for the components of gross job gains and gross job losses and then summed to form their respective totals. These rates can be added and subtracted just as their levels can. For instance, the difference between the gross job gains rate and the gross job losses rate is the net growth rate.

The formal definitions of employment changes are as follows:

Openings. These are either establishments with positive third month employment for the first time in the current quarter, with no links to the prior quarter, or with positive third month employment in the current quarter following zero employment in the previous quarter.

Expansions. These are establishments with positive employment in the third month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net increase in employment over this period.

Closings. These are either establishments with positive third month employment in the previous quarter, with no employment or zero employment reported in the current quarter.

Contractions. These are establishments with positive employment in the third month in both the previous and current quarters, with a net decrease in employment over this period.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, Kentucky, seasonally adjusted
Category Gross job gains and job losses
(3 months ended)
Gross job gains and job losses
as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
June
2017
Sept
2017
Dec.
2017
Mar.
2018
June
2018
June
2017
Sept
2017
Dec.
2017
Mar.
2018
June
2018

Total private (1)

Gross job gains

95,753 94,074 96,637 97,348 94,775 6.1 6.0 6.1 6.2 5.9

At expanding establishments

75,855 78,816 81,650 78,830 76,886 4.8 5.0 5.2 5.0 4.8

At opening establishments

19,898 15,258 14,987 18,518 17,889 1.3 1.0 0.9 1.2 1.1

Gross job losses

94,600 93,321 88,557 93,418 89,163 6.0 6.0 5.6 5.9 5.6

At contracting establishments

79,755 76,538 72,199 78,997 75,815 5.1 4.9 4.6 5.0 4.8

At closing establishments

14,845 16,783 16,358 14,421 13,348 0.9 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8

Net employment change (2)

1,153 753 8,080 3,930 5,612 0.1 0.0 0.5 0.3 0.3

Construction

Gross job gains

7,870 8,768 7,824 9,259 7,744 10.1 11.3 10.1 11.7 9.8

At expanding establishments

6,160 7,338 5,993 7,349 6,283 7.9 9.5 7.7 9.3 8.0

At opening establishments

1,710 1,430 1,831 1,910 1,461 2.2 1.8 2.4 2.4 1.8

Gross job losses

8,880 8,340 8,452 7,792 7,614 11.3 10.7 10.9 9.9 9.7

At contracting establishments

7,627 6,615 6,584 6,325 6,044 9.7 8.5 8.5 8.0 7.7

At closing establishments

1,253 1,725 1,868 1,467 1,570 1.6 2.2 2.4 1.9 2.0

Net employment change (2)

-1,010 428 -628 1,467 130 -1.2 0.6 -0.8 1.8 0.1

Manufacturing

Gross job gains

6,890 7,102 7,661 6,874 6,790 2.8 2.9 3.0 2.7 2.6

At expanding establishments

6,242 6,725 7,296 6,292 6,413 2.5 2.7 2.9 2.5 2.5

At opening establishments

648 377 365 582 377 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1

Gross job losses

6,596 8,870 5,855 6,054 6,742 2.6 3.5 2.4 2.4 2.6

At contracting establishments

6,143 8,305 5,178 5,543 6,116 2.4 3.3 2.1 2.2 2.4

At closing establishments

453 565 677 511 626 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2

Net employment change (2)

294 -1,768 1,806 820 48 0.2 -0.6 0.6 0.3 0.0

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains

4,323 3,436 3,348 3,619 3,690 5.7 4.5 4.4 4.9 4.9

At expanding establishments

3,162 2,805 2,885 2,605 3,001 4.2 3.7 3.8 3.5 4.0

At opening establishments

1,161 631 463 1,014 689 1.5 0.8 0.6 1.4 0.9

Gross job losses

3,050 3,901 3,594 3,066 3,484 4.0 5.1 4.7 4.1 4.6

At contracting establishments

2,429 3,060 2,723 2,455 2,731 3.2 4.0 3.6 3.3 3.6

At closing establishments

621 841 871 611 753 0.8 1.1 1.1 0.8 1.0

Net employment change (2)

1,273 -465 -246 553 206 1.7 -0.6 -0.3 0.8 0.3

Retail trade

Gross job gains

12,652 12,949 11,769 13,260 12,137 5.8 6.0 5.4 6.1 5.6

At expanding establishments

10,196 10,972 10,393 11,216 9,962 4.7 5.1 4.8 5.2 4.6

At opening establishments

2,456 1,977 1,376 2,044 2,175 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.9 1.0

Gross job losses

13,355 12,175 11,939 11,813 12,506 6.2 5.6 5.5 5.5 5.8

At contracting establishments

11,472 10,164 10,447 10,069 11,268 5.3 4.7 4.8 4.7 5.2

At closing establishments

1,883 2,011 1,492 1,744 1,238 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.6

Net employment change (2)

-703 774 -170 1,447 -369 -0.4 0.4 -0.1 0.6 -0.2

Transportation and warehousing

Gross job gains

5,144 5,864 8,341 6,250 6,033 5.2 5.8 8.0 5.8 5.7

At expanding establishments

4,641 5,038 7,772 5,783 5,604 4.7 5.0 7.5 5.4 5.3

At opening establishments

503 826 569 467 429 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.4

Gross job losses

4,573 3,176 3,758 7,255 3,592 4.6 3.2 3.6 6.8 3.4

At contracting establishments

3,980 2,721 3,113 6,912 3,231 4.0 2.7 3.0 6.5 3.1

At closing establishments

593 455 645 343 361 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.3

Net employment change (2)

571 2,688 4,583 -1,005 2,441 0.6 2.6 4.4 -1.0 2.3

Information

Gross job gains

1,632 1,297 1,078 1,149 1,338 7.1 5.8 4.8 5.1 6.1

At expanding establishments

1,353 1,057 848 808 951 5.9 4.7 3.8 3.6 4.3

At opening establishments

279 240 230 341 387 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.5 1.8

Gross job losses

2,017 1,339 1,547 1,024 1,217 8.8 5.9 6.9 4.6 5.5

At contracting establishments

1,269 1,015 1,215 836 954 5.5 4.5 5.4 3.8 4.3

At closing establishments

748 324 332 188 263 3.3 1.4 1.5 0.8 1.2

Net employment change (2)

-385 -42 -469 125 121 -1.7 -0.1 -2.1 0.5 0.6

Financial activities

Gross job gains

4,209 3,947 3,806 4,527 4,151 4.5 4.3 4.1 4.9 4.5

At expanding establishments

3,209 3,225 2,953 3,634 2,981 3.4 3.5 3.2 3.9 3.2

At opening establishments

1,000 722 853 893 1,170 1.1 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.3

Gross job losses

4,212 4,363 4,535 4,941 3,607 4.5 4.7 4.9 5.4 3.9

At contracting establishments

3,422 3,461 3,509 4,048 2,725 3.7 3.7 3.8 4.4 2.9

At closing establishments

790 902 1,026 893 882 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.0

Net employment change (2)

-3 -416 -729 -414 544 0.0 -0.4 -0.8 -0.5 0.6

Professional and business services

Gross job gains

18,307 18,133 18,327 16,675 17,950 8.6 8.5 8.5 7.7 8.2

At expanding establishments

14,927 15,141 15,574 13,138 14,373 7.0 7.1 7.2 6.1 6.6

At opening establishments

3,380 2,992 2,753 3,537 3,577 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.6

Gross job losses

18,201 16,657 16,739 18,889 16,954 8.5 7.8 7.8 8.7 7.8

At contracting establishments

15,248 13,450 13,490 16,038 14,176 7.1 6.3 6.3 7.4 6.5

At closing establishments

2,953 3,207 3,249 2,851 2,778 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3

Net employment change (2)

106 1,476 1,588 -2,214 996 0.1 0.7 0.7 -1.0 0.4

Education and health services

Gross job gains

13,339 11,335 12,606 12,684 14,308 5.1 4.3 4.8 4.8 5.4

At expanding establishments

10,491 9,404 10,294 10,026 11,072 4.0 3.6 3.9 3.8 4.2

At opening establishments

2,848 1,931 2,312 2,658 3,236 1.1 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.2

Gross job losses

10,292 12,001 11,767 12,078 10,510 3.9 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.0

At contracting establishments

8,432 9,562 9,276 9,916 8,469 3.2 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.2

At closing establishments

1,860 2,439 2,491 2,162 2,041 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8

Net employment change (2)

3,047 -666 839 606 3,798 1.2 -0.2 0.4 0.3 1.4

Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains

16,578 16,452 17,405 17,782 15,373 8.3 8.4 8.8 9.0 7.8

At expanding establishments

12,149 13,406 14,230 13,826 12,269 6.1 6.8 7.2 7.0 6.2

At opening establishments

4,429 3,046 3,175 3,956 3,104 2.2 1.6 1.6 2.0 1.6

Gross job losses

18,542 17,597 15,505 15,693 17,605 9.4 9.0 7.9 7.9 8.9

At contracting establishments

15,780 14,690 12,930 13,232 15,588 8.0 7.5 6.6 6.7 7.9

At closing establishments

2,762 2,907 2,575 2,461 2,017 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.0

Net employment change (2)

-1,964 -1,145 1,900 2,089 -2,232 -1.1 -0.6 0.9 1.1 -1.1

Other services (3)

Gross job gains

3,136 3,115 2,930 3,358 3,276 7.5 7.5 7.0 8.1 7.9

At expanding establishments

2,252 2,498 2,251 2,687 2,291 5.4 6.0 5.4 6.5 5.5

At opening establishments

884 617 679 671 985 2.1 1.5 1.6 1.6 2.4

Gross job losses

3,224 2,996 3,189 2,997 3,413 7.8 7.2 7.7 7.2 8.2

At contracting establishments

2,704 2,120 2,409 2,148 2,839 6.5 5.1 5.8 5.2 6.8

At closing establishments

520 876 780 849 574 1.3 2.1 1.9 2.0 1.4

Net employment change (2)

-88 119 -259 361 -137 -0.3 0.3 -0.7 0.9 -0.3

Footnotes:
(1) Includes unclassified sector not shown separately.
(2) The net employment change is the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses. See the Technical Note for further information.
(3) Except public administration.


Table 2. Private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted
Category Gross job gains as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Gross job losses as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
June
2017
Sept.
2017
Dec.
2017
Mar.
2018
June
2018
June
2017
Sept.
2017
Dec.
2017
Mar.
2018
June
2018

United States(1)

6.2 6.0 6.4 6.0 6.1 5.8 6.1 5.6 5.4 5.8

Alabama

5.6 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.6 5.8 5.4 5.3 5.7

Alaska

10.9 8.7 9.7 9.8 10.9 9.9 10.8 10.2 8.8 10.7

Arizona

6.2 6.6 6.3 6.0 6.0 5.7 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.9

Arkansas

5.4 5.8 6.1 5.4 5.0 5.7 5.5 5.1 5.0 5.6

California

6.9 6.5 6.9 6.4 6.7 6.5 6.3 6.0 5.9 6.3

Colorado

7.0 6.7 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.3 6.5 6.1 6.0 6.1

Connecticut

5.7 5.4 5.3 5.1 5.8 5.2 5.8 5.2 5.2 5.0

Delaware

6.7 6.4 7.0 7.1 6.5 6.6 6.6 6.4 5.9 6.0

District of Columbia

5.7 5.4 5.8 6.0 5.6 5.4 5.2 5.0 4.7 5.5

Florida

6.6 5.8 8.2 6.1 6.5 6.1 7.5 5.3 5.5 6.1

Georgia

6.2 6.2 6.9 6.5 6.2 6.1 6.1 5.6 5.6 6.4

Hawaii

5.2 5.4 5.1 5.0 5.2 5.3 5.1 4.7 4.8 5.5

Idaho

7.3 6.7 7.4 7.9 7.3 6.6 6.8 6.6 5.9 6.7

Illinois

5.7 5.6 6.0 5.7 5.6 5.6 6.0 5.3 5.1 5.5

Indiana

5.7 5.4 5.7 5.6 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.0 5.1 5.5

Iowa

5.7 5.5 5.9 5.5 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.3 5.3 5.4

Kansas

5.5 6.3 5.9 5.2 5.7 6.5 5.7 5.2 5.5 5.6

Kentucky

6.1 6.0 6.1 6.2 5.9 6.0 6.0 5.6 5.9 5.6

Louisiana

6.3 6.2 6.2 6.5 6.1 6.6 6.1 6.0 5.8 6.5

Maine

7.7 6.5 7.2 7.2 8.1 6.8 7.5 6.6 7.0 7.1

Maryland

6.4 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 5.7 5.8

Massachusetts

6.1 5.4 5.7 5.4 6.1 5.3 5.6 5.4 5.2 5.4

Michigan

5.8 5.3 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.3 6.0 5.4 4.6 5.1

Minnesota

5.7 5.3 5.8 5.3 5.8 5.3 5.7 5.5 5.0 5.3

Mississippi

5.9 5.9 6.3 5.5 5.7 6.0 5.9 5.4 5.8 6.0

Missouri

5.6 5.9 5.7 5.4 5.7 5.6 5.9 5.5 5.2 5.7

Montana

7.9 7.2 8.5 7.8 8.0 7.7 7.9 7.4 7.1 7.8

Nebraska

5.5 5.9 6.2 5.6 5.9 6.1 5.9 5.5 5.5 5.8

Nevada

6.2 6.2 6.6 6.5 6.1 5.9 5.8 5.2 5.4 5.8

New Hampshire

6.6 5.5 6.7 6.1 6.7 6.0 6.6 5.9 5.9 6.3

New Jersey

6.7 6.0 6.4 5.6 6.5 5.6 6.3 5.8 5.8 5.7

New Mexico

6.8 6.6 6.5 6.3 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.1 5.5 6.2

New York

6.4 6.3 6.2 6.2 6.3 5.8 6.1 5.8 5.6 5.8

North Carolina

6.3 6.0 6.3 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.0 5.5 5.2 5.5

North Dakota

6.8 6.7 6.8 7.0 6.7 6.9 6.7 6.8 6.3 6.2

Ohio

5.8 5.3 5.7 5.5 5.6 5.5 5.7 5.2 5.0 5.4

Oklahoma

6.6 6.6 6.4 6.1 6.3 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.5 6.5

Oregon

6.7 6.6 6.8 7.8 6.2 6.1 6.4 6.0 5.6 6.2

Pennsylvania

5.5 5.5 5.5 5.2 5.3 5.2 5.2 5.0 4.9 5.1

Rhode Island

6.5 6.0 6.6 6.3 6.3 5.9 6.3 6.0 6.1 6.1

South Carolina

6.1 5.8 7.0 5.9 7.5 6.1 6.2 5.3 4.7 6.5

South Dakota

6.2 5.8 6.4 6.4 6.1 6.2 5.9 5.7 5.9 6.1

Tennessee

5.5 5.4 5.9 5.0 5.5 5.2 5.2 4.9 4.8 5.1

Texas

5.9 5.9 6.4 5.8 5.9 5.4 5.8 5.3 5.1 5.2

Utah

6.8 7.0 7.0 7.4 6.9 6.3 6.3 5.9 6.0 6.3

Vermont

7.9 6.5 7.4 6.4 7.2 6.8 7.8 6.5 7.0 7.3

Virginia

6.4 5.9 6.3 5.8 6.1 5.9 6.2 5.5 5.2 5.8

Washington

7.1 6.4 6.9 7.2 7.3 6.2 6.4 6.0 5.7 6.3

West Virginia

6.4 6.7 6.3 6.8 6.8 6.5 6.3 6.1 5.8 6.4

Wisconsin

5.6 5.0 5.6 5.6 5.4 5.5 5.7 5.0 4.7 5.5

Wyoming

8.6 8.7 8.7 8.4 8.2 9.1 7.9 8.4 8.0 8.3

Puerto Rico

5.4 4.5 7.1 8.4 8.0 5.4 6.8 11.8 6.8 6.2

Virgin Islands

6.7 4.2 9.2 12.0 12.5 5.3 11.6 28.2 16.8 8.6

Footnotes
(1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, March 06, 2019