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News Release Information

17-1476-CHI
Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Business Employment Dynamics in North Dakota — First Quarter 2017

From December 2016 to March 2017, gross job gains in North Dakota totaled 26,128, while gross job losses numbered 22,998, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 3,130. During the previous quarter, gross job losses exceeded gross job gains by 3,514.

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. Business Employment Dynamics (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 job gains and the number of gross job losses is the net change in employment. (See the Technical Note for more information.)

The 26,128 gross job gains in March 2017 followed the 23,021 gross job gains in December 2016. (See chart 1.) North Dakota’s gross job losses numbered 22,998 in March 2017, lower than the recent peak of 41,045 gross job losses in June 2015.

Gross job gains represented 7.6 percent of private sector employment in North Dakota in the quarter ended March 2017, while nationally gross job gains accounted for 6.0 percent of private sector employment. (See chart 2.) Since March 2007, the rate of gross job gains in North Dakota has been above the U.S. rate each quarter. Gross job losses represented 6.7 percent of private sector employment in North Dakota in the quarter ended March 2017, while the U.S. rate of gross job losses was 5.4 percent of private sector employment. The rate of gross job losses in North Dakota has been above the national rate since the fourth quarter of 2011.

During the first quarter of 2017, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 548 in North Dakota’s leisure and hospitality industry sector. While almost 4,000 jobs were gained in opening and expanding establishments, more than 3,000 jobs were lost in closing and contracting establishments in the three-months ended in March 2017. In each of the four other published sectors for the state, the difference between gross job gains and gross job losses was less than 250. (See table 1.)

North Dakota was among the seven states in the West North Central Census division. All seven states in the division had gross job gains that exceeded gross job losses. (See table A.)  Three states (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa) had rates of gross job gains that were higher than the 6.0-percent national rate. Three states (Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska) had rates of gross job losses that were below the 5.4-percent national rate.

Table A. Private sector gross job gains and losses for the United States, West North Central Division, and West North Central states, March 2017, seasonally adjusted
AreaGross job gainsGross job lossesNet changeNet change as
a percent of
total
employment
TotalAs a
percent of
total
employment
TotalAs a
percent of
total
employment

United States

7,328,0006.06,674,0005.4654,0000.6

West North Central (1)

522,571453,68168,890

Iowa

78,7646.171,3245.57,4400.6

Kansas

66,2955.863,0415.63,2540.2

Minnesota

142,6515.8117,3024.725,3491.1

Missouri

138,1745.9116,3244.921,8501.0

Nebraska

48,3505.942,0365.26,3140.7

North Dakota

26,1287.622,9986.73,1300.9

South Dakota

22,2096.420,6565.91,5530.5

Footnotes:
(1) Data were calculated for this release using published gross job gains and gross job losses for states located in the West North 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 release for second quarter 2017 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

Data in this release incorporate annual revisions to the BED series. Annual revisions are published each year with the release of first quarter data. These revisions cover the last four quarters of not seasonally adjusted data and five years of seasonally adjusted data


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, North Dakota, seasonally adjusted
CategoryGross job gains and job losses
(3 months ended)
Gross job gains and job losses
as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Mar.
2016
June
2016
Sept
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
Mar.
2016
June
2016
Sept
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017

Total private (1)

 

Gross job gains

23,64123,25627,99023,02126,1286.76.88.26.77.6

At expanding establishments

18,84518,89322,93817,66721,0715.35.56.75.16.1

At opening establishments

4,7964,3635,0525,3545,0571.41.31.51.61.5

Gross job losses

31,32330,93324,63226,53522,9988.98.97.17.76.7

At contracting establishments

26,31926,02620,06322,24919,0367.57.55.86.55.5

At closing establishments

5,0044,9074,5694,2863,9621.41.41.31.21.2

Net employment change (2)

-7,682-7,6773,358-3,5143,130-2.2-2.11.1-1.00.9

Construction

 

Gross job gains

5,3875,5806,4964,1745,85716.818.020.913.820.3

At expanding establishments

3,7204,3445,2932,9974,18511.614.017.09.914.5

At opening establishments

1,6671,2361,2031,1771,6725.24.03.93.95.8

Gross job losses

6,9876,9045,8566,5175,63721.722.218.821.619.6

At contracting establishments

5,7645,4464,5475,3514,59817.917.514.617.716.0

At closing establishments

1,2231,4581,3091,1661,0393.84.74.23.93.6

Net employment change (2)

-1,600-1,324640-2,343220-4.9-4.22.1-7.80.7

Wholesale trade

 

Gross job gains

1,2329371,3081,0971,1794.83.95.54.64.9

At expanding establishments

1,0498221,1958881,0734.13.45.03.74.5

At opening establishments

1831151132091060.70.50.50.90.4

Gross job losses

1,8961,7961,1831,4261,0097.57.34.96.04.3

At contracting establishments

1,7031,5981,0381,2158766.76.54.35.13.7

At closing establishments

1931981452111330.80.80.60.90.6

Net employment change (2)

-664-859125-329170-2.7-3.40.6-1.40.6

Retail trade

 

Gross job gains

2,7372,5382,9042,2822,6685.55.26.04.75.5

At expanding establishments

2,4902,2652,4321,9822,2185.04.65.04.14.6

At opening establishments

2472734723004500.50.61.00.60.9

Gross job losses

2,9403,4452,7703,0312,6345.96.95.66.25.5

At contracting establishments

2,7273,2292,4582,7762,3175.56.55.05.74.8

At closing establishments

2132163122553170.40.40.60.50.7

Net employment change (2)

-203-907134-74934-0.4-1.70.4-1.50.0

Professional and business services

 

Gross job gains

2,1713,1162,8923,0872,9196.39.18.49.08.6

At expanding establishments

1,6482,5742,0552,0382,1844.87.56.05.96.4

At opening establishments

5235428371,0497351.51.62.43.12.2

Gross job losses

3,9572,7072,7863,4842,93211.57.98.110.18.6

At contracting establishments

3,1362,0112,2132,6892,2809.15.96.47.86.7

At closing establishments

8216965737956522.42.01.72.31.9

Net employment change (2)

-1,786409106-397-13-5.21.20.3-1.10.0

Leisure and hospitality

 

Gross job gains

3,4323,5824,2263,2633,7228.69.010.78.29.4

At expanding establishments

2,7972,7803,3472,2622,8887.07.08.55.77.3

At opening establishments

6358028791,0018341.62.02.22.52.1

Gross job losses

3,9524,5553,5813,7183,1749.811.69.19.48.0

At contracting establishments

3,0653,6612,8633,2682,6987.69.37.38.36.8

At closing establishments

8878947184504762.22.31.81.11.2

Net employment change (2)

-520-973645-455548-1.2-2.61.6-1.21.4

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.
 

Table 2. Private sector gross job gains and losses as a percent of total employment by state, seasonally adjusted
CategoryGross job gains as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Gross job losses as a percent of employment
(3 months ended)
Mar.
2016
June
2016
Sept.
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017
Mar.
2016
June
2016
Sept.
2016
Dec.
2016
Mar.
2017

United States(1)

6.06.26.46.26.05.76.05.85.95.4

Alabama

5.95.86.25.86.15.55.95.85.85.2

Alaska

9.610.49.19.89.49.611.211.210.09.8

Arizona

5.96.27.26.05.85.76.05.25.55.4

Arkansas

5.55.46.25.95.65.45.95.65.45.0

California

6.66.96.96.96.76.36.66.26.36.0

Colorado

6.67.07.16.66.86.16.56.26.56.2

Connecticut

5.35.45.25.15.55.05.45.45.25.1

Delaware

6.66.86.36.26.66.56.76.66.25.9

District of Columbia

5.35.96.25.65.75.65.85.85.64.7

Florida

6.26.57.46.76.15.85.95.86.15.5

Georgia

6.26.96.76.66.35.86.45.95.85.8

Hawaii

5.25.46.05.05.15.05.84.85.04.8

Idaho

8.27.27.97.57.96.57.07.36.76.3

Illinois

5.66.05.76.15.85.65.95.75.65.4

Indiana

5.55.45.85.45.75.35.25.15.25.1

Iowa

6.15.76.15.76.15.46.25.85.95.5

Kansas

5.85.76.25.95.85.96.35.65.75.6

Kentucky

5.96.26.86.15.76.06.06.35.85.4

Louisiana

6.06.06.85.96.46.76.96.56.55.9

Maine

7.27.76.77.47.26.96.87.47.16.4

Maryland

6.26.46.66.66.16.06.25.96.25.9

Massachusetts

5.46.05.75.65.55.15.25.45.45.1

Michigan

5.35.95.75.55.64.95.45.55.45.0

Minnesota

5.55.96.15.75.85.25.55.55.74.7

Mississippi

5.95.76.36.35.76.26.55.55.65.9

Missouri

5.65.75.75.75.95.35.45.45.64.9

Montana

7.97.97.67.88.17.38.67.77.57.1

Nebraska

5.95.76.45.75.95.55.95.96.25.2

Nevada

6.46.56.86.26.65.95.85.55.65.2

New Hampshire

6.06.56.46.35.75.85.96.35.95.6

New Jersey

5.86.46.36.45.56.05.75.95.95.8

New Mexico

6.46.47.06.66.46.46.76.26.56.2

New York

6.26.36.36.16.25.85.85.95.95.7

North Carolina

6.16.36.36.36.25.65.85.95.75.5

North Dakota

6.76.88.26.77.68.98.97.17.76.7

Ohio

5.55.65.75.75.75.25.75.75.45.1

Oklahoma

5.75.86.36.56.36.36.86.06.36.5

Oregon

7.16.86.96.66.95.86.66.46.35.7

Pennsylvania

5.45.35.65.45.25.35.45.15.15.0

Rhode Island

5.86.15.65.76.35.96.25.95.85.9

South Carolina

6.06.36.36.56.06.05.85.65.45.6

South Dakota

6.26.46.46.06.46.16.26.26.15.9

Tennessee

5.45.85.95.85.15.25.45.25.14.9

Texas

5.45.86.25.95.85.85.55.55.45.2

Utah

7.36.77.46.87.76.06.46.76.46.1

Vermont

6.77.47.27.06.66.97.27.47.06.8

Virginia

5.96.56.26.26.06.06.16.15.95.6

Washington

7.17.36.77.16.86.06.06.66.75.6

West Virginia

5.95.86.56.46.36.96.96.46.26.4

Wisconsin

5.65.75.55.55.95.25.75.65.34.8

Wyoming

8.17.78.58.88.89.410.68.88.78.1

Puerto Rico

5.75.65.85.85.16.05.55.75.45.7

Virgin Islands

6.06.56.26.05.35.85.76.86.05.5

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

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2017