From December 2021 to March 2022, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in North Carolina were 257,489, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments were 208,837, 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 48,652 jobs in the private sector during the first quarter of 2022. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 117,863. (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.)

Gross job gains

In the first quarter of 2022, gross job gains represented 6.5 percent of private-sector employment in North Carolina; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 6.6 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 2.) Gross job gains are the sum of increases in employment due to expansions at existing establishments and the addition of new jobs at opening establishments. In North Carolina, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 205,517 in the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of 53,673 jobs compared to the previous quarter. (See table 1.) Opening establishments accounted for 51,972 of the jobs gained in the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of 568 jobs from the previous quarter.

Gross job losses

In the first quarter of 2022, gross job losses represented 5.3 percent of private-sector employment in North Carolina; nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.4 percent of private-sector employment. (See chart 3.) Gross job losses are the result of contractions in employment at existing establishments and the loss of jobs at closing establishments. In North Carolina, contracting establishments lost 173,205 jobs in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 15,900 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 35,632 jobs, a decrease of 930 jobs from the previous quarter.

Industries

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 10 of the 11 industry sectors in North Carolina in the first quarter of 2022. Professional and business services had the largest over-the-quarter net job increase, with a gain of 14,432 jobs. This was the result of 57,578 gross job gains and 43,146 gross job losses. North Carolina’s transportation and warehousing industry sector had a net loss of 5,261 jobs.

For more information

The BED data series include gross job gains and gross job losses by industry subsector, for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as gross job gains and gross job losses at the firm level by employer size class. BED data for the states have been included in table 2 of this release. Additional information is available online at www.bls.gov/bdm/.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Second Quarter 2022 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

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 units and jobs lost at closing and contracting units.

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 units 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 units 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 units with positive third month employment in the previous quarter and either not reported, or reported with zero employment, in the current quarter.

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

The full Technical Note for the Business Employment Dynamics program, which includes information on coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the current quarterly news release online at www.bls.gov/news.release/cewbd.htm.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Private sector gross job gains and losses by industry, North Carolina, seasonally adjusted

Category	Gross job gains and losses (3 months ended)					Gross job gains and losses as a percent of employment (3 months ended)
	Mar. 2021	June 2021	Sept. 2021	Dec. 2021	Mar. 2022	Mar. 2021	June 2021	Sept. 2021	Dec. 2021	Mar. 2022
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	258,717	243,596	257,364	311,730	257,489	6.9	6.4	6.8	8.1	6.5
At expanding establishments	192,110	200,619	212,604	259,190	205,517	5.1	5.3	5.6	6.7	5.2
At opening establishments	66,607	42,977	44,760	52,540	51,972	1.8	1.1	1.2	1.4	1.3
Gross job losses	201,840	219,824	244,394	193,867	208,837	5.4	5.8	6.4	5.0	5.3
At contracting establishments	170,026	187,935	193,996	157,305	173,205	4.5	5.0	5.1	4.1	4.4
At closing establishments	31,814	31,889	50,398	36,562	35,632	0.9	0.8	1.3	0.9	0.9
Net employment change (2)	56,877	23,772	12,970	117,863	48,652	1.5	0.6	0.4	3.1	1.2
Construction
Gross job gains	19,418	16,161	15,829	19,646	19,571	8.2	6.8	6.7	8.2	8.0
At expanding establishments	13,543	12,088	11,863	15,144	14,677	5.7	5.1	5.0	6.3	6.0
At opening establishments	5,875	4,073	3,966	4,502	4,894	2.5	1.7	1.7	1.9	2.0
Gross job losses	14,042	15,096	18,881	13,997	13,980	6.0	6.3	8.0	5.9	5.7
At contracting establishments	10,990	11,888	13,663	10,268	10,792	4.7	5.0	5.8	4.3	4.4
At closing establishments	3,052	3,208	5,218	3,729	3,188	1.3	1.3	2.2	1.6	1.3
Net employment change (2)	5,376	1,065	-3,052	5,649	5,591	2.2	0.5	-1.3	2.3	2.3
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	18,087	15,581	15,946	19,601	16,223	3.9	3.4	3.5	4.2	3.5
At expanding establishments	15,833	14,210	14,668	18,357	14,872	3.4	3.1	3.2	3.9	3.2
At opening establishments	2,254	1,371	1,278	1,244	1,351	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
Gross job losses	12,985	15,579	15,228	11,024	11,753	2.8	3.3	3.2	2.3	2.5
At contracting establishments	11,638	14,478	13,608	10,001	10,527	2.5	3.1	2.9	2.1	2.2
At closing establishments	1,347	1,101	1,620	1,023	1,226	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.3
Net employment change (2)	5,102	2	718	8,577	4,470	1.1	0.1	0.3	1.9	1.0
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	10,033	10,525	10,308	13,464	10,810	5.4	5.6	5.5	7.0	5.5
At expanding establishments	7,346	8,422	8,474	10,770	8,677	4.0	4.5	4.5	5.6	4.4
At opening establishments	2,687	2,103	1,834	2,694	2,133	1.4	1.1	1.0	1.4	1.1
Gross job losses	7,378	7,752	8,844	7,154	7,506	3.9	4.1	4.7	3.7	3.8
At contracting establishments	5,464	6,036	6,435	5,488	5,868	2.9	3.2	3.4	2.8	3.0
At closing establishments	1,914	1,716	2,409	1,666	1,638	1.0	0.9	1.3	0.9	0.8
Net employment change (2)	2,655	2,773	1,464	6,310	3,304	1.5	1.5	0.8	3.3	1.7
Retail trade
Gross job gains	32,608	27,684	28,465	36,729	32,122	6.4	5.4	5.5	7.1	6.1
At expanding establishments	26,861	23,956	25,228	32,478	26,823	5.3	4.7	4.9	6.3	5.1
At opening establishments	5,747	3,728	3,237	4,251	5,299	1.1	0.7	0.6	0.8	1.0
Gross job losses	25,029	30,422	31,851	26,564	29,263	4.9	5.9	6.3	5.2	5.7
At contracting establishments	22,280	27,485	27,396	23,114	26,368	4.4	5.3	5.4	4.5	5.1
At closing establishments	2,749	2,937	4,455	3,450	2,895	0.5	0.6	0.9	0.7	0.6
Net employment change (2)	7,579	-2,738	-3,386	10,165	2,859	1.5	-0.5	-0.8	1.9	0.4
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	9,660	13,231	10,121	22,628	9,036	5.4	7.6	5.8	12.4	4.8
At expanding establishments	7,687	12,025	8,432	20,507	7,397	4.3	6.9	4.8	11.2	3.9
At opening establishments	1,973	1,206	1,689	2,121	1,639	1.1	0.7	1.0	1.2	0.9
Gross job losses	13,153	14,076	13,537	6,067	14,297	7.4	8.1	7.8	3.3	7.5
At contracting establishments	12,038	12,725	12,178	5,006	12,705	6.8	7.3	7.0	2.7	6.7
At closing establishments	1,115	1,351	1,359	1,061	1,592	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.8
Net employment change (2)	-3,493	-845	-3,416	16,561	-5,261	-2.0	-0.5	-2.0	9.1	-2.7
Information
Gross job gains	5,081	5,041	5,665	5,553	6,032	6.8	6.7	7.3	7.1	7.7
At expanding establishments	3,787	3,893	4,875	4,282	4,692	5.1	5.2	6.3	5.5	6.0
At opening establishments	1,294	1,148	790	1,271	1,340	1.7	1.5	1.0	1.6	1.7
Gross job losses	2,914	2,986	3,833	5,576	2,946	3.9	3.9	5.0	7.1	3.8
At contracting establishments	2,211	2,350	2,696	4,401	2,269	3.0	3.1	3.5	5.6	2.9
At closing establishments	703	636	1,137	1,175	677	0.9	0.8	1.5	1.5	0.9
Net employment change (2)	2,167	2,055	1,832	-23	3,086	2.9	2.8	2.3	0.0	3.9
Financial activities
Gross job gains	16,301	16,903	18,815	19,568	17,804	6.2	6.4	6.9	7.1	6.4
At expanding establishments	12,296	13,514	15,734	15,424	13,906	4.7	5.1	5.8	5.6	5.0
At opening establishments	4,005	3,389	3,081	4,144	3,898	1.5	1.3	1.1	1.5	1.4
Gross job losses	10,424	13,686	14,756	13,059	13,730	4.0	5.2	5.5	4.8	4.8
At contracting establishments	7,653	10,620	11,069	9,823	10,513	2.9	4.0	4.1	3.6	3.7
At closing establishments	2,771	3,066	3,687	3,236	3,217	1.1	1.2	1.4	1.2	1.1
Net employment change (2)	5,877	3,217	4,059	6,509	4,074	2.2	1.2	1.4	2.3	1.6
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	52,512	50,935	59,965	71,693	57,578	8.0	7.6	8.9	10.3	8.0
At expanding establishments	39,625	39,999	48,272	58,913	44,118	6.0	6.0	7.2	8.5	6.1
At opening establishments	12,887	10,936	11,693	12,780	13,460	2.0	1.6	1.7	1.8	1.9
Gross job losses	41,928	48,360	51,017	41,865	43,146	6.4	7.2	7.6	6.1	6.0
At contracting establishments	34,846	41,569	38,456	32,433	33,980	5.3	6.2	5.7	4.7	4.7
At closing establishments	7,082	6,791	12,561	9,432	9,166	1.1	1.0	1.9	1.4	1.3
Net employment change (2)	10,584	2,575	8,948	29,828	14,432	1.6	0.4	1.3	4.2	2.0
Education and health services
Gross job gains	36,197	27,275	28,299	30,508	30,357	6.0	4.5	4.6	5.1	4.9
At expanding establishments	23,415	22,261	23,188	24,082	25,186	3.9	3.7	3.8	4.0	4.1
At opening establishments	12,782	5,014	5,111	6,426	5,171	2.1	0.8	0.8	1.1	0.8
Gross job losses	24,316	24,476	29,283	25,276	24,575	4.1	4.0	4.9	4.2	4.0
At contracting establishments	20,629	20,715	22,872	21,064	20,283	3.5	3.4	3.8	3.5	3.3
At closing establishments	3,687	3,761	6,411	4,212	4,292	0.6	0.6	1.1	0.7	0.7
Net employment change (2)	11,881	2,799	-984	5,232	5,782	1.9	0.5	-0.3	0.9	0.9
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	45,180	49,096	51,026	56,892	45,363	10.3	10.9	11.1	12.0	9.3
At expanding establishments	31,894	41,694	41,572	47,544	36,044	7.3	9.3	9.0	10.0	7.4
At opening establishments	13,286	7,402	9,454	9,348	9,319	3.0	1.6	2.1	2.0	1.9
Gross job losses	38,842	36,016	44,734	33,346	36,238	8.8	8.0	9.8	7.0	7.4
At contracting establishments	33,918	31,005	37,136	28,021	30,795	7.7	6.9	8.1	5.9	6.3
At closing establishments	4,924	5,011	7,598	5,325	5,443	1.1	1.1	1.7	1.1	1.1
Net employment change (2)	6,338	13,080	6,292	23,546	9,125	1.5	2.9	1.3	5.0	1.9
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	9,745	8,940	9,937	11,176	9,236	9.5	8.6	9.4	10.4	8.3
At expanding establishments	6,749	6,656	7,839	8,041	6,652	6.6	6.4	7.4	7.5	6.0
At opening establishments	2,996	2,284	2,098	3,135	2,584	2.9	2.2	2.0	2.9	2.3
Gross job losses	7,352	7,309	8,494	7,541	8,199	7.2	7.0	8.1	7.0	7.4
At contracting establishments	5,487	5,540	5,487	5,627	6,445	5.4	5.3	5.2	5.2	5.8
At closing establishments	1,865	1,769	3,007	1,914	1,754	1.8	1.7	2.9	1.8	1.6
Net employment change (2)	2,393	1,631	1,443	3,635	1,037	2.3	1.6	1.3	3.4	0.9
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.