1

Technical information: (202) 691-6392

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 03-506

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Thursday, September 25, 2003

MASS LAYOFFS IN AUGUST 2003

Employers initiated 1,258 mass layoff actions in August 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 133,839. (See table 1.) Compared with August 2002, both the number

of layoff events and the number of initial claims increased, marking the first over-the-year increase in masslayoff initial claims since May 2002. From January through August 2003, the total number of events, at

13,205, was higher than for the same period a year ago, while the number of initial claims, at 1,316,863,

was lower.

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

Temporary help services, with 9,787 claims, accounted for over 7 percent of all initial claims in August.

(See table A.) Five of the 10 industries reporting the highest number of mass-layoff initial claims recorded

their peak level for August this year.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 32 percent of all mass layoff events and 39 percent of all initial

claims filed in August, little changed from a year ago (34 and 38 percent, respectively). Within manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in transportation equipment (9,476, mainly automotive-related),

followed by textile mills (7,154), machinery (6,606), and food manufacturing (5,803). (See table 2.)

The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 13 percent of events and 12 percent of initial

claims filed in August, with layoffs mostly in temporary help services. Retail trade accounted for 8 percent of

events and 7 percent of initial claims during the month, mainly in general merchandise stores. Four percent of

the events and 7 percent of the initial claims were from the information sector, largely from motion picture

and sound recording. Transportation and warehousing accounted for 7 percent of all layoff events and initial

claims filed during August, primarily from school and employee bus transportation. Layoffs in construction

 http://www.bls.gov/mls/
2

Table A. Industries with largest mass layoff initial claims in August 2003p

Industry

Initial claims

August peak

Year

Initial claims

Temporary help services........................................ 9,787 1999 11,533

Motion picture and video production..................... 6,812 2003 6,812

School and employee bus transportation................ 6,538 2003 6,538

Broadwoven fabric mills ........................................ 5,803 2003 5,803

Automobile manufacturing...................................... 3,216 2001 8,166

Professional employer organizations ....................... 2,303 2002 2,855

Discount department stores ................................... 2,193 2002 2,271

Elementary and secondary schools ........................ 2,020 2003 2,020

Department stores, except discount ....................... 1,844 1996 2,151

Farm machinery and equipment ............................. 1,661 2003 1,661

p=preliminary.

accounted for an additional 9 percent of events and 6 percent of initial claims, mostly from specialty trade

contractors.

Government establishments accounted for 5 percent of events and 6 percent of initial claims filed during

the month, particularly in local executive, legislative, and general government agencies. The 7,573 initial

claims in this sector were the most for any August since the program began in 1995.

Compared with August 2002, the largest increases in initial claims were reported in textile mills (+5,977)

and motion picture and sound recording (+5,409). The largest over-the-year decrease in initial claims was

reported in computer and electronic products (-3,527).

Geographic Distribution

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

in the West, 47,022. (See table 3.) Administrative and support services and motion picture and sound

recording accounted for 35 percent of all initial claims in that region during the month. The South followed,

with 34,673 initial claims, then the Midwest, with 30,872, and the Northeast, with 21,272.

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

largest increase in the West (+3,877). The Northeast had the only over-the-year decrease (-3,906). Five

of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year increases in the number of initial claims associated with

mass layoffs, with the largest increases in the East North Central (+4,499) and East South Central (+4,459).

The West South Central division had the largest decrease (-5,861).

California recorded the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events this August, 37,814,

mostly in administrative and support services and in motion picture and sound recording. New York

reported 10,633 initial claims, followed by Illinois (7,996), North Carolina (6,680), Texas (6,571), and

Ohio (6,389). These six states accounted for 55 percent of all layoff events and 57 percent of initial claims

for unemployment insurance. (See table 4.)
3

North Carolina reported the largest over-the-year increase in the number of initial claims (+3,576),

followed by California (+3,224) and Alabama (+3,049). The largest over-the-year decrease occurred in

Texas (-5,089).

From January through August, California reported 322,669 initial claims, 25 percent of the national total.

The states with the next highest numbers of initial claims were Pennsylvania (80,979), Ohio (75,412), New

York (71,248), and Texas (65,529).

______________________________

The report on Mass Layoffs in September 2003 is schedule to be released on Thursday, October 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, July 2001 to August 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

July ............................................................................. 2,117 273,807 

August ........................................................................ 1,490 166,148 

September .................................................................. 1,327 160,402 

Third Quarter .............................................................. 4,934 600,357 1,815 371,541 36.8 61.9 

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 1,383 284,511 31.8 57.1 

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

November ................................................................... r

2,153 r240,171

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

Fourth Quarter ............................................................ r6,124 r675,429 2,257 421,025 36.9 62.3 

2003

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

February ..................................................................... 1,363 r

124,965

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

First Quarter ............................................................... 4,885 r463,421 1,700 329,153 34.8 71.0 

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

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

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

Second Quarter .......................................................... 4,975 493,168 2,p 1,894 2,p 285,884 p38.1 p58.0

July p

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

August p

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

 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

August June July August August June July August

2002 2003 2003p2003p2002 2003 2003p2003p

 Total1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,248 1,691 2,087 1,258 128,103 157,552 226,435 133,839 

Total, private ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,190 1,397 1,932 1,201 122,129 132,185 215,170 126,266 

 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 61 117 38 2,255 4,442 8,269 2,135 

 Mining ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 4 7 4 701 591 505 283 

 Utilities ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 3 – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 315 – ( 2 ) 

 Construction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 98 95 88 114 8,241 6,238 5,970 7,862 

 Manufacturing..................................................................................................................................................................... 427 389 946 405 48,668 40,845 136,410 52,620 

 Food ..................................................................................................................................................................... 47 59 74 42 5,150 5,829 6,460 5,803 

 Beverage and tobacco products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 ( 2

 ) 8 ( 2 ) 405 ( 2 ) 614 ( 2 ) 

 Textile mills ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 18 27 21 1,177 1,970 2,828 7,154 

 Textile product mills ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 10 12 8 ( 2 ) 1,581 1,048 739 

 Apparel ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 19 36 25 3,127 1,584 3,093 2,255 

 Leather and allied products ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 6 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 692 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

 Wood products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 9 31 21 1,198 711 3,976 1,773 

 Paper ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 9 16 13 741 1,202 1,035 1,083 

 Printing and related support activities ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 14 12 4 558 1,053 723 231 

 Petroleum and coal products ..................................................................................................................................................................... – ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Chemicals ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 9 15 7 ( 2 ) 878 1,332 549 

 Plastics and rubber products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16 19 90 24 1,368 3,233 11,122 2,203 

 Nonmetallic mineral products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 10 30 6 1,334 828 3,954 463 

 Primary metals ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25 29 66 23 2,856 2,226 8,676 1,988 

 Fabricated metal products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33 23 59 32 3,136 1,728 6,235 2,806 

 Machinery ..................................................................................................................................................................... 50 30 65 39 9,197 3,062 8,669 6,606 

 Computer and electronic products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 74 35 60 34 6,202 3,464 5,534 2,675 

 Electrical equipment and appliances ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 13 33 21 3,082 2,088 5,445 2,564 

 Transportation equipment ..................................................................................................................................................................... 50 51 265 50 6,606 6,367 60,173 9,476 

 Furniture and related products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 15 20 21 888 1,363 2,391 2,513 

 Miscellaneous manufacturing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 6 19 11 931 572 1,648 1,351 

 Wholesale trade ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 25 36 18 2,357 1,597 2,776 1,322 

 Retail trade ..................................................................................................................................................................... 112 100 108 99 11,410 9,640 9,065 9,980 

 Transportation and warehousing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 68 135 84 86 8,140 15,035 7,489 9,025 

 Information ..................................................................................................................................................................... 45 54 44 51 4,006 5,954 3,700 9,114 

 Finance and insurance ..................................................................................................................................................................... 26 23 35 41 2,161 1,730 2,569 3,113 

 Real estate and rental and leasing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 7 11 4 647 485 751 349 

 Professional and technical services ..................................................................................................................................................................... 47 36 53 41 6,455 3,357 4,970 3,775 

 Management of companies and enterprises ..................................................................................................................................................................... – 4 4 ( 2

 ) – 725 438 ( 2 ) 

 Administrative and waste services ..................................................................................................................................................................... 179 175 212 168 18,192 15,596 18,427 16,242 

 Educational services.................................................................................................................. ( 2

 ) 12 25 7 ( 2 ) 961 1,714 592 

 Health care and social assistance ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27 123 59 32 1,738 10,226 4,048 2,427 

 Arts, entertainment, and recreation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 25 27 19 1,422 1,383 2,559 1,386 

 Accommodation and food services ..................................................................................................................................................................... 38 83 50 45 2,702 9,975 3,764 3,228 

 Other services, except public administration..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 41 19 22 1,745 2,937 1,115 2,234 

 Unclassified ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 2 7 4 737 153 631 259 

Government ..................................................................................................................................................................... 58 294 155 57 5,974 25,367 11,265 7,573 

 Federal ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15 9 10 10 2,056 841 899 1,287 

 State ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 22 24 16 1,596 1,699 1,527 1,766 

 Local ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31 263 121 31 2,322 22,827 8,839 4,520 

 

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

August June July August August June July August

2002 2003 2003p2003p2002 2003 2003p2003p

 United States1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,248 1,691 2,087 1,258 128,103 157,552 226,435 133,839 

Northeast ..................................................................................................................................................................... 195 275 336 220 25,178 29,032 30,187 21,272 

 New England ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27 55 69 25 3,897 5,732 6,148 2,151 

 Middle Atlantic ..................................................................................................................................................................... 168 220 267 195 21,281 23,300 24,039 19,121 

South ..................................................................................................................................................................... 308 461 440 330 31,764 41,019 48,895 34,673 

 South Atlantic ..................................................................................................................................................................... 159 243 200 164 13,884 18,913 22,033 18,195 

 East South Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 30 78 128 68 3,574 9,495 14,232 8,033 

 West South Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 119 140 112 98 14,306 12,611 12,630 8,445 

Midwest ..................................................................................................................................................................... 251 310 697 239 28,016 33,819 101,533 30,872 

 East North Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 186 238 589 199 21,208 24,398 79,361 25,707 

 West North Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 65 72 108 40 6,808 9,421 22,172 5,165 

West ..................................................................................................................................................................... 494 645 614 469 43,145 53,682 45,820 47,022 

 Mountain ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 68 53 42 3,956 5,827 4,179 4,080 

 Pacific ..................................................................................................................................................................... 455 577 561 427 39,189 47,855 41,641 42,942 

 

 

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

August June July August August June July August

2002 2003 2003p2003p2002 2003 2003p2003p

 Total1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,248 1,691 2,087 1,258 128,103 157,552 226,435 133,839 

Alabama ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 21 45 24 691 3,882 5,466 3,740 

Alaska ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 4 – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 439 – ( 2 ) 

Arizona ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 17 20 10 485 1,282 1,634 703 

Arkansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 9 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 653 621 ( 2 ) 

California ..................................................................................................................................................................... 415 526 517 383 34,590 42,918 37,033 37,814 

Colorado ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 11 7 ( 2

 ) 573 884 478 ( 2 ) 

Connecticut ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 9 12 3 588 1,296 833 237 

Delaware ..................................................................................................................................................................... – 4 3 3 – 266 1,430 598 

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

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

Florida ..................................................................................................................................................................... 72 117 76 80 5,154 8,488 5,356 5,554 

Georgia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 43 53 20 1,734 3,641 7,835 2,077 

Hawaii ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 7 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 525 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

Idaho ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 8 9 11 1,708 629 957 1,500 

Illinois ..................................................................................................................................................................... 51 44 85 50 6,185 4,231 11,117 7,996 

Indiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 36 86 29 2,954 3,912 18,688 3,478 

Iowa ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 10 24 10 939 1,186 4,674 1,650 

Kansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 11 14 6 1,378 2,198 1,800 775 

Kentucky ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14 28 57 21 2,032 3,087 7,110 2,377 

Louisiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 19 28 20 17 1,513 2,308 2,299 1,215 

Maine ..................................................................................................................................................................... – 6 3 ( 2

 ) – 388 178 ( 2 ) 

Maryland ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 11 16 5 898 950 1,149 422 

Massachusetts ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 32 43 15 2,132 3,230 3,947 1,388 

Michigan ..................................................................................................................................................................... 26 39 190 11 2,535 3,541 21,647 2,369 

Minnesota ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 20 18 6 1,243 1,898 2,127 505 

Mississippi ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 7 8 8 176 547 460 571 

Missouri ..................................................................................................................................................................... 28 25 40 15 2,884 3,730 12,137 1,521 

Montana ..................................................................................................................................................................... – 8 3 4 – 528 172 599 

Nebraska ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 4 9 – 287 267 1,231 –

Nevada ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 14 10 11 891 1,597 694 915 

New Hampshire ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 ( 2

 ) 8 3 618 ( 2 ) 944 195 

New Jersey ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33 69 59 33 3,371 9,441 5,354 2,708 

New Mexico ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 6 ( 2

 ) 3 190 605 ( 2 ) 127 

New York ..................................................................................................................................................................... 86 46 92 94 11,213 4,194 8,253 10,633 

North Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27 24 11 32 3,104 1,918 1,298 6,680 

North Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

Ohio ..................................................................................................................................................................... 47 72 133 54 5,602 8,361 17,086 6,389 

Oklahoma ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 13 9 6 1,008 1,188 1,947 603 

Oregon ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 20 24 27 2,603 2,022 2,891 2,447 

Pennsylvania ..................................................................................................................................................................... 49 105 116 68 6,697 9,665 10,432 5,780 

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

 ) ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 246 ( 2 ) 

South Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... 19 12 17 10 1,238 1,039 1,815 870 

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

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

Tennessee ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 22 18 15 675 1,979 1,196 1,345 

Texas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 93 90 75 74 11,660 8,462 7,763 6,571 

Utah ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 302 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

Vermont ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) 

Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15 27 21 13 1,693 2,189 2,981 1,887 

Washington ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14 20 18 14 1,856 1,951 1,579 1,714 

West Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

Wisconsin ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 47 95 55 3,932 4,353 10,823 5,475 

Wyoming ..................................................................................................................................................................... – – – – – – – –

Puerto Rico ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 8 13 10 772 702 1,116 1,035 

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

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