birth-death ratio

A figure representing the net number of jobs that are provided from newly started businesses, or "births," and businesses that close, or "deaths," during a certain period of time - typically a month - in conjunction with government sponsored jobs reports. These figures are put out by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as a part of the monthly employment report. The figures use a rolling average in order to determine the monthly total based on historical averages over the past several years.