BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

11/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/07/2024 10:26

Business Employment Dynamics in Wisconsin — First Quarter 2024

News Release Information

24-2260-CHI
Thursday, November 07, 2024

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

Business Employment Dynamics in Wisconsin - First Quarter 2024

From December 2023 to March 2024, gross job gains from opening and expanding private-sector establishments in Wisconsin were 140,097, while gross job losses from closing and contracting private-sector establishments were 124,737, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the difference between the number of gross job gains and the number of gross job losses yielded a net employment gain of 15,360 jobs in the private sector during the first quarter of 2024. During the previous quarter, gross job gains exceeded gross job losses by 7,667. (See chart 1.)

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Private-sector gross job gains and losses in Wisconsin, March 2019-March 2024, seasonally adjusted
Period Gross job gains Gross job losses

Mar. 2019

127,991 124,335

Jun. 2019

139,891 132,634

Sep. 2019

120,452 144,593

Dec. 2019

135,303 124,842

Mar. 2020

126,818 136,511

Jun. 2020

104,658 342,588

Sep. 2020

178,643 116,678

Dec. 2020

148,089 121,589

Mar. 2021

144,730 114,586

Jun. 2021

141,100 127,714

Sep. 2021

134,602 139,839

Dec. 2021

160,650 127,841

Mar. 2022

161,845 118,593

Jun. 2022

148,021 150,008

Sep. 2022

150,111 144,142

Dec. 2022

152,156 138,222

Mar. 2023

154,614 121,645

Jun. 2023

144,437 149,574

Sep. 2023

133,161 147,352

Dec. 2023

138,483 130,816

Mar. 2024

140,097 124,737

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 the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.)

Gross job gains

In the first quarter of 2024, gross job gains represented 5.5 percent of private-sector employment in Wisconsin; nationally, gross job gains accounted for 5.7 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 Wisconsin, gross job gains at expanding establishments totaled 119,389 in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 1,267 jobs compared to the previous quarter. (See table 1.) Opening establishments accounted for 20,708 jobs gained in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 347 jobs from the previous quarter.

View Chart Data
Chart 2. Private-sector gross job gains as a percent of employment, United States and Wisconsin, March 2019-March 2024, seasonally adjusted
Period United States Wisconsin

Mar. 2019

5.9 5.1

Jun. 2019

6.1 5.5

Sep. 2019

5.9 4.9

Dec. 2019

6.2 5.4

Mar. 2020

5.5 5.1

Jun. 2020

4.8 4.3

Sep. 2020

9.5 7.7

Dec. 2020

7.4 6.2

Mar. 2021

6.9 6.1

Jun. 2021

6.8 5.8

Sep. 2021

7.3 5.5

Dec. 2021

7.7 6.6

Mar. 2022

6.7 6.6

Jun. 2022

6.5 6.0

Sep. 2022

6.9 6.0

Dec. 2022

6.3 6.0

Mar. 2023

6.3 6.1

Jun. 2023

6.2 5.6

Sep. 2023

5.9 5.2

Dec. 2023

6.0 5.5

Mar. 2024

5.7 5.5

Gross job losses

In the first quarter of 2024, gross job losses represented 4.8 percent of private-sector employment in Wisconsin; 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 Wisconsin, contracting establishments lost 108,653 jobs in the first quarter of 2024, a decrease of 2,821 jobs from the prior quarter. Closing establishments lost 16,084 jobs, a decrease of 3,258 jobs from the previous quarter.

View Chart Data
Chart 3. Private-sector gross job losses as a percent of employment, United States and Wisconsin, March 2019-March 2024, seasonally adjusted
Period United States Wisconsin

Mar. 2019

5.6 5.0

Jun. 2019

5.9 5.3

Sep. 2019

5.8 5.8

Dec. 2019

5.5 5.0

Mar. 2020

6.3 5.4

Jun. 2020

16.8 14.3

Sep. 2020

5.9 5.0

Dec. 2020

5.7 5.1

Mar. 2021

5.5 4.8

Jun. 2021

5.9 5.3

Sep. 2021

6.1 5.8

Dec. 2021

5.4 5.2

Mar. 2022

5.5 4.8

Jun. 2022

6.2 6.0

Sep. 2022

5.9 5.7

Dec. 2022

5.9 5.5

Mar. 2023

5.5 4.8

Jun. 2023

5.9 5.8

Sep. 2023

6.0 5.8

Dec. 2023

5.7 5.2

Mar. 2024

5.4 4.8

Industries

Gross job gains exceeded gross job losses in 7 of the 10 industry sectors in Wisconsin in the first quarter of 2024. Construction had the largest over-the-quarter net job increase, with a gain of 4,041 jobs. This was the result of 12,652 gross job gains and 8,611 gross job losses. The retail trade industry had a net gain of 3,984 jobs. Transportation and warehousing showed a net loss of 3,517 jobs, the largest loss of any sector in the state.

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 the Business Employment Dynamics Home.

The Business Employment Dynamics for Second Quarter 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

Revisions to Business Employment Dynamics (BED) Data

Data in this release contain annual revisions in accordance with standard procedures. These revisions include the previous 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.

More information on formal definitions of the data used in this release, along with coverage, concepts, and methodology, can be found in the Business Employment Dynamics Technical Note.

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, Wisconsin, 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.
2023 		June
2023 		Sept.
2023 		Dec.
2023 		Mar.
2024 		Mar.
2023 		June
2023 		Sept.
2023 		Dec.
2023 		Mar.
2024

Total private (1)

Gross job gains

154,614 144,437 133,161 138,483 140,097 6.1 5.6 5.2 5.5 5.5

At expanding establishments

133,277 123,374 111,645 118,122 119,389 5.3 4.8 4.4 4.7 4.7

At opening establishments

21,337 21,063 21,516 20,361 20,708 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Gross job losses

121,645 149,574 147,352 130,816 124,737 4.8 5.8 5.8 5.2 4.8

At contracting establishments

104,220 127,908 128,007 111,474 108,653 4.1 5.0 5.0 4.4 4.2

At closing establishments

17,425 21,666 19,345 19,342 16,084 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.6

Net employment change (2)

32,969 -5,137 -14,191 7,667 15,360 1.3 -0.2 -0.6 0.3 0.7

Construction

Gross job gains

13,068 10,924 9,855 11,484 12,652 9.5 7.9 7.4 8.4 8.8

At expanding establishments

11,784 9,533 8,284 10,078 11,521 8.6 6.9 6.2 7.4 8.0

At opening establishments

1,284 1,391 1,571 1,406 1,131 0.9 1.0 1.2 1.0 0.8

Gross job losses

8,963 12,250 10,794 10,160 8,611 6.5 8.8 8.0 7.5 6.0

At contracting establishments

7,704 9,701 9,556 8,834 7,372 5.6 7.0 7.1 6.5 5.1

At closing establishments

1,259 2,549 1,238 1,326 1,239 0.9 1.8 0.9 1.0 0.9

Net employment change (2)

4,105 -1,326 -939 1,324 4,041 3.0 -0.9 -0.6 0.9 2.8

Manufacturing

Gross job gains

14,193 12,192 12,310 13,100 12,012 3.0 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.6

At expanding establishments

13,761 11,784 11,871 12,539 11,729 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.5

At opening establishments

432 408 439 561 283 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Gross job losses

14,226 16,493 14,897 13,913 13,871 2.9 3.4 3.1 2.9 3.0

At contracting establishments

13,583 15,975 14,198 13,222 13,450 2.8 3.3 3.0 2.8 2.9

At closing establishments

643 518 699 691 421 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Net employment change (2)

-33 -4,301 -2,587 -813 -1,859 0.1 -0.8 -0.5 -0.1 -0.4

Wholesale trade

Gross job gains

5,603 5,008 5,152 5,225 4,894 4.3 3.9 4.0 4.0 3.7

At expanding establishments

5,205 4,468 4,624 4,610 4,608 4.0 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5

At opening establishments

398 540 528 615 286 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.2

Gross job losses

4,420 5,245 4,780 4,364 4,005 3.4 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0

At contracting establishments

3,719 4,316 4,065 3,786 3,330 2.9 3.3 3.1 2.9 2.5

At closing establishments

701 929 715 578 675 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.5

Net employment change (2)

1,183 -237 372 861 889 0.9 -0.1 0.3 0.7 0.7

Retail trade

Gross job gains

19,451 16,174 14,568 14,007 16,838 6.5 5.3 4.8 4.8 5.6

At expanding establishments

18,127 14,914 13,302 12,375 15,498 6.1 4.9 4.4 4.2 5.2

At opening establishments

1,324 1,260 1,266 1,632 1,340 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.4

Gross job losses

11,767 17,402 18,567 15,722 12,854 4.0 5.8 6.2 5.3 4.4

At contracting establishments

10,609 16,210 16,868 14,610 11,497 3.6 5.4 5.6 4.9 3.9

At closing establishments

1,158 1,192 1,699 1,112 1,357 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.5

Net employment change (2)

7,684 -1,228 -3,999 -1,715 3,984 2.5 -0.5 -1.4 -0.5 1.2

Transportation and warehousing

Gross job gains

5,749 5,206 6,432 9,203 5,084 4.9 4.5 5.7 8.0 4.4

At expanding establishments

5,121 4,622 5,826 8,579 4,470 4.4 4.0 5.2 7.5 3.9

At opening establishments

628 584 606 624 614 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

Gross job losses

7,890 8,079 6,588 4,935 8,601 6.8 7.1 5.9 4.3 7.5

At contracting establishments

7,175 7,104 6,063 4,328 7,939 6.2 6.2 5.4 3.8 6.9

At closing establishments

715 975 525 607 662 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.6

Net employment change (2)

-2,141 -2,873 -156 4,268 -3,517 -1.9 -2.6 -0.2 3.7 -3.1

Financial activities

Gross job gains

6,233 8,141 5,725 5,088 4,574 4.0 5.3 3.6 3.3 2.9

At expanding establishments

5,263 7,097 4,726 4,036 3,937 3.4 4.6 3.0 2.6 2.5

At opening establishments

970 1,044 999 1,052 637 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.4

Gross job losses

6,351 7,425 6,068 5,980 5,575 4.2 4.8 3.9 3.9 3.5

At contracting establishments

5,337 6,116 5,188 4,791 4,589 3.5 4.0 3.3 3.1 2.9

At closing establishments

1,014 1,309 880 1,189 986 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.8 0.6

Net employment change (2)

-118 716 -343 -892 -1,001 -0.2 0.5 -0.3 -0.6 -0.6

Professional and business services

Gross job gains

20,696 21,081 17,603 17,035 18,392 6.3 6.3 5.4 5.2 5.6

At expanding establishments

18,121 17,781 14,408 14,343 15,991 5.5 5.3 4.4 4.4 4.9

At opening establishments

2,575 3,300 3,195 2,692 2,401 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.7

Gross job losses

17,278 23,016 21,863 21,688 17,556 5.3 7.0 6.6 6.6 5.4

At contracting establishments

14,342 19,817 18,696 18,161 14,400 4.4 6.0 5.6 5.5 4.4

At closing establishments

2,936 3,199 3,167 3,527 3,156 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0

Net employment change (2)

3,418 -1,935 -4,260 -4,653 836 1.0 -0.7 -1.2 -1.4 0.2

Education and health services

Gross job gains

20,658 20,156 22,752 18,723 19,069 4.7 4.6 5.1 4.1 4.3

At expanding establishments

17,460 16,798 19,173 15,391 16,094 4.0 3.8 4.3 3.4 3.6

At opening establishments

3,198 3,358 3,579 3,332 2,975 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7

Gross job losses

15,220 17,974 19,477 17,044 16,310 3.5 4.1 4.4 3.8 3.6

At contracting establishments

12,673 14,196 15,392 12,367 13,776 2.9 3.2 3.5 2.8 3.0

At closing establishments

2,547 3,778 4,085 4,677 2,534 0.6 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.6

Net employment change (2)

5,438 2,182 3,275 1,679 2,759 1.2 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.7

Leisure and hospitality

Gross job gains

30,544 31,288 25,223 32,471 29,795 11.0 11.0 8.9 11.5 10.3

At expanding establishments

26,888 26,104 20,077 27,453 25,990 9.7 9.2 7.1 9.7 9.0

At opening establishments

3,656 5,184 5,146 5,018 3,805 1.3 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.3

Gross job losses

23,778 29,386 32,350 26,810 27,385 8.6 10.3 11.5 9.5 9.5

At contracting establishments

20,167 25,366 28,442 23,193 24,276 7.3 8.9 10.1 8.2 8.4

At closing establishments

3,611 4,020 3,908 3,617 3,109 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.1

Net employment change (2)

6,766 1,902 -7,127 5,661 2,410 2.4 0.7 -2.6 2.0 0.8

Other services (3)

Gross job gains

5,596 5,542 4,772 5,148 5,557 7.4 7.3 6.2 6.7 7.3

At expanding establishments

4,904 4,808 3,977 4,554 4,747 6.5 6.3 5.2 5.9 6.2

At opening establishments

692 734 795 594 810 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.8 1.1

Gross job losses

4,542 4,723 5,460 4,195 4,871 6.0 6.2 7.1 5.5 6.3

At contracting establishments

3,695 3,816 4,671 3,541 4,003 4.9 5.0 6.1 4.6 5.2

At closing establishments

847 907 789 654 868 1.1 1.2 1.0 0.9 1.1

Net employment change (2)

1,054 819 -688 953 686 1.4 1.1 -0.9 1.2 1.0

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)
Mar.
2023 		June
2023 		Sept.
2023 		Dec.
2023 		Mar.
2024 		Mar.
2023 		June
2023 		Sept.
2023 		Dec.
2023 		Mar.
2024

United States(1)

6.3 6.2 5.9 6.0 5.7 5.5 5.9 6.0 5.7 5.4

Alabama

6.5 6.0 6.0 6.2 5.7 5.6 5.7 6.0 5.7 5.5

Alaska

10.5 11.0 8.5 10.2 10.5 8.6 8.9 10.5 9.9 8.6

Arizona

6.0 7.0 6.8 6.5 8.4 5.6 6.3 5.7 6.6 6.4

Arkansas

5.8 5.9 5.6 6.2 5.6 5.1 6.0 5.8 5.0 5.2

California

6.3 6.8 6.4 6.4 5.8 6.6 6.4 6.5 6.4 5.6

Colorado

7.2 7.3 5.4 8.2 6.4 6.5 6.5 6.1 7.6 7.7

Connecticut

6.2 6.4 5.8 5.6 5.6 5.1 5.7 6.2 5.7 5.2

Delaware

6.7 6.4 6.0 6.1 6.0 5.2 5.8 6.5 5.8 5.1

District of Columbia

6.0 5.4 5.4 5.2 5.1 4.9 5.3 5.4 5.6 4.9

Florida

6.3 6.8 6.5 6.1 5.8 5.7 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.4

Georgia

6.5 6.3 6.1 6.2 6.0 6.0 6.4 6.1 5.7 5.7

Hawaii

5.6 5.7 5.3 6.1 5.4 5.1 5.3 6.8 5.0 5.1

Idaho

7.9 7.8 7.2 8.5 7.9 7.3 7.4 7.9 5.8 8.3

Illinois

5.8 5.4 4.8 5.0 5.1 4.8 5.2 5.3 5.1 4.8

Indiana

5.6 5.6 5.7 5.5 5.3 5.1 5.8 5.7 5.1 5.0

Iowa

6.1 6.0 5.6 6.1 6.1 5.4 5.9 5.8 5.7 5.6

Kansas

6.1 6.1 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.4 6.0 6.0 5.3 5.6

Kentucky

6.1 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.7 4.9 5.9 5.6 5.2 5.0

Louisiana

6.5 6.0 6.2 6.3 6.2 5.5 6.5 6.0 5.8 5.7

Maine

7.8 7.6 7.0 7.4 7.2 6.3 7.6 7.8 7.0 6.1

Maryland

7.2 6.7 6.3 6.2 5.8 6.0 6.6 6.4 5.8 5.7

Massachusetts

5.8 5.9 5.4 5.5 5.2 4.9 5.6 5.9 5.5 5.1

Michigan

5.8 5.9 5.2 5.5 5.4 5.0 5.3 5.9 5.5 5.2

Minnesota

5.8 6.0 3.3 6.9 5.8 4.8 5.5 4.3 6.9 5.7

Mississippi

6.5 6.4 6.2 6.1 5.7 6.1 6.5 6.2 5.7 6.1

Missouri

6.5 5.8 5.6 6.0 5.7 5.1 5.9 5.8 5.6 5.3

Montana

8.7 7.8 7.7 8.8 8.1 7.2 8.4 8.4 7.2 7.5

Nebraska

6.5 6.2 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.2 5.7 5.9 5.7 5.1

Nevada

6.2 6.5 6.5 6.7 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.6 5.4 6.2

New Hampshire

7.0 6.7 5.8 6.2 6.5 5.9 6.3 6.7 5.9 5.8

New Jersey

6.3 6.4 6.0 5.9 5.5 5.8 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.4

New Mexico

7.0 6.6 6.4 6.9 6.0 5.8 6.3 6.8 5.8 6.0

New York

6.5 6.2 5.8 5.7 5.9 5.2 5.8 6.0 5.6 5.0

North Carolina

6.6 6.1 5.7 6.3 5.4 5.3 5.7 6.1 4.9 5.5

North Dakota

7.6 6.9 6.6 6.7 6.9 5.7 6.7 6.6 6.3 6.1

Ohio

6.0 5.6 5.2 5.4 5.5 4.8 5.6 5.6 5.2 4.8

Oklahoma

6.3 6.3 6.3 6.1 5.6 5.4 6.1 6.0 5.8 5.2

Oregon

7.6 6.4 6.1 6.2 6.4 5.9 6.6 6.7 6.2 6.1

Pennsylvania

5.5 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.1 4.7 5.5 5.1 4.8 4.6

Rhode Island

7.4 6.7 6.4 6.8 6.9 5.9 6.8 6.7 6.3 5.7

South Carolina

6.8 6.4 6.6 6.2 6.4 5.9 6.6 5.7 5.3 6.3

South Dakota

7.3 6.7 6.3 6.6 6.3 5.9 6.0 6.3 5.8 5.8

Tennessee

5.9 5.8 5.6 6.2 5.5 5.0 5.5 5.7 5.5 4.9

Texas

6.0 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.4 5.1 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.1

Utah

7.0 6.9 6.9 6.6 6.7 6.3 6.4 6.6 6.5 6.0

Vermont

8.4 7.4 6.4 7.3 7.2 6.0 7.5 7.9 6.6 6.3

Virginia

6.2 6.1 5.9 5.9 5.7 5.2 5.9 6.0 5.5 5.2

Washington

6.6 6.1 5.8 6.0 5.7 6.3 5.7 6.0 5.4 5.3

West Virginia

7.3 6.1 6.5 6.5 6.9 5.5 6.4 6.6 5.8 5.7

Wisconsin

6.1 5.6 5.2 5.5 5.5 4.8 5.8 5.8 5.2 4.8

Wyoming

9.0 8.4 8.3 8.9 8.4 7.8 8.7 8.2 8.4 8.3

Puerto Rico

5.1 5.9 5.7 4.9 5.4 5.8 5.0 5.3 4.8 4.6

Virgin Islands

7.9 7.5 8.2 6.0 5.6 7.4 6.5 6.8 5.9 4.5

Footnotes
(1) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. The sum of the states will not necessarily add to the U.S. total because of the independent seasonal adjustment of each state.