From December 2022 to March 2023, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in North Carolina were 263,089, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments were 214,252, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 48,837 jobs in the private sector during the first quarter of 2023. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 37,971. (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 2023, gross job gains represented 6.4 percent of private-sector employment in North Carolina; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 6.2 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 208,043 in the first quarter of 2023, a decrease of 7,031 jobs compared to the previous quarter. (See table 1.) Opening establishments accounted for 55,046 jobs gained in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 1,492 jobs from the previous quarter.

Gross job losses

In the first quarter of 2023, 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 170,497 jobs in the first quarter of 2023, a decrease of 8,538 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 43,755 jobs, a decrease of 7,867 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 2023. Leisure and hospitality had the largest over-the-quarter net job increase, with a gain of 15,343 jobs. This was the result of 50,356 gross job gains and 35,013 gross job losses. The education and health services industry had a net gain of 11,069 jobs. North Carolina’s transportation and warehousing industry sector had a net loss of 6,243 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 2023 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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. 2022	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023	Mar. 2022	June 2022	Sept. 2022	Dec. 2022	Mar. 2023
Total private (1)
Gross job gains	259,370	255,446	266,108	268,628	263,089	6.6	6.4	6.7	6.6	6.4
At expanding establishments	207,856	204,815	223,248	215,074	208,043	5.3	5.1	5.6	5.3	5.1
At opening establishments	51,514	50,631	42,860	53,554	55,046	1.3	1.3	1.1	1.3	1.3
Gross job losses	213,348	240,891	234,300	230,657	214,252	5.4	6.1	5.8	5.7	5.3
At contracting establishments	177,905	198,553	181,146	179,035	170,497	4.5	5.0	4.5	4.4	4.2
At closing establishments	35,443	42,338	53,154	51,622	43,755	0.9	1.1	1.3	1.3	1.1
Net employment change (2)	46,022	14,555	31,808	37,971	48,837	1.2	0.3	0.9	0.9	1.1
Construction
Gross job gains	19,481	17,057	17,502	19,315	21,047	8.0	6.9	7.1	7.7	8.2
At expanding establishments	14,653	12,875	13,590	14,876	15,723	6.0	5.2	5.5	5.9	6.1
At opening establishments	4,828	4,182	3,912	4,439	5,324	2.0	1.7	1.6	1.8	2.1
Gross job losses	14,108	16,046	17,572	15,401	14,484	5.7	6.5	7.1	6.2	5.6
At contracting establishments	10,890	12,158	12,339	11,005	10,791	4.4	4.9	5.0	4.4	4.2
At closing establishments	3,218	3,888	5,233	4,396	3,693	1.3	1.6	2.1	1.8	1.4
Net employment change (2)	5,373	1,011	-70	3,914	6,563	2.3	0.4	0.0	1.5	2.6
Manufacturing
Gross job gains	16,227	16,139	16,034	15,149	14,839	3.5	3.4	3.4	3.2	3.1
At expanding establishments	14,859	14,520	14,773	13,778	13,190	3.2	3.1	3.1	2.9	2.8
At opening establishments	1,368	1,619	1,261	1,371	1,649	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
Gross job losses	11,834	15,323	15,534	16,500	13,475	2.6	3.2	3.2	3.5	2.8
At contracting establishments	10,627	13,245	13,932	13,737	11,985	2.3	2.8	2.9	2.9	2.5
At closing establishments	1,207	2,078	1,602	2,763	1,490	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.6	0.3
Net employment change (2)	4,393	816	500	-1,351	1,364	0.9	0.2	0.2	-0.3	0.3
Wholesale trade
Gross job gains	10,832	11,542	11,508	10,954	9,802	5.5	5.7	5.7	5.3	4.8
At expanding establishments	8,686	9,522	9,943	8,421	7,778	4.4	4.7	4.9	4.1	3.8
At opening establishments	2,146	2,020	1,565	2,533	2,024	1.1	1.0	0.8	1.2	1.0
Gross job losses	7,637	9,164	8,780	8,659	8,331	3.9	4.5	4.3	4.2	4.0
At contracting establishments	5,882	6,871	6,309	6,423	6,591	3.0	3.4	3.1	3.1	3.2
At closing establishments	1,755	2,293	2,471	2,236	1,740	0.9	1.1	1.2	1.1	0.8
Net employment change (2)	3,195	2,378	2,728	2,295	1,471	1.6	1.2	1.4	1.1	0.8
Retail trade
Gross job gains	32,059	25,786	32,490	27,292	31,370	6.1	4.9	6.2	5.2	6.0
At expanding establishments	26,813	22,061	29,204	23,488	25,949	5.1	4.2	5.6	4.5	5.0
At opening establishments	5,246	3,725	3,286	3,804	5,421	1.0	0.7	0.6	0.7	1.0
Gross job losses	29,180	31,680	27,425	28,783	26,374	5.6	6.1	5.3	5.5	5.0
At contracting establishments	26,293	28,711	23,707	24,688	22,461	5.0	5.5	4.6	4.7	4.3
At closing establishments	2,887	2,969	3,718	4,095	3,913	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.7
Net employment change (2)	2,879	-5,894	5,065	-1,491	4,996	0.5	-1.2	0.9	-0.3	1.0
Transportation and warehousing
Gross job gains	8,852	7,944	9,929	17,027	8,477	4.7	4.4	5.6	9.3	4.6
At expanding establishments	7,203	6,370	8,585	14,860	6,818	3.8	3.5	4.8	8.1	3.7
At opening establishments	1,649	1,574	1,344	2,167	1,659	0.9	0.9	0.8	1.2	0.9
Gross job losses	14,326	15,594	9,989	10,214	14,720	7.5	8.6	5.6	5.5	7.9
At contracting establishments	12,724	14,185	8,268	8,312	13,354	6.7	7.8	4.6	4.5	7.2
At closing establishments	1,602	1,409	1,721	1,902	1,366	0.8	0.8	1.0	1.0	0.7
Net employment change (2)	-5,474	-7,650	-60	6,813	-6,243	-2.8	-4.2	0.0	3.8	-3.3
Information
Gross job gains	6,047	5,896	6,221	4,685	5,728	7.7	7.3	7.5	5.6	6.8
At expanding establishments	4,695	4,619	4,913	3,169	4,641	6.0	5.7	5.9	3.8	5.5
At opening establishments	1,352	1,277	1,308	1,516	1,087	1.7	1.6	1.6	1.8	1.3
Gross job losses	2,950	4,005	4,465	5,886	4,275	3.8	5.0	5.3	7.1	5.0
At contracting establishments	2,269	3,123	3,272	3,569	3,432	2.9	3.9	3.9	4.3	4.0
At closing establishments	681	882	1,193	2,317	843	0.9	1.1	1.4	2.8	1.0
Net employment change (2)	3,097	1,891	1,756	-1,201	1,453	3.9	2.3	2.2	-1.5	1.8
Financial activities
Gross job gains	20,847	19,450	18,039	17,728	15,457	7.4	6.8	6.2	6.1	5.3
At expanding establishments	16,926	15,163	14,758	13,614	11,946	6.0	5.3	5.1	4.7	4.1
At opening establishments	3,921	4,287	3,281	4,114	3,511	1.4	1.5	1.1	1.4	1.2
Gross job losses	15,917	15,856	15,200	14,881	13,301	5.7	5.6	5.2	5.1	4.5
At contracting establishments	13,089	12,542	10,760	10,971	9,753	4.7	4.4	3.7	3.8	3.3
At closing establishments	2,828	3,314	4,440	3,910	3,548	1.0	1.2	1.5	1.3	1.2
Net employment change (2)	4,930	3,594	2,839	2,847	2,156	1.7	1.2	1.0	1.0	0.8
Professional and business services
Gross job gains	56,833	60,330	60,886	59,768	55,292	7.9	8.3	8.3	8.1	7.4
At expanding establishments	43,630	45,928	49,862	47,281	43,451	6.1	6.3	6.8	6.4	5.8
At opening establishments	13,203	14,402	11,024	12,487	11,841	1.8	2.0	1.5	1.7	1.6
Gross job losses	44,296	56,254	51,269	56,137	47,681	6.1	7.7	7.0	7.6	6.4
At contracting establishments	34,878	45,941	39,042	43,050	36,272	4.8	6.3	5.3	5.8	4.9
At closing establishments	9,418	10,313	12,227	13,087	11,409	1.3	1.4	1.7	1.8	1.5
Net employment change (2)	12,537	4,076	9,617	3,631	7,611	1.8	0.6	1.3	0.5	1.0
Education and health services
Gross job gains	30,330	32,622	34,528	33,900	36,338	5.0	5.3	5.5	5.3	5.7
At expanding establishments	25,040	26,130	29,456	26,777	28,520	4.1	4.2	4.7	4.2	4.5
At opening establishments	5,290	6,492	5,072	7,123	7,818	0.9	1.1	0.8	1.1	1.2
Gross job losses	24,912	26,835	26,835	24,967	25,269	4.1	4.3	4.3	3.9	4.0
At contracting establishments	20,666	21,817	19,547	18,588	19,004	3.4	3.5	3.1	2.9	3.0
At closing establishments	4,246	5,018	7,288	6,379	6,265	0.7	0.8	1.2	1.0	1.0
Net employment change (2)	5,418	5,787	7,693	8,933	11,069	0.9	1.0	1.2	1.4	1.7
Leisure and hospitality
Gross job gains	45,222	46,400	45,959	49,188	50,356	9.2	9.4	9.1	9.6	9.6
At expanding establishments	36,223	38,123	37,745	38,807	39,357	7.4	7.7	7.5	7.6	7.5
At opening establishments	8,999	8,277	8,214	10,381	10,999	1.8	1.7	1.6	2.0	2.1
Gross job losses	36,768	38,339	46,229	38,189	35,013	7.5	7.7	9.2	7.5	6.7
At contracting establishments	31,490	31,192	36,496	30,203	28,516	6.4	6.3	7.3	5.9	5.5
At closing establishments	5,278	7,147	9,733	7,986	6,497	1.1	1.4	1.9	1.6	1.2
Net employment change (2)	8,454	8,061	-270	10,999	15,343	1.7	1.7	-0.1	2.1	2.9
Other services (3)
Gross job gains	9,314	9,524	10,397	9,922	10,134	8.4	8.5	9.2	8.6	8.7
At expanding establishments	6,676	7,126	8,381	7,042	7,572	6.0	6.4	7.4	6.1	6.5
At opening establishments	2,638	2,398	2,016	2,880	2,562	2.4	2.1	1.8	2.5	2.2
Gross job losses	8,203	8,116	8,409	8,924	8,312	7.4	7.3	7.4	7.8	7.1
At contracting establishments	6,450	5,760	5,459	6,755	5,816	5.8	5.2	4.8	5.9	5.0
At closing establishments	1,753	2,356	2,950	2,169	2,496	1.6	2.1	2.6	1.9	2.1
Net employment change (2)	1,111	1,408	1,988	998	1,822	1.0	1.2	1.8	0.8	1.6
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.