Table 3.  Number of private sector establishments by direction of employment change, annual March to March

Retail trade                                 

(In thousands)

                                   Establishments gaining jobs             Establishments losing jobs
Year ended    Net change(1)  Total     Expanding     Opening        Total    Contracting    Closing
                                   establishments  establishments          establishments  establishments

March 1994          -2         389         293           96            358        260           98
March 1995           3         398         299           99            358        262           96
March 1996          -3         385         288           97            375        275          100
March 1997           1         397         297          100            367        268           99
March 1998          -8         383         288           95            382        279          103
March 1999          -2         395         298           97            369        270           99
March 2000          -5         394         300           94            372        273           99
March 2001         -19         362         282           80            389        290           99
March 2002         -15         347         264           83            399        301           98
March 2003          -9         344         262           82            385        294           91
March 2004          -9         356         277           79            363        275           88
March 2005         -10         355         275           80            371        281           90
March 2006          -7         363         280           83            373        283           90
March 2007          -9         360         279           81            377        287           90
March 2008         -12         344         268           76            387        299           88
March 2009         -31         289         219           70            447        346          101
March 2010         -21         313         246           67            379        291           88
March 2011          -6         341         271           70            338        262           76
March 2012          -6         349         279           70            334        258           76

(1) Net change is the difference between the number of opening establishments
    and the number of closing establishments.