For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, February 19, 2021 USDL-21-0280

Technical information: (202) 691-6199 • workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/wsp

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • pressoffice@bls.gov

Major Work Stoppages in 2020

(NOTE: This news release was reissued on March 1, 2021, adding 1 work stoppage in 2020. 

Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/errata/home.htm?errataID=83666.)

In 2020, there were 8 major work stoppages beginning in the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor 

Statistics reported today. A major work stoppage involves 1,000 or more workers and lasts at 

least one shift during the work week, Monday through Friday excluding Federal holidays. This 

year had the third lowest number of major work stoppages since the series began in 1947. The 

lowest annual total was 5 in 2009, followed by 7 in 2017. For the past 20 years, on average, there 

have been 16 work stoppages beginning in the year. (See chart 1.) 

Chart 1: Number of work stoppages, 2001-2020

Data Correction

The BLS has issued a correction to work stoppage data from February 2018 to December 2020. 

Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/errata/home.htm?errataID=83510. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on the 2020 Major Work Stoppages

Data collection for Major Work Stoppages was not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-on-workplaceinjuries-and-illnesses-compensation-and-occupational-requirements.htm#work-stoppages.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Number of work stoppages beginning in the period Average
There were 27,000 workers involved in major work stoppages that began in 2020. The education

and health services industry supersector accounted for over 75 percent of idled workers. Within 

these sectors, 21,700 workers were idled for 26 cumulative days. In 2017, 25,300 workers were 

idled and the information sector accounted for the majority of idled workers at 15,000 workers. 

In 2009, 12,500 workers were idled with almost half of the idled workers coming from one 

stoppage in the transportation and warehousing sector. (See chart 2.)

Chart 2: Number of workers idled by industry

State and local government accounted for 6 of the 8 work stoppages in 2020, compared to the 3 

stoppages in both 2009 and 2017. (See chart 3.)

In 2020, 14,900 state and local government workers were idled for 25 workdays resulting in a 

total of 69,100 days of idleness. 

Chart 3: Number of work stoppages by ownership

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

Goods

producing

Retail trade Transportation

and

Warehousing

Information Educational

services

Health care and

social

assistance

Public

administration

2009 2017 2020

0

1

2

3

4

5

Private industry workers Local government workers State government workers

2009 2017 2020
TECHNICAL NOTE

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on major (1,000 workers or more) work 

stoppages in the United States. The number of workers includes those idled for one shift or 

longer in the establishment(s) directly involved in the dispute as well as those in the 

establishment idled for related reasons, such as their facility is closed down during the stoppage. 

An attempt is made to contact the parties involved in the work stoppage (employer, employer 

group, and union) to determine whether the duration and number of workers idled by the 

stoppage meet the thresholds for inclusion in this report. For additional information on the 

concepts, data sources, design, measures, and history of the work stoppages program, see 

www.bls.gov/opub/hom/wsp/home.htm.

Detailed monthly work stoppage data since 1993 are available at

www.bls.gov/web/wkstp/monthly-listing.htm and includes organizations involved, location, 

beginning and ending dates, industry, ownership, the number of workers, and total days of 

idleness.

Annual historical major work stoppages data from 1947 to present, including the number of work 

stoppages, workers idled, and total days of idleness, are available at 

www.bls.gov/web/wkstp/annual-listing.htm. 

Historical Bureau of Labor Statistics work stoppages publications are available from 1936 to 

1979 at www.bls.gov/wsp/questions-and-answers.htm#Question_10. 

The latest Union Members report is available at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf.