Technical information: (202) 691-6392

http://www.bls.gov/mls/

Media contact: 691-5902

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

 USDL 03-762

MASS LAYOFFS IN OCTOBER 2003

Employers initiated 1,523 mass layoff actions in October 2003, as measured by new filings for

unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and the

number of workers involved totaled 158,240. (See table 1.) Fewer mass-layoff initial claims were filed

against employers in temporary help services, discount department stores, semiconductors and related

devices, and broadwoven fabric mills compared with October 2002. The number of initial claims fell to their

lowest levels for October since 2000. From January through October 2003, the total number of events, at

15,596, and the number of initial claims, at 1,557,750, were lower than the January-October period a year

ago (15,650 events and 1,740,722 initial claims).

The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning in a given

month, regardless of the duration of the layoffs. Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later and

issued in a quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as “extended

mass layoffs”). The quarterly release provides more information on the industry classification and location of

the establishment and on the demographics of the laid-off workers. Because monthly figures include shortterm layoffs of 30 days or less, the sum of the figures for the 3 months in a quarter will be higher than the

quarterly figure for mass layoffs of more than 30 days. (See table 1.) See the Technical Note for more

detailed definitions.

Industry Distribution

Supermarkets and other grocery stores, with 13,682 initial claimants, and temporary help services, with

11,964 initial claimants, together accounted for 16 percent of all initial claims in October. (See table A.)

The 10 industries reporting the highest number of mass-layoff initial claims accounted for 34 percent of the

total.

The manufacturing sector recorded 29 percent of all mass layoff events and 34 percent of all initial claims

filed in October. A year ago, manufacturing reported 33 percent of events and 38 percent of initial claims.

Within manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in transportation equipment (10,229) and food

processing (10,034). (See table 2.)

Retail trade accounted for 8 percent of events and 14 percent of initial claims filed in October, with

layoffs mostly in supermarkets and other grocery stores. Administrative and waste services accounted for 15

percent of events and 14 percent of initial claims during the month, mainly in temporary help services.

Twelve percent of the events and 8 percent of the initial claims were from the agriculture, forestry, fishing and

hunting sector, largely among farm labor contractors and crew leaders. An additional 9 percent of all layoff
2

Table A. Industries with the largest mass layoff initial claims in October 2003

Industry Initial claims

October peak

Year Initial claims

Supermarkets and other grocery stores ........... 13,682 2003 13,682

Temporary help services.................................. 11,964 1998 18,760

Farm labor contractors and crew leaders ........ 5,824 1998 9,617

Motion picture and video production............... 5,403 1997 7,692

Professional employer organizations ................. 3,478 2001 3,523

Fruit and vegetable canning ............................. 3,394 2002 4,500

Farm machinery and equipment mfg. ............... 3,061 1999 3,986

Automobile manufacturing................................ 2,441 2001 7,563

Discount department stores ............................. 2,310 2002 4,959

Other postharvest crop activities...................... 2,191 1998 2,529

p

p=preliminary.

events and 7 percent of initial claims filed during October were from construction firms, primarily among

specialty trade contractors.

Government establishments accounted for 5 percent of events and initial claims filed during the month,

particularly in transit and ground passenger transportation. The 7,527 initial claims in government were the

most for an October since 1997. The total number of events and initial claims in government from January

through October of this year have already exceeded those for all of 2002.

Compared with October 2002, the largest decreases in initial claims were reported in administrative and

support services (-5,512) and computer and electronic products manufacturing (-4,562). The largest overthe-year increase in initial claims was in food and beverage stores (+11,257).

Geographic Distribution

Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in October due to mass layoffs was reported

in the West, 68,376. (See table 3.) Administrative and support services, agriculture and forestry support

activities, and food and beverage stores accounted for 37 percent of all initial claims in that region during the

month. The Midwest region was next, with 43,432 initial claims, followed by the South, with 29,371, and

the Northeast, with 17,061.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year in three of the four regions, with the

largest decrease in the West (-8,687). Eight of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year decreases in

the number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest decreases in the Pacific (-8,056) and

South Atlantic (-4,549). The West North Central division had the only increase (+8,791).

California recorded the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events this October, 57,322,

mostly in administrative and support services and in agriculture and forestry support activities. Pennsylvania

reported 9,143 initial claims, followed by Missouri (8,165) and Illinois (7,890). These four states accounted

for 53 percent of all layoff events and 52 percent of initial claims for unemployment insurance. (See table 4.)

California registered the largest over-the-year decrease in the number of initial claims (-7,722), followed

by South Carolina (-3,849). The largest over-the-year increase occurred in Missouri (+6,927).
3

From January through October, California reported 409,420 initial claims, 26 percent of the national total.

The states with the next highest numbers of initial claims were Pennsylvania (93,603), Ohio (85,707), New

York (78,487), and Texas (78,108).

______________________________

Mass Layoffs in November 2003 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 23, 2003.
Technical Note

The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state

program that uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying,

describing, and tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data

from each state’s unemployment insurance database. Each month,

states report on establishments which have at least 50 initial claims

filed against them during a consecutive 5-week period. These

establishments then are contacted by the state agency to determine

whether these separations lasted 31 days or longer, and, if so, other

information concerning the layoff is collected. States report on layoffs

lasting more than 1 month on a quarterly basis.

A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment

insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that

month. All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the

first day of the month falls on Saturday. In this case, the week is

included in the prior month's tabulations. This means that some

months will contain 4 weeks and others 5 weeks, and the number of

weeks in a given month may be different from year to year. Therefore,

analysis of over-the-month and over-the-year change should take this

calendar effect into consideration.

The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it

had been terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding. Prior

to April 1995, monthly layoff statistics were not available.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200;

TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.

Definitions

Initial claimant. A person who files any notice of unemployment to initiate a request either for a determination of entitlement to and eligibility for compensation, or for a subsequent

period of unemployment within a benefit year or period of

eligibility.

Mass layoff event. Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment

insurance benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week

period, regardless of duration.
Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, October 2001 to October 2003

Date

Total mass layoffs Extended mass layoffs 

lasting more than 30 days Realization rates1

Events Initial

claimants Events Initial

claimants Events Initial

claimants

2001

October ....................................................................... 1,831 215,483 

November ................................................................... 2,721 295,956 

December ................................................................... 2,440 268,893 

Fourth Quarter ............................................................ 6,992 780,332 2,697 502,502 38.6 64.4 

2002

January ....................................................................... 2,146 263,777 

February ..................................................................... 1,382 138,808 

March ......................................................................... 1,460 161,316 

First Quarter ............................................................... 4,988 563,901 1,750 316,489 35.1 56.1 

April ............................................................................ 1,506 165,814 

May ............................................................................. 1,723 179,799 

June ............................................................................ 1,584 162,189 

Second Quarter .......................................................... 4,813 507,802 1,905 353,017 39.6 69.5 

July ............................................................................. 2,042 245,294 

August ........................................................................ 1,248 128,103 

September .................................................................. 1,062 124,522 

Third Quarter .............................................................. 4,352 497,919 1,383 r284,629 31.8 r57.2

October ....................................................................... 1,497 171,100 

November ................................................................... 2,153 240,171 

December ................................................................... 2,474 264,158 

Fourth Quarter ............................................................ 6,124 675,429 2,257 r421,570 36.9 r62.4

2003

January ....................................................................... 2,315 225,430 

February ..................................................................... 1,363 124,965 

March ......................................................................... 1,207 113,026 

First Quarter ............................................................... 4,885 463,421 1,700 r333,197 34.8 r71.9

April ............................................................................ 1,581 161,412 

May ............................................................................. 1,703 174,204 

June ............................................................................ 1,691 157,552 

Second Quarter .......................................................... 4,975 493,168 r2,131 r415,316 r42.8 r84.2

July ............................................................................. 2,087 226,435 

August ........................................................................ 1,258 133,839 

September p

 ................................................................ 868 82,647 

Third Quarter p ............................................................ 4,213 442,921 2 1,375 2 181,793 32.6 41.0 

October p ..................................................................... 1,523 158,240 

 1 The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised

events lasting more than 30 days. The initial claimant realization rate upwards by less than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants

is the percentage of total mass-layoff initial claimants associated with associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent.

layoffs lasting more than 30 days. p = preliminary.

 2

 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will increase as more r = revised.

data on these layoffs become avaliable. Recent experience suggests
Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance

Industry

Mass layoff events Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance

October August September October October August September October

2002 2003 2003p 2003p 2002 2003 2003p 2003p

 Total1 ..................................................................... 1,497 1,258 868 1,523 171,100 133,839 82,647 158,240 

Total, private ............................................................... 1,448 1,201 799 1,453 165,372 126,266 76,296 150,713 

 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ................ 178 38 43 188 16,045 2,135 2,382 13,007 

 Mining ..................................................................... 8 4 4 5 565 283 259 343 

 Utilities .................................................................... 6 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 532 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Construction ........................................................... 116 114 82 143 9,738 7,862 5,205 11,422 

 Manufacturing.......................................................... 493 405 271 438 64,655 52,620 31,428 53,741 

 Food ................................................................... 84 42 44 96 12,169 5,803 4,145 10,034 

 Beverage and tobacco products ......................... 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 16 477 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,237 

 Textile mills ......................................................... 24 21 21 9 4,786 7,154 3,510 1,533 

 Textile product mills ............................................ 12 8 ( 2 ) 8 1,511 739 ( 2 ) 881 

 Apparel ............................................................... 18 25 10 25 2,445 2,255 1,212 2,592 

 Leather and allied products ................................ 5 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 384 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Wood products ................................................... 22 21 11 15 2,114 1,773 969 1,163 

 Paper .................................................................. 11 13 10 12 968 1,083 834 1,049 

 Printing and related support activities ................ 8 4 ( 2 ) 11 710 231 ( 2 ) 998 

 Petroleum and coal products .............................. 5 – – ( 2 ) 651 – – ( 2 )

 Chemicals ........................................................... 8 7 9 7 598 549 602 546 

 Plastics and rubber products .............................. 18 24 10 16 1,658 2,203 886 1,390 

 Nonmetallic mineral products ............................. 12 6 5 13 874 463 420 1,193 

 Primary metals ................................................... 24 23 24 29 3,687 1,988 2,011 3,444 

 Fabricated metal products .................................. 21 32 5 23 1,722 2,806 826 2,093 

 Machinery ........................................................... 47 39 21 35 8,309 6,606 2,073 7,212 

 Computer and electronic products ..................... 63 34 26 26 6,923 2,675 4,820 2,361 

 Electrical equipment and appliances .................. 25 21 9 11 4,879 2,564 1,142 2,493 

 Transportation equipment .................................. 49 50 31 55 6,856 9,476 4,825 10,229 

 Furniture and related products ........................... 14 21 11 15 1,749 2,513 1,254 1,995 

 Miscellaneous manufacturing ............................. 15 11 10 11 1,185 1,351 662 883 

 Wholesale trade ..................................................... 23 18 22 22 1,948 1,322 1,808 1,760 

 Retail trade ............................................................. 112 99 69 115 15,506 9,980 5,789 21,870 

 Transportation and warehousing ............................ 41 86 20 37 5,022 9,025 1,723 3,003 

 Information ............................................................. 53 51 26 52 9,019 9,114 5,791 7,755 

 Finance and insurance ........................................... 25 41 35 35 2,123 3,113 2,371 2,541 

 Real estate and rental and leasing ......................... ( 2 ) 4 5 12 ( 2 ) 349 382 718 

 Professional and technical services ....................... 42 41 29 30 3,525 3,775 3,730 2,447 

 Management of companies and enterprises .......... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Administrative and waste services ......................... 224 168 109 233 26,896 16,242 9,606 21,380 

 Educational services............................................... – 7 8 ( 2 ) – 592 634 ( 2 )

 Health care and social assistance .......................... 28 32 13 37 1,902 2,427 945 2,407 

 Arts, entertainment, and recreation ........................ 17 19 19 28 1,263 1,386 1,237 2,039 

 Accommodation and food services ........................ 58 45 37 62 5,057 3,228 2,623 5,176 

 Other services, except public administration........... 14 22 3 7 908 2,234 183 459 

 Unclassified ........................................................... 5 4 1 5 369 259 50 343 

Government ................................................................ 49 57 69 70 5,728 7,573 6,351 7,527 

 Federal ................................................................... 9 10 13 20 815 1,287 1,910 1,649 

 State ....................................................................... 14 16 14 16 1,991 1,766 1,417 1,383 

 Local ....................................................................... 26 31 42 34 2,922 4,520 3,024 4,495 

 1 Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia. NOTE: Industry data reflect the North American Industry

 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. Classification System (NAICS), 2002. Dash represents zero.

 p

 = preliminary.
Table 3. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division

Census region and division

Mass layoff events Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance

October August September October October August September October

2002 2003 2003p 2003p 2002 2003 2003p 2003p

 United States1 .................................................... 1,497 1,258 868 1,523 171,100 133,839 82,647 158,240 

Northeast .................................................................... 181 220 107 184 20,961 21,272 12,115 17,061 

 New England .......................................................... 38 25 19 16 4,694 2,151 4,559 1,157 

 Middle Atlantic ........................................................ 143 195 88 168 16,267 19,121 7,556 15,904 

South .......................................................................... 304 330 196 278 35,515 34,673 19,287 29,371 

 South Atlantic ......................................................... 159 164 96 134 17,819 18,195 8,698 13,270 

 East South Central ................................................. 48 68 31 44 6,198 8,033 4,144 5,310 

 West South Central ................................................ 97 98 69 100 11,498 8,445 6,445 10,791 

Midwest ...................................................................... 293 239 165 325 37,561 30,872 16,868 43,432 

 East North Central .................................................. 238 199 125 264 30,761 25,707 12,646 27,841 

 West North Central ................................................. 55 40 40 61 6,800 5,165 4,222 15,591 

West ........................................................................... 719 469 400 736 77,063 47,022 34,377 68,376 

 Mountain ................................................................. 52 42 30 47 4,669 4,080 2,568 4,038 

 Pacific ..................................................................... 667 427 370 689 72,394 42,942 31,809 64,338 

 1

 See footnote 1, table 2. Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: p

 = preliminary. Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas, NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, 

the census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,

Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, 

Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington

 
Table 4. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance

State Mass layoff events Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance

October August September October October August September October

2002 2003 2003p 2003p 2002 2003 2003p 2003p

 Total1 ....................................................................... 1,497 1,258 868 1,523 171,100 133,839 82,647 158,240 

Alabama ..................................................................... 17 24 8 13 2,833 3,740 1,164 1,671 

Alaska ......................................................................... 4 ( 2 ) 3 3 301 ( 2 ) 185 295 

Arizona ....................................................................... 16 10 4 8 1,169 703 423 700 

Arkansas .................................................................... 10 ( 2 ) 3 6 1,117 ( 2 ) 268 1,140 

California .................................................................... 612 383 345 616 65,044 37,814 29,429 57,322 

Colorado ..................................................................... 13 ( 2 ) 6 8 1,142 ( 2 ) 439 581 

Connecticut ................................................................ 5 3 4 3 516 237 291 200 

Delaware .................................................................... ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 598 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

District of Columbia .................................................... – ( 2 ) ––– ( 2 ) – –

Florida ........................................................................ 70 80 43 66 4,604 5,554 2,555 4,608 

Georgia ....................................................................... 35 20 19 23 3,219 2,077 2,130 2,838 

Hawaii ......................................................................... 10 ( 2 ) 3 6 800 ( 2 ) 196 462 

Idaho .......................................................................... 5 11 6 10 708 1,500 463 1,203 

Illinois ......................................................................... 57 50 41 74 8,676 7,996 4,510 7,890 

Indiana ........................................................................ 22 29 13 22 3,629 3,478 983 2,118 

Iowa ............................................................................ 12 10 9 18 2,339 1,650 1,108 3,680 

Kansas ....................................................................... 8 6 6 6 768 775 547 738 

Kentucky ..................................................................... 21 21 16 23 2,479 2,377 2,259 3,136 

Louisiana .................................................................... 12 17 4 12 954 1,215 231 1,045 

Maine .......................................................................... 4 ( 2 ) – 3 680 ( 2 ) – 180 

Maryland ..................................................................... 10 5 ( 2 ) 4 1,263 422 ( 2 ) 256 

Massachusetts ........................................................... 21 15 10 9 2,318 1,388 1,047 713 

Michigan ..................................................................... 39 11 18 42 4,111 2,369 1,861 4,263 

Minnesota ................................................................... 17 6 7 17 2,000 505 511 2,845 

Mississippi .................................................................. 5 8 ( 2 ) 4 429 571 ( 2 ) 200 

Missouri ...................................................................... 16 15 13 18 1,238 1,521 1,307 8,165 

Montana ..................................................................... 3 4 ( 2

 ) 5 327 599 ( 2 ) 360 

Nebraska .................................................................... ( 2 ) – 5 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – 749 ( 2 )

Nevada ....................................................................... 11 11 12 10 1,043 915 879 835 

New Hampshire .......................................................... 5 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 543 195 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

New Jersey ................................................................. 23 33 8 27 2,561 2,708 691 2,906 

New Mexico ................................................................ ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 127 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

New York .................................................................... 41 94 38 44 5,226 10,633 3,384 3,855 

North Carolina ............................................................ 12 32 11 19 1,494 6,680 897 2,039 

North Dakota .............................................................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – –

Ohio ............................................................................ 58 54 29 66 7,178 6,389 2,979 7,316 

Oklahoma ................................................................... 5 6 5 12 957 603 359 1,614 

Oregon ....................................................................... 20 27 5 39 3,123 2,447 375 3,784 

Pennsylvania .............................................................. 79 68 42 97 8,480 5,780 3,481 9,143 

Rhode Island .............................................................. ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

South Carolina ............................................................ 19 10 5 7 4,555 870 1,548 706 

South Dakota .............................................................. – ( 2 ) ––– ( 2 ) – –

Tennessee .................................................................. 5 15 5 4 457 1,345 608 303 

Texas .......................................................................... 70 74 57 70 8,470 6,571 5,587 6,992 

Utah ............................................................................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 )

Vermont ...................................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

Virginia ....................................................................... 8 13 14 14 619 1,887 1,321 1,376 

Washington ................................................................ 21 14 14 25 3,126 1,714 1,624 2,475 

West Virginia .............................................................. 3 – ( 2 ) – 468 – ( 2 ) –

Wisconsin ................................................................... 62 55 24 60 7,167 5,475 2,313 6,254 

Wyoming .................................................................... ( 2 ) – – 3 ( 2 ) – – 216 

Puerto Rico ................................................................. 4 10 7 7 402 1,035 573 567 

 1 See footnote 1, table 2. p = preliminary.

2

 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. NOTE: Dash represents zero.