395 – Labor Estimates by Firm Size
Analysis of JOLTS Research Estimates by Size of Firm
Katherine Klemmer
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently produced firm size estimates for research purposes. For each of the 3 firm size classes, data series were produced at the total private level for job openings, hires, total separations, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations from December 2000 through December 2011. For this paper, firm size classes are compared to each other, to national level JOLTS data, BED net employment growth, and to Current Employment Statistics by firm size. Differences in the movements of the time series before, during, and after the most recent recession are analyzed with respect to size of firm. The impact of the economic cycle on larger versus smaller firms is discussed as are other factors that potentially contribute to the time series behavior of the different size classes.
