Technical information: (202) 691-6392

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 03-438

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2003

In the second quarter of 2003, 1,894 mass layoff actions were taken by employers that resulted in the

separation of 372,426 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary figures released

by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both the total number of layoff events and

the number of separations were lower than in April-June 2002 and were the lowest for a second quarter

since 2000. (See table A.) The decline from second quarter 2002 was most notable in professional and

technical services, agriculture and forestry support activities, and crop production.

Through the first half of 2003, the number of worker separations, at 705,686, and the number of layoff

events, at 3,594, were lower than the same period a year ago. Additional information on the first half of

2003 is provided in the review of 2003 section, beginning on page 6.

The completion of seasonal work accounted for 30 percent of all events and 130,991 separations during

the period. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring represented 20 percent of events, and resulted in

82,516 separations, both somewhat lower than a year earlier. Permanent closure of worksites occurred in

14 percent of all events and affected 59,990 workers. A year earlier, such closures occurred in 15 percent

of all events and affected 71,229 workers. Forty-seven percent of employers with layoffs in the second

quarter indicated that they anticipated some type of recall, lower than a year ago (53 percent).

Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs

Extended mass layoff separations occurred in 459 of the 1,197 detailed industries for which data are

available. Manufacturing industries accounted for 30 percent of private-sector layoff events and 28 percent

of separations during April-June 2003. The 92,266 worker separations were lower than second quarter

2002. Layoff activity in this sector was concentrated in food manufacturing (16,751, largely in the highly

seasonal fruit and vegetable canning industry), followed by transportation equipment (15,639, mainly in aircraft and in automobile manufacturing) and computer and electronic product manufacturing (10,409, mostly

in semiconductors and related devices). (See table 1.)

Transportation and warehousing accounted for 9 percent of private-sector layoff events and 10 percent

of separations, with the layoff activity concentrated in school and employee bus transportation. Layoffs in

accommodation and food services comprised 6 percent of events and 8 percent of separations, mostly

among food service contractors. Cutbacks in administrative and waste services accounted for 9 percent of

events and 7 percent of separations, mainly in temporary help services. The retail trade sector accounted for

an additional 6 percent of events and 7 percent of separations during the quarter, primarily from general

merchandise stores.
2

 1999

January-March ........... 1,509 277,780 252,122

April-June .................. 1,444 294,968 242,464

July-September .......... 1,097 241,725 189,973

October-December .... 1,625 334,794 287,685

 2000

January-March ........... 1,330 254,646 221,368

April-June .................. 1,271 258,608 231,471

July-September .......... 1,014 230,103 189,250

October-December .... 2,005 427,070 376,611

 2001

January-March ........... 1,765 342,954 340,210

April-June .................. 2,072 481,886 401,269

July-September .......... 1,815 384,403 371,541

October-December .... 2,697 542,125 502,502

 2002

January-March ........... 1,750 334,017 316,489

April-June .................. 1,905 432,869 353,017

July-September .......... 1,383 310,351 284,511

October-December ... 2,257 469,424 421,025

 2003

January-March .......... 1,700 333,260 329,153

April-June .................. 1,894 372,426 285,884

Table A. Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity

 p=preliminary. r=revised.

r

Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants

r

r

r

 p

r

r

r

r

Layoffs in government establishments accounted for 9 percent of all events and 12 percent of separations, matching the highest share of separations since the program began in second quarter 1995. Layoffs

in the government sector were primarily concentrated in educational services, as the school year ended.

Reasons for Extended Layoff

Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 30 percent of the extended layoff

events and resulted in 130,991 separations in the second quarter. (See table 2.) Seasonal layoffs were

most numerous among workers in educational services (largely among elementary and secondary schools)

and transit and ground passenger transportation (mostly in school and employee bus transportation).

Internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) accounted for 20 percent of layoff events and resulted in 82,516 separations. These layoffs were

mostly among workers in general merchandise stores, in educational services, and in air transportation.

Lack of demand for products and services (slack work) accounted for 13 percent of events and resulted

in 36,844 separations during the second quarter, mostly in transportation equipment manufacturing.
3

Table B. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from

extended layoff, second quarter 2002-second quarter 2003

 Anticipate a recall ..... 53.0 36.4 55.8 38.4 47.0

 Timeframe

 Within 6 months ........ 82.2 77.5 78.8 74.5 85.0

 Within 3 months...... 57.7 51.3 32.6 45.6 57.1

 Size

 At least half................ 91.4 82.5 86.7 80.1 86.3

 All workers............. 43.0 32.6 37.3 29.4 47.5

 Percentage of events

 p=preliminary. r=revised.

Nature of the recall II

2002

III

2002

IV

2002

I

2003

II

2003 r r r r p

Recall Expectations

Forty-seven percent of employers reporting an extended layoff in the second quarter of 2003 indicated

they anticipated some type of recall. This compares with 53 percent of the employers anticipating a recall a

year earlier. (See table B.) Most of the employers not expecting a recall were in administrative and support

services, transportation equipment manufacturing, and general merchandise stores.

Among establishments expecting a recall, most employers expected to recall over one-half of the

separated employees and to do so within 6 months. Forty-seven percent of the employers expected to

extend the offer to all laid-off workers, the highest proportion for a second quarter since 2000.

Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period (in which 95 percent of the employers

expected a recall), employers expected to recall laid-off workers in 22 percent of the events. In layoff

events due to internal company restructuring, employers anticipated a recall in only 8 percent of the events.

Size of Extended Layoff

Layoff events during the second quarter continued to be concentrated at the lower end of the extended

layoff-size spectrum, with 62 percent involving fewer than 150 workers. These events, however, accounted

for only 28 percent of all separations. (See table C.) Separations involving 500 or more workers accounted

for 34 percent of all separations, down from 40 percent a year earlier. The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per layoff event) differed widely by industry, ranging from a low of 91 separations in

warehousing and storage to a high of 629 in motion pictures and sound recording industries.

Initial Claimant Characteristics

A total of 285,884 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with extended mass

layoffs in the second quarter of 2003. Of these claimants, 17 percent were black, 51 percent were women,

15 percent were Hispanic, and 17 percent were 55 years of age or older. (See table 3.) Thirty-eight
4

 Layoff events

 Number Percent Number

Size

 Total........... 1,894 100.0 372,426 100.0

50-99............... 731 38.6 51,200 13.7

100-149........... 441 23.3 51,825 13.9

150-199........... 204 10.8 34,368 9.2

200-299........... 232 12.2 54,121 14.5

300-499........... 153 8.1 54,796 14.7

500-999........... 89 4.7 54,668 15.5

1,000 or more... 44 2.3 68,448 18.4

Table C. Distribution of extended layoff events by size of layoff,

 April-June 2003

p=preliminary.

 Percent

 Separations

p

percent of claimants were 30 to 44 years of age. Among the civilian labor force for the same period, 11

percent were black, 47 percent were women, 13 percent were Hispanic, and 15 percent were 55 years

of age or older. Thirty-seven percent of the civilian labor force were ages 30 to 44.

Geographic Distribution

In the second quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass layoff events was highest in the

West (120,407), followed by the Midwest (100,300), the South (83,867), and the Northeast (67,852).

(See table 4.) Extended mass layoffs in the West were mainly in amusement, gambling, and recreation and

in agricultural and forestry support activities.

Three of the four regions reported over-the-year decreases in separations, with the largest decrease occurring in the West (-36,489), followed by the South (-21,435). The Midwest had the only over-the-year

increase (+1,161). Eight of the nine geographic divisions reported over-the-year declines in laid-off workers,

with the largest declines in the Mountain (-30,740) and South Atlantic (-11,134) divisions. Separations rose

in the East North Central (+7,394) division.

Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of worker separations occurred in

California (78,086), followed by Illinois (37,522). These two states accounted for 29 percent of total layoff

events and 31 percent of the separations during the second quarter of 2003. They were followed by Indiana

(20,213), Florida (20,103), New York (16,949), Massachusetts (15,462), and Pennsylvania (14,429). (See

table 5.) After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work, California still reported the most laid-off

workers (60,324), largely due to layoffs in motion picture and sound recording industries, educational services, and computer and electronic product manufacturing.

Over the year, Arizona reported the greatest decrease in laid-off workers (-20,143), followed by

Florida (-17,195) and Colorado (-13,480). The largest increase occurred in Indiana (+8,153) and

Georgia (+7,106).
5

Northeast ................... 88.6 99.9 11.3

South ......................... 71.8 64.7 -7.1

Midwest ..................... 91.4 98.7 7.3

West .......................... 167.1 160.1 -7.0

Table D. Index of mass layoff activity, second quarter 2002-second quarter 2003

Region Second quarter

2002

Second quarter

2003

 Over-the-year

change

Relative Impacts of Mass Layoffs

The index of mass layoff activity describes the geographic areas share of national mass layoffs relative to

the geographic area’s share of national employment in establishments with at least 50 workers. This allows

for state comparisons that account for differences in each state’s share of employment. An index at or near

100.0 indicates the state’s share of mass layoffs is in line with its share of employment. An index below

100.0 indicates the state has relatively few layoffs, and, conversely an index over 100.0 indicates a state with

a relatively high level of layoffs. (See table 6.) A separate index is calculated that excludes the impact of

seasonal work and vacation periods from the separation data. (See table 7.)

Among the four regions, the West, with an index of 160.1 in the second quarter, recorded the highest

concentration of mass layoffs relative to the region’s employment, due in part to the impact of the seasonal

agriculture sector. (See table D.) With indices of 99.9 in the Northeast and 98.7 in the Midwest, layoff

experiences there were closely in line with each region’s share of employment. In the South, the relative

infrequency of layoffs was represented by an index of 64.7.

Over the year, the South and West regions recorded declines of -7.1 and -7.0 points, respectively, while

the Northeast and Midwest reported increases of 11.3 and 7.3 points, respectively. The latter increases

brought both regions close to 100.0, the level at which layoffs are in proportion to employment.

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific posted the highest index for the quarter, 180.7, primarily

due to layoff activity in motion picture and sound recording industries, food manufacturing, and agriculture and

forestry support activities. The next highest indexes were reported in New England, 125.9, and East North

Central, 114.8. The East South Central division had the lowest index, 44.4, followed by the West North

Central, 58.3, and the West South Central, 65.0.

Among the 49 states and the District of Columbia which reported extended mass layoffs during second

quarter 2003, 32 states and the District of Columbia reported indexes below 100.0, indicating a relatively

small share of layoffs. (See table 6.) Of the 17 states with indexes above 100.0, Montana had the highest

index of 309.8—due to the impacts of seasonal work in accommodation and food services and in health care

and social assistance. (See chart 1.) However, the total number of private sector separations

in Montana was lower than most other states. Relative concentrations of layoffs were also high in Maine

(217.9), Alaska (203.7), and Illinois (201.7). The District of Columbia, at 3.4, had the lowest relative

concentration of mass layoffs followed by Delaware, 4.4, New Hampshire, 10.8, and Iowa, 14.6.

After the exclusion of vacation periods and seasonal work, the Pacific division also recorded the highest

index, 185.0, reflecting a concentration of layoffs in manufacturing and information. (See chart 2.)

p=preliminary.

p
6

 p=preliminary. r=revised.

r

 p

r

1996 .......................... 2,760 534,108 424,425

1997 .......................... 2,904 606,425 516,853

1998 .......................... 2,883 599,543 649,591

1999 .......................... 2,953 572,748 494,586

2000 .......................... 2,601 513,254 452,839

2001 .......................... 3,837 824,840 741,479

2002 .......................... 3,655 766,886 669,506

2003 .......................... 3,594 705,686 615,037

Table E. Selected measures of mass layoff activity, first half 1996-2003

Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants

At the state level, Oklahoma reported the highest index, excluding seasonal and vacation period events,

(248.3) for second quarter 2003, followed by California (198.4) and Washington (193.2). The lowest

indexes occurred in Iowa (4.8), the District of Columbia (5.4), New Hampshire (6.8), and Delaware (6.9).

(See table 7 and chart 2.)

Review of First Half of 2003

During the first half of 2003, employers reported 3,594 extended mass layoff actions, affecting 705,686

workers, the lowest January-June totals since the first half of 2000. (See table E.)

In the private sector, manufacturing had the largest share of extended events and separations. Manufacturing accounted for 32 percent of all mass layoff events and 29 percent of all separations—about the

same shares as a year earlier. Within manufacturing, separations were most numerous in food manufacturing

(29,386, mainly in fruit and vegetable processing), transportation equipment (28,110, largely in aircraft and

automobile manufacturing), and computer and electronic equipment (27,789 mostly in semiconductors and

related device manufacturing). Compared with the first half of 2002, 9 of the 21 manufacturing subgroups

had declines in the number of separations, with the largest reported among employers in computer and electronic products (-15,918), followed by those in apparel (-7,032) and printing and related support actives

(-3,306). Wood product manufacturing had the largest increase (+3,193).

In the first half of 2003, seasonal work continued to be the most cited reason for layoff, accounting for

27 percent of all layoff events and 30 percent of all separations. A year earlier, seasonal layoffs accounted

for 28 percent of events and 32 percent of separations. Seasonal layoffs in 2003 were primarily in establishments engaged in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, in manufacturing, and in transportation and

warehousing.

Layoff activity due to internal company restructuring occurred largely among general merchandise

stores and was at levels below those of the first half of 2002. Employers cited this reason in 778 events

(22 percent of the total), resulting in the separation of 181,460 workers (26 percent of the total).

The West reported more laid-off workers in January-June 2003 than any other region, 238,588. Layoffs in the West were mainly in food production (agriculture and forestry support activities, crop production,

and food manufacturing) and were primarily attributed to seasonal factors. The Northeast region reported

the lowest number of separations, 126,656. Compared with the first half of 2002, two of the four geo-
7

graphic regions reported a decrease in laid-off workers, led by the West (-38,115). The Midwest reported

the highest over-the-year increase in separations (+4,079).

Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California reported the largest number of separated

workers (163,345), largely due to seasonal layoffs in agriculture. After California were: Illinois (66,707),

Florida (46,707), New York (44,470), and Texas (32,519). These five states accounted for 47 percent of

events and 50 percent of separations for the six-month period. Arizona had the largest over-the-year decline

in the number of separations (-19,372); New York recorded the largest over-the-year increase (+22,408).

Note

The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs cover layoffs of at least 31-days duration that involve 50

or more individuals from a single establishment filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a consecutive 5-week period. Approximately 30 days after a mass layoff is triggered at an establishment, the

employer is contacted for additional information. Data for the second quarter are preliminary and subject

to revision. This release also includes revised data for previous quarters. Data are not seasonally adjusted,

but survey data suggest that there is a seasonal pattern to layoffs. Thus, comparisons between consecutive

quarters should not be used as an indicator of trend.

The index of mass layoff activity is calculated as the area’s share, or ratio, of the total number of private

sector separations in the U.S. divided by the same area’s share of U.S. total private sector employment in

establishments that employ at least 50 workers. It facilitates relative area-to-area comparisons by discounting the absolute size of the area. Areas with indexes of more than 100.0 account for a larger share of layoffs relative to their share of larger establishment employment.

For additional information about the program, see the Technical Note.

______________________________

The report on Mass Layoffs in July 2003 will be issued on Thursday, August 28, 2003.
Technical Note

The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federalstate program which 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. Establishments which have at least 50 initial claims

filed against them during a consecutive 5-week period are

contacted by the state agency to determine whether these

separations are of at least 31 days duration, and, if so, information is obtained on the total number of persons separated

and the reasons for these separations. Establishments are

identified according to industry classification and location,

and unemployment insurance claimants are identified by such

demographic factors as age, race, sex, ethnic group, and place

of residence. The program yields information on an individual’s

entire spell of unemployment, to the point when regular

unemployment insurance benefits are exhausted.

The MLS program was resumed in April 1995; it had been

terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding. However,

due to changes in concepts and definitions, data from the

resumed program are not comparable to earlier data.

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

Establishment. A unit at a single physical location

at which predominantly one type of economic activity is

conducted.

Extended layoff event. Fifty or more initial claims for

unemployment insurance benefits from an establishment during

a 5-week period, with at least 50 workers separated for more

than 30 days.

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.

Layoff. The separation of persons from an employer as

part of a mass layoff event. (See below.) Such layoffs involve

both persons subject to recall and those who are terminated by

the establishment.

Mass layoff. Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits from an establishment beginning in a

given month, regardless of duration.

Worksite closure. The full closure of either multi-unit

or single-unit establishments or the partial closure of a multiunit establishment where entire worksites affected by layoffs

are closed or planned to be closed.
Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment

insurance, selected quarters, 2002 and 2003

Industry

II I II II I II II I II

 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 

 Total1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,905 1,700 1,894 432,869 333,260 372,426 353,017 329,153 285,884 

Total, private ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,766 1,648 1,726 384,319 321,471 328,087 322,965 317,009 261,155 

 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ..................................................................................................................................................................... 142 146 82 39,713 35,740 16,297 23,367 24,047 9,407 

 Mining ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14 17 9 2,740 2,255 2,580 2,423 2,716 2,484 

 Utilities ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 7 7 1,379 958 824 1,259 797 873 

 Construction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 128 221 135 20,172 28,293 18,523 22,876 32,812 17,017 

 Manufacturing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 486 567 511 88,133 93,334 92,266 88,744 102,788 76,447 

 Food ..................................................................................................................................................................... 73 74 89 14,805 12,635 16,751 13,118 13,396 13,580 

 Beverage and tobacco products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 9 4 1,736 1,318 1,082 1,020 1,517 811 

 Textile mills ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 11 23 2,632 1,916 3,651 2,337 2,007 2,737 

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

 ) 5 – ( 2 ) 468 – ( 2 ) 508 

 Apparel ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33 22 29 4,316 4,532 3,346 5,507 4,599 3,028 

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

 ) – 6 ( 2 ) – 683 ( 2 ) – 528 

 Wood products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 31 16 1,269 3,793 2,748 1,889 3,665 3,523 

 Paper ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 13 12 2,876 2,505 1,670 2,183 2,688 1,698 

 Printing and related support activities ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 13 17 2,744 1,307 1,914 2,129 1,395 1,791 

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

 ) ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 457 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 321 

 Chemicals ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15 11 13 2,008 1,923 4,456 1,816 1,606 2,445 

 Plastics and rubber products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 16 13 1,970 1,941 1,531 1,374 1,783 1,528 

 Nonmetallic mineral products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 31 9 1,496 4,883 1,205 1,828 4,901 1,026 

 Primary metals ..................................................................................................................................................................... 29 32 27 4,216 5,438 6,962 5,685 5,026 4,830 

 Fabricated metal products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 19 32 29 2,326 3,588 4,649 2,840 4,041 3,775 

 Machinery ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33 42 33 6,885 6,677 6,825 5,688 8,099 5,286 

 Computer and electronic products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 91 94 67 16,017 17,380 10,409 16,553 18,638 8,489 

 Electrical equipment and appliances ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25 28 15 3,541 4,205 2,051 4,381 4,308 1,777 

 Transportation equipment ..................................................................................................................................................................... 57 57 60 14,936 12,471 15,639 15,969 13,424 13,993 

 Furniture and related products ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15 20 29 2,845 2,196 4,055 2,772 7,489 3,488 

 Miscellaneous manufacturing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 23 12 1,039 3,042 1,714 1,167 2,567 1,285 

 Wholesale trade ..................................................................................................................................................................... 43 36 38 6,372 6,226 5,234 5,583 5,560 4,030 

 Retail trade ..................................................................................................................................................................... 104 142 104 38,319 48,036 22,467 28,374 43,853 17,419 

 Transportation and warehousing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 131 70 148 25,748 21,414 33,518 23,967 20,932 30,640 

 Information ..................................................................................................................................................................... 95 81 69 18,556 16,767 18,522 19,945 15,939 16,552 

 Finance and insurance ..................................................................................................................................................................... 46 54 46 8,817 11,686 8,319 8,068 10,618 5,693 

 Real estate and rental and leasing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 5 5 790 547 761 900 479 611 

 Professional and technical services ..................................................................................................................................................................... 83 40 69 29,579 6,889 14,501 17,828 5,978 10,737 

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

 ) 7 1,017 ( 2 ) 1,463 1,242 ( 2 ) 1,168 

 Administrative and waste services ..................................................................................................................................................................... 143 173 154 27,218 36,461 23,589 31,897 37,982 21,272 

 Educational services ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 ( 2

 ) 9 918 ( 2 ) 1,240 934 ( 2 ) 1,075 

 Health care and social assistance ..................................................................................................................................................................... 130 18 123 16,803 1,802 18,610 14,659 2,062 13,206 

 Arts, entertainment, and recreation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 49 17 48 24,924 4,003 15,946 4,958 2,582 5,168 

 Accommodation and food services ..................................................................................................................................................................... 95 38 110 24,824 5,300 26,231 19,406 6,273 21,137 

 Other services, except public administration ..................................................................................................................................................................... 54 11 49 8,217 1,174 6,706 6,455 994 5,729 

 Unclassified ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1 3 80 55 490 80 86 490 

Government ..................................................................................................................................................................... 139 52 168 48,550 11,789 44,339 30,052 12,144 24,729 

 Federal ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 11 10 5,610 1,572 3,037 6,158 2,024 1,855 

 State ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 19 17 4,489 2,841 9,350 4,518 2,796 2,669 

 Local ..................................................................................................................................................................... 109 22 141 38,451 7,376 31,952 19,376 7,324 20,205 

 

 

 1 For the second quarter of 2003, data on layoffs were reported by employers r = revised.

in 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.

Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance Layoff events
Table 2. Reason for separation: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment 

insurance, selected quarters, 2002 and 2003

Reason for separation

II I II II I II II I II

 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 

 Total, all reasons1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,905 1,700 1,894 432,869 333,260 372,426 353,017 329,153 285,884 

Automation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 ( 2

 ) – 298 ( 2 ) – 570 ( 2 ) –

Bankruptcy ..................................................................................................................................................................... 51 45 61 15,232 23,165 15,016 11,072 18,794 11,004 

Business ownership change ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41 34 27 7,180 10,084 9,483 5,803 5,529 4,165 

Contract cancellation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 38 33 32 5,227 6,086 4,592 5,586 4,543 4,815 

Contract completed ..................................................................................................................................................................... 241 230 236 45,473 38,211 36,844 54,090 50,058 34,289 

Domestic relocation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25 26 22 4,936 3,923 3,580 3,742 3,032 2,413 

Energy-related ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) 

Environment-related ..................................................................................................................................................................... – – ( 2

 ) – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) 

Financial difficulty ..................................................................................................................................................................... 122 125 132 37,267 25,236 29,437 28,034 26,352 19,367 

Import competition ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16 22 32 4,427 6,083 5,660 3,528 4,578 4,262 

Labor dispute ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) 992 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,043 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

Material shortage ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 ( 2

 ) 4 949 ( 2 ) 568 718 ( 2 ) 570 

Model changeover ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 4 – ( 2 ) 2,891 – ( 2 ) 2,191 –

Natural disaster ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) 

Non-natural disaster ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 – ( 2

 ) 399 – ( 2 ) 408 – ( 2 ) 

Overseas relocation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 21 16 4,212 4,389 3,706 2,406 3,164 2,460 

Plant or machine repair ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 6 6 1,526 725 1,011 1,484 864 541 

Product line discontinued ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 15 9 969 3,094 1,454 997 3,584 1,389 

Reorganization within company ..................................................................................................................................................................... 193 193 161 34,015 40,459 28,580 35,600 39,302 22,143 

Seasonal work ..................................................................................................................................................................... 662 407 569 177,194 81,946 130,991 113,209 67,038 85,558 

Slack work ..................................................................................................................................................................... 278 285 246 50,037 39,284 36,430 56,227 50,491 34,409 

Vacation period ..................................................................................................................................................................... 84 5 85 22,753 485 17,225 11,897 697 14,457 

Weather-related ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 15 ( 2

 ) 895 1,447 ( 2 ) 895 1,750 ( 2 ) 

Other ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48 43 43 11,151 7,192 9,789 8,375 9,557 6,901 

Not reported ..................................................................................................................................................................... 46 184 198 6,667 36,891 32,261 6,552 36,014 31,558 

 

1See footnote 1, table 1. r

 = revised.

 

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

 

p

 = preliminary.

Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance Layoff events Separations
Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment

insurance, first and second quarters, 2003

Total Percent of total

State

Layoff events initial

claimants Black Hispanic

origin Women Persons age 55and over

I II I II I II I II I II I II

 2003r 2003p 2003r 2003p 2003r 2003p 2003r 2003p 2003r 2003p 2003r 2003p 

 Total1

 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,700 1,894 329,153 285,884 14.3 16.6 20.1 15.4 40.9 50.9 14.2 17.4 

Alabama ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 13 981 1,293 21.1 37.1 1.5 3.1 26.7 60.3 20.7 16.9 

Alaska ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 9 952 1,126 4.6 3.1 5.6 15.5 36.4 46.5 13.4 17.7 

Arizona ..................................................................................................................................................................... 21 25 4,987 3,905 1.6 2.5 61.2 52.8 33.1 38.9 13.9 13.5 

Arkansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 8 370 703 30.5 49.4 2.2 1.4 42.2 63.0 21.1 12.8 

California ..................................................................................................................................................................... 383 396 69,126 56,180 7.2 9.4 47.9 33.2 42.8 47.6 12.7 12.8 

Colorado ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 20 3,542 2,857 5.8 5.5 19.6 19.6 38.5 53.8 15.3 14.6 

Connecticut ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16 16 2,645 2,472 19.5 11.4 9.6 10.0 58.8 74.6 15.5 17.0 

Delaware ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 26.4 39.1 4.4 2.2 78.0 84.8 14.3 34.8 

District of Columbia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 ( 2

 ) 521 ( 2 ) 34.2 9.6 1.7 – 53.9 60.7 12.1 14.2 

Florida ..................................................................................................................................................................... 135 117 22,844 17,818 20.8 24.8 24.1 29.6 45.8 50.8 17.3 19.1 

Georgia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 42 4,087 7,013 45.6 65.1 11.4 .7 50.9 70.3 15.5 14.6 

Hawaii ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 7 796 584 .6 .7 28.1 17.5 51.4 47.1 20.4 13.2 

Idaho ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 13 1,868 1,561 1.2 .5 5.9 12.6 35.1 49.7 13.3 20.2 

Illinois ..................................................................................................................................................................... 132 153 25,474 27,317 19.6 21.2 12.6 10.7 40.8 51.8 12.4 16.9 

Indiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 42 50 7,579 8,921 7.8 15.9 4.0 3.5 29.7 46.0 16.4 18.6 

Iowa ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 5 2,603 1,365 2.7 .9 1.4 3.7 58.3 56.6 17.4 24.1 

Kansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 10 3,105 1,059 14.8 17.2 3.3 3.2 35.1 49.6 20.8 18.9 

Kentucky ..................................................................................................................................................................... 19 26 2,642 3,335 8.8 7.3 .2 .4 40.6 37.7 14.5 15.4 

Louisiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 35 1,301 3,701 47.3 64.6 3.3 1.4 20.3 69.2 11.0 15.8 

Maine ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 13 1,809 1,301 .3 .7 .2 .1 28.0 45.0 17.4 14.3 

Maryland ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 7 308 1,476 19.2 40.9 4.2 .8 52.6 31.3 33.8 41.2 

Massachusetts ..................................................................................................................................................................... 45 52 6,641 6,410 7.9 7.7 .9 2.7 42.7 59.9 14.8 20.3 

Michigan ..................................................................................................................................................................... 34 68 11,378 10,271 13.0 13.4 2.7 3.3 36.5 45.6 11.2 15.5 

Minnesota ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33 42 4,881 5,899 5.1 7.4 3.1 3.0 31.9 47.4 13.1 15.8 

Mississippi ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 11 831 892 84.5 69.2 .4 .9 67.1 60.5 13.4 9.3 

Missouri ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 26 3,822 3,409 12.1 30.2 .2 .4 54.0 67.6 16.6 23.1 

Montana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 11 421 1,016 .5 .5 1.7 3.6 13.8 53.4 15.2 14.9 

Nebraska ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 7 411 561 1.7 16.2 10.2 4.8 20.7 59.2 15.6 28.0 

Nevada ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 10 ( 2 ) 1,137 7.1 19.3 22.1 14.2 47.3 59.4 17.0 21.2 

New Hampshire ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 ( 2

 ) 483 ( 2 ) 2.1 .7 2.3 .7 46.2 44.5 17.0 21.2 

New Jersey ..................................................................................................................................................................... 46 65 6,277 10,938 21.9 17.5 10.1 11.3 47.5 71.6 20.0 32.3 

New Mexico ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 15 ( 2 ) 1,616 2.3 1.4 69.9 44.9 16.8 53.7 15.0 7.5 

New York ..................................................................................................................................................................... 117 85 24,232 12,178 18.7 13.5 10.9 8.7 45.9 51.2 12.6 18.3 

North Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... 36 49 8,577 6,564 46.9 37.5 3.7 3.7 51.5 53.7 14.9 16.5 

North Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 4 316 434 .3 .9 1.9 1.6 43.4 63.4 18.4 17.3 

Ohio ..................................................................................................................................................................... 63 54 10,559 9,386 13.7 10.1 1.8 1.7 33.8 35.5 13.8 17.5 

Oklahoma ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 24 1,328 6,006 12.7 12.8 4.2 3.5 27.3 22.7 17.0 20.2 

Oregon ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33 29 5,546 3,639 1.4 3.1 9.6 10.6 40.9 46.6 15.7 19.5 

Pennsylvania ..................................................................................................................................................................... 82 95 21,052 21,291 9.1 9.6 3.2 1.9 35.5 55.5 18.1 25.2 

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

 ) 6 ( 2 ) 548 2.7 4.0 5.4 26.3 – 80.5 6.8 21.2 

South Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 9 951 1,281 57.8 63.2 .5 – 51.5 73.8 5.2 .2 

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

 ) 4 ( 2 ) 600 – .3 3.4 .2 49.7 68.8 25.9 18.7 

Tennessee ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15 20 1,774 1,861 23.1 37.9 – .1 45.2 54.3 18.2 11.8 

Texas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 90 84 33,675 15,292 17.7 18.0 33.0 36.8 36.4 44.8 10.7 13.6 

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

 ) 8 ( 2 ) 773 1.8 1.9 5.5 13.2 – 67.8 21.8 11.5 

Vermont ..................................................................................................................................................................... – 10 – 1,058 – .4 – .2 – 43.1 – 15.4 

Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 27 4,103 3,635 47.0 45.7 2.3 2.0 55.7 67.5 14.6 14.8 

Washington ..................................................................................................................................................................... 49 48 8,662 6,968 4.3 5.0 13.4 20.7 36.4 39.1 18.7 17.3 

West Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 6 742 422 .3 .2 – – 22.4 63.7 14.3 18.5 

Wisconsin ..................................................................................................................................................................... 68 55 13,963 7,401 6.2 7.0 4.4 5.2 36.9 51.2 13.9 18.8 

Wyoming ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) – ( 2 ) – 1.8 – 1.8 – 9.1 – 18.2 –

Puerto Rico ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 13 1,932 2,230 ( 3

 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 38.7 67.8 9.8 13.4 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. p

 = preliminary.

 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. r

 = revised.

 3 Data are not available. NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment

insurance, selected quarters, 2002 and 2003

Census region and division

Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance

II I II II I II II I II

 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 

 United States1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,905 1,700 1,894 432,869 333,260 372,426 353,017 329,153 285,884 

Northeast ..................................................................................................................................................................... 371 322 344 71,532 58,804 67,852 73,192 63,213 56,342 

 New England ..................................................................................................................................................................... 112 77 99 24,519 15,206 23,344 18,188 11,652 11,935 

 Middle Atlantic ..................................................................................................................................................................... 259 245 245 47,013 43,598 44,508 55,004 51,561 44,407 

South ..................................................................................................................................................................... 533 407 481 105,302 79,601 83,867 101,091 85,126 71,557 

 South Atlantic ..................................................................................................................................................................... 296 242 260 58,794 49,538 47,660 49,271 42,224 38,474 

 East South Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 75 44 70 13,893 8,301 10,056 10,624 6,228 7,381 

 West South Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 162 121 151 32,615 21,762 26,151 41,196 36,674 25,702 

Midwest ..................................................................................................................................................................... 455 434 478 99,139 76,674 100,300 86,140 84,238 76,623 

 East North Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 332 339 380 74,524 57,772 81,918 62,841 68,953 63,296 

 West North Central ..................................................................................................................................................................... 123 95 98 24,615 18,902 18,382 23,299 15,285 13,327 

West ..................................................................................................................................................................... 546 537 591 156,896 118,181 120,407 92,594 96,576 81,362 

 Mountain ..................................................................................................................................................................... 104 58 102 55,852 15,168 25,112 15,107 11,494 12,865 

 Pacific ..................................................................................................................................................................... 442 479 489 101,044 103,013 95,295 77,487 85,082 68,497 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and 

 p = preliminary. Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and

 r = revised. Texas: East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin;

 NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North

census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,

New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California,

New York, and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and
Table 5. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,

selected quarters, 2002 and 2003

State

II I II II I II II I II

 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 2002r 2003r 2003p 

 Total1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1,905 1,700 1,894 432,869 333,260 372,426 353,017 329,153 285,884 

Alabama ..................................................................................................................................................................... 29 3 13 5,145 989 1,293 4,502 981 1,293 

Alaska ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 8 9 635 952 1,185 635 952 1,126 

Arizona ..................................................................................................................................................................... 50 21 25 26,095 5,896 5,952 9,153 4,987 3,905 

Arkansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 5 8 1,206 503 1,899 749 370 703 

California ..................................................................................................................................................................... 343 383 396 80,799 85,259 78,086 60,657 69,126 56,180 

Colorado ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 20 20 21,872 5,973 8,392 2,547 3,542 2,857 

Connecticut ..................................................................................................................................................................... 30 16 16 6,704 3,210 3,311 5,093 2,645 2,472 

Delaware ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 

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

 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 521 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 521 ( 2 ) 

Florida ..................................................................................................................................................................... 183 135 117 37,298 26,604 20,103 29,444 22,844 17,818 

Georgia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16 24 42 3,518 3,304 10,624 3,106 4,087 7,013 

Hawaii ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 6 7 475 1,125 689 445 796 584 

Idaho ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 8 13 1,543 1,798 1,900 573 1,868 1,561 

Illinois ..................................................................................................................................................................... 162 132 153 45,891 29,185 37,522 35,142 25,474 27,317 

Indiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41 42 50 12,060 5,785 20,213 5,965 7,579 8,921 

Iowa ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 17 5 693 2,574 1,686 615 2,603 1,365 

Kansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 12 10 3,654 3,836 2,085 5,951 3,105 1,059 

Kentucky ..................................................................................................................................................................... 21 19 26 2,953 3,282 4,870 2,241 2,642 3,335 

Louisiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 38 17 35 7,298 1,804 4,257 4,937 1,301 3,701 

Maine ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14 11 13 2,176 2,593 2,753 1,517 1,809 1,301 

Maryland ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14 5 7 2,317 332 1,875 1,755 308 1,476 

Massachusetts ..................................................................................................................................................................... 51 45 52 14,054 8,869 15,462 9,949 6,641 6,410 

Michigan ..................................................................................................................................................................... 28 34 68 5,105 3,665 9,895 5,025 11,378 10,271 

Minnesota ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31 33 42 8,765 5,647 6,443 6,226 4,881 5,899 

Mississippi ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 7 11 1,310 1,285 1,558 797 831 892 

Missouri ..................................................................................................................................................................... 54 24 26 9,303 5,592 6,306 8,330 3,822 3,409 

Montana ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 3 11 1,015 500 2,073 432 421 1,016 

Nebraska ..................................................................................................................................................................... ( 2

 ) 4 7 ( 2 ) 769 648 ( 2 ) 411 561 

Nevada ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 ( 2

 ) 10 703 ( 2 ) 1,170 614 ( 2 ) 1,137 

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

 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 460 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 483 ( 2 ) 

New Jersey ..................................................................................................................................................................... 85 46 65 17,297 5,629 13,130 17,640 6,277 10,938 

New Mexico ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 ( 2

 ) 15 1,212 ( 2 ) 2,594 717 ( 2 ) 1,616 

New York ..................................................................................................................................................................... 69 117 85 12,225 27,521 16,949 12,158 24,232 12,178 

North Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... 37 36 49 8,112 11,074 8,738 6,431 8,577 6,564 

North Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 3 4 1,575 351 586 1,348 316 434 

Ohio ..................................................................................................................................................................... 62 63 54 6,789 6,339 6,421 10,873 10,559 9,386 

Oklahoma ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 9 24 962 1,219 5,712 1,190 1,328 6,006 

Oregon ..................................................................................................................................................................... 34 33 29 6,239 5,098 3,525 5,727 5,546 3,639 

Pennsylvania ..................................................................................................................................................................... 105 82 95 17,491 10,448 14,429 25,206 21,052 21,291 

Rhode Island ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 ( 2

 ) 6 261 ( 2 ) 614 330 ( 2 ) 548 

South Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 11 9 490 1,360 1,179 1,008 951 1,281 

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

 ) ( 2 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 628 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 600 

Tennessee ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 15 20 4,485 2,745 2,335 3,084 1,774 1,861 

Texas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 108 90 84 23,149 18,236 14,283 34,320 33,675 15,292 

Utah ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 ( 2

 ) 8 3,412 ( 2 ) 3,031 1,071 ( 2 ) 773 

Vermont ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 – 10 1,066 – 1,058 1,066 – 1,058 

Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27 20 27 5,128 5,202 3,944 5,228 4,103 3,635 

Washington ..................................................................................................................................................................... 55 49 48 12,896 10,579 11,810 10,023 8,662 6,968 

West Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 6 6 812 1,050 928 785 742 422 

Wisconsin ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 68 55 4,679 12,798 7,867 5,836 13,963 7,401 

Wyoming ..................................................................................................................................................................... – ( 2

 ) – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) –

Puerto Rico ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 12 13 2,760 2,091 1,446 3,378 1,932 2,230 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. r

 = revised.

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

 p = preliminary.

Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance
Table 6. State distribution: Index of mass-layoff separations, private sector, second quarter 2002 and 2003 

II II I I II II

2002 2003p 2001 2002 2002 2003p

 Total1

 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 100.0 100.0 

Alabama ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01339 .00394 .01315 .01317 101.8 29.9 

Alaska ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00141 .00326 .00152 .00160 92.6 203.7 

Arizona ..................................................................................................................................................................... .04158 .01354 .01924 .01958 216.1 69.1 

Arkansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00281 .00378 .00809 .00818 34.8 46.2 

California ..................................................................................................................................................................... .20233 .21506 .11401 .11360 177.5 189.3 

Colorado ..................................................................................................................................................................... .03870 .02482 .01576 .01516 245.5 163.6 

Connecticut ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01721 .01009 .01288 .01306 133.6 77.3 

Delaware ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00048 .00015 .00347 .00350 13.8 4.4 

District of Columbia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00065 .00015 .00427 .00447 15.2 3.4 

Florida ..................................................................................................................................................................... .08516 .05396 .05889 .05952 144.6 90.7 

Georgia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00873 .03083 .03070 .03032 28.4 101.7 

Hawaii ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00124 .00210 .00382 .00379 32.4 55.5 

Idaho ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00401 .00579 .00328 .00328 122.3 176.8 

Illinois ..................................................................................................................................................................... .10690 .10228 .05091 .05072 210.0 201.7 

Indiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02141 .03122 .02354 .02356 91.0 132.5 

Iowa ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00180 .00148 .01009 .01017 17.9 14.6 

Kansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00929 .00636 .00951 .00954 97.6 66.6 

Kentucky ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00675 .01037 .01299 .01289 51.9 80.4 

Louisiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01565 .01082 .01247 .01268 125.5 85.3 

Maine ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00566 .00839 .00383 .00385 147.7 217.9 

Maryland ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00460 .00571 .01782 .01818 25.8 31.4 

Massachusetts ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02956 .04232 .02693 .02647 109.8 159.9 

Michigan ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01328 .02924 .03763 .03756 35.3 77.9 

Minnesota ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01987 .01817 .02073 .02087 95.8 87.1 

Mississippi ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00303 .00437 .00791 .00794 38.3 55.0 

Missouri ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02254 .01176 .01989 .02017 113.3 58.3 

Montana ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00242 .00580 .00181 .00187 134.2 309.8 

Nebraska ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00049 .00198 .00640 .00643 7.7 30.7 

Nevada ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00118 .00313 .00919 .00917 12.8 34.1 

New Hampshire ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00067 .00045 .00418 .00410 16.1 10.8 

New Jersey ..................................................................................................................................................................... .04135 .03642 .02991 .03068 138.2 118.7 

New Mexico ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00246 .00707 .00443 .00460 55.5 153.6 

New York ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02831 .04724 .06433 .06414 44.0 73.7 

North Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01944 .02289 .02913 .02831 66.8 80.9 

North Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00334 .00119 .00182 .00187 183.4 63.7 

Ohio ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01703 .01923 .04472 .04446 38.1 43.2 

Oklahoma ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00250 .01582 .01009 .01011 24.8 156.4 

Oregon ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01560 .01029 .01065 .01042 146.5 98.8 

Pennsylvania ..................................................................................................................................................................... .04472 .04340 .04572 .04605 97.8 94.2 

Rhode Island ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00068 .00187 .00337 .00340 20.1 55.0 

South Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00127 .00359 .01348 .01322 9.5 27.2 

South Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00000 .00059 .00219 .00218 0.0 27.0 

Tennessee ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01154 .00648 .02274 .02264 50.7 28.6 

Texas ..................................................................................................................................................................... .05781 .03694 .07241 .07265 79.8 50.8 

Utah ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00854 .00887 .00735 .00738 116.2 120.2 

Vermont ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00277 .00322 .00182 .00183 152.5 176.7 

Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01334 .01202 .02522 .02525 52.9 47.6 

Washington ..................................................................................................................................................................... .03240 .03600 .01859 .01818 174.3 198.0 

West Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00211 .00283 .00414 .00422 51.0 67.0 

Wisconsin ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01198 .02273 .02201 .02195 54.4 103.5 

Wyoming ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00000 .00000 .00097 .00104 0.0 0.0 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. to the comparable U.S. total. Covered employment refers to workers

 2 The share of separations is the proportion of each State's private sector who are covered by State unemployment insurance laws.

separations to the total number of private sector separations in the U.S. for 4 The index is the ratio of the share of separations to the share of 

the period. establishment employment, multiplied by 100.

 3 The share of establishment employment is the proportion of each State's p = preliminary.

private sector covered employment in establishments of 50 workers or more

State

Index of mass-layoff 

separations4

Share of 

establishment employment3

Share of 

separations2
Table 7. State distribution: Index of mass-layoff separations (excluding seasonal work and vacation periods),

private sector, second quarter 2002 and 2003 

II II I I II II

2002 2003p 2001 2002 2002 2003p

 Total1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 100.0 100.0 

Alabama ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01189 .00602 .01315 .01317 90.4 45.7 

Alaska ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00058 .00000 .00152 .00160 37.9 0.0 

Arizona ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02463 .00688 .01924 .01958 128.0 35.1 

Arkansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00232 .00534 .00809 .00818 28.7 65.3 

California ..................................................................................................................................................................... .18717 .22542 .11401 .11360 164.2 198.4 

Colorado ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00492 .01542 .01576 .01516 31.2 101.7 

Connecticut ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01401 .00607 .01288 .01306 108.8 46.5 

Delaware ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00081 .00024 .00347 .00350 23.3 6.9 

District of Columbia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00110 .00024 .00427 .00447 25.8 5.4 

Florida ..................................................................................................................................................................... .08321 .06006 .05889 .05952 141.3 100.9 

Georgia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01383 .04024 .03070 .03032 45.0 132.7 

Hawaii ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00040 .00190 .00382 .00379 10.4 50.1 

Idaho ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00485 .00563 .00328 .00328 147.6 171.8 

Illinois ..................................................................................................................................................................... .11318 .09204 .05091 .05072 222.3 181.5 

Indiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02183 .03495 .02354 .02356 92.7 148.3 

Iowa ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00280 .00048 .01009 .01017 27.7 4.8 

Kansas ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01204 .00786 .00951 .00954 126.6 82.4 

Kentucky ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01031 .01544 .01299 .01289 79.4 119.8 

Louisiana ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01507 .00966 .01247 .01268 120.8 76.2 

Maine ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00578 .00483 .00383 .00385 150.9 125.5 

Maryland ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00562 .00850 .01782 .01818 31.5 46.7 

Massachusetts ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01531 .03918 .02693 .02647 56.9 148.0 

Michigan ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02198 .04113 .03763 .03756 58.4 109.5 

Minnesota ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02595 .01810 .02073 .02087 125.2 86.7 

Mississippi ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00459 .00694 .00791 .00794 58.0 87.4 

Missouri ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01027 .00807 .01989 .02017 51.7 40.0 

Montana ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00026 .00269 .00181 .00187 14.6 143.7 

Nebraska ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00057 .00075 .00640 .00643 8.9 11.7 

Nevada ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00133 .00386 .00919 .00917 14.5 42.1 

New Hampshire ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00114 .00028 .00418 .00410 27.2 6.8 

New Jersey ..................................................................................................................................................................... .03246 .01838 .02991 .03068 108.5 59.9 

New Mexico ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00000 .00551 .00443 .00460 0.0 119.8 

New York ..................................................................................................................................................................... .03702 .04695 .06433 .06414 57.5 73.2 

North Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02832 .03435 .02913 .02831 97.2 121.3 

North Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00530 .00157 .00182 .00187 291.1 84.0 

Ohio ..................................................................................................................................................................... .02592 .02846 .04472 .04446 58.0 64.0 

Oklahoma ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00378 .02511 .01009 .01011 37.4 248.3 

Oregon ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01602 .01053 .01065 .01042 150.4 101.1 

Pennsylvania ..................................................................................................................................................................... .05149 .03267 .04572 .04605 112.6 70.9 

Rhode Island ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00115 .00184 .00337 .00340 34.1 54.2 

South Carolina ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00216 .00153 .01348 .01322 16.0 11.6 

South Dakota ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00000 .00093 .00219 .00218 0.0 42.9 

Tennessee ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01954 .01028 .02274 .02264 85.9 45.4 

Texas ..................................................................................................................................................................... .08609 .04091 .07241 .07265 118.9 56.3 

Utah ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00190 .00145 .00735 .00738 25.9 19.7 

Vermont ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00381 .00025 .00182 .00183 209.5 13.5 

Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01824 .01156 .02522 .02525 72.3 45.8 

Washington ..................................................................................................................................................................... .03534 .03512 .01859 .01818 190.1 193.2 

West Virginia ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00325 .00375 .00414 .00422 78.4 88.7 

Wisconsin ..................................................................................................................................................................... .01049 .02060 .02201 .02195 47.7 93.8 

Wyoming ..................................................................................................................................................................... .00000 .00000 .00097 .00104 0.0 0.0 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. to the comparable U.S. total. Covered employment refers to workers

 2 The share of separations is the proportion of each State's private sector who are covered by State unemployment insurance laws.

separations to the total number of private sector separations in the U.S. for 4 The index is the ratio of the share of separations (excluding seasonal 

the period. Seasonal work and vacation periods as reasons for layoff are work and vacation periods) to the share of establishment employment,

excluded from these calculations. multiplied by 100.

 3 The share of establishment employment is the proportion of each State's p = preliminary.

private sector covered employment in establishments of 50 workers or more

State

Index of mass-layoff 

separations4

Share of 

separations2

Share of 

establishment employment3
AK HI

TX

OK

AR

AL MS

TN

SC

NC

LA

FL

GA

UT

NM AZ

CA

OR

WA

NV

CO

WY

ID

MT

KS MO

IA

MN

ND

SD

NE

KY

WI

IL IN OH

MI

WV

VA

MD

DE

PA

NY

NJ

VT

Pacific

Mountain West North Central East North Central

Middle

Atlantic

New England

West South

Central

East South

Central

Chart 1. Index of private-sector mass-layoff separation

second quarter 2003

20

16

12

80

40

39

Note: The index is the ratio of the share of private-sector

separations to the share of private-sector covered employment

in establishments of 50 or more workers, multiplied by 100.

Source: Mass Layoff Statistics
AK HI

TX

OK

AR

AL MS

TN

SC

NC

LA

FL

GA

UT

NM AZ

CA

OR

WA

NV

CO

WY

ID

MT

KS MO

IA

MN

ND

SD

NE

KY

WI

IL IN OH

MI

WV

VA

MD

DE

PA

NY

NJ

VT

Pacific

Mountain West North Central East North Central

Middle

Atlantic

New England

West South

Central

East South

Central

Chart 2. Index of private-sector mass-layoff separatio

(excluding seasonal work and vacation period),

second quarter 2003

20

16

12

80

40

39

Note: The index is the ratio of the share of private-sector

separations to the share of private-sector covered employment

in establishments of 50 or more workers, multiplied by 100.

Source: Mass Layoff Statistics