Technical information:   (202) 691-6392      USDL 04-720
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                             For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902      Thursday, April 22, 2004


                                     
                        MASS LAYOFFS IN MARCH 2004
   
   In March 2004, there were 920 mass layoff actions by employers, as
measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the
month, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics.  Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single
establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 92,554.  (See
table 1.)  Both the number of events and initial claims were sharply lower
than a year ago and were the lowest for any March since 1999.  From January
through March 2004, the total number of events, at 4,289, and initial
claims, at 416,209, were lower than in January-March 2003 (4,885 and
463,421, respectively).
   
Industry Distribution
   
   Automobile manufacturing, with 6,553 initial claimants, temporary help
services, with 5,311 initial claimants, and food service contractors, with
4,975 initial claimants, together accounted for 18 percent of all initial
claims in March.  The 10 industries reporting the highest number of mass-
layoff initial claims accounted for 32,411 initial claims in March, 35 per-
cent of the total.  (See table A.)
   
   The manufacturing sector had 28 percent of all mass layoff events and
37 percent of all initial claims filed in March.  A year ago, manufacturing
reported 32 percent of events and 36 percent of initial claims.  Within
manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in transportation
equipment (13,430, mostly automotive-related), followed by food processing
(6,220, mainly in frozen fruits and vegetables).  (See table 2.)
   
   The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 14 percent
of events and 12 percent of initial claims filed in March, with layoffs
mostly in temporary help services.  Nine percent of all layoff events and
initial claims filed during the month were in accommodation and food
services, especially in food service contractors, which recorded a series
peak for March.  Construction accounted for 12 percent of events and 8 per-
cent of initial claims during the month, primarily among specialty trade
contractors.  An additional 8 percent of events and 7 percent of initial
claims were in retail trade, mostly from discount department stores.
   
   Government establishments accounted for 4 percent of events and 3 percent
of initial claims filed during the month.
            
   Compared with March 2003, the largest decreases in initial claims were
reported in computer and electronic product manufacturing (-3,803), adminis-
trative and support services (-3,286), machinery manufacturing (-3,068), and
general merchandise stores (-2,829).  The largest over-the-year increase in
initial claims was reported in transportation equipment manufacturing
(+8,369).
   
                                  - 2 -


Table A.  Industries with the largest mass-layoff initial claims in
March 2004p
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          | Initial |       March peak
                Industry                  |  claims |-------------------------
                                          |         |   Year  | Initial claims
------------------------------------------|---------|---------|---------------
Automobile manufacturing .................|  6,553  |   1996  |     15,411
Temporary help services ..................|  5,311  |   2002  |     14,338
Food service contractors .................|  4,975  |   2004  |      4,975
Motion picture and video production.......|  3,702  |   2000  |      6,735
Light truck and utility vehicle mfg. .....|  2,624  |   2004  |      2,624
School and employee bus transportation....|  2,589  |   2002  |      6,064
Professional employer organizations.......|  1,895  |   2002  |      2,987
Household refrigerator and home freezer   |         |         |
 mfg. ....................................|  1,763  |   2001  |      2,279
All other transportation equipment mfg. ..|  1,670  |   2004  |      1,670
Frozen fruit and vegetable                |         |         |
  manufacturing...........................|  1,329  |   1997  |      2,560
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------                                           
   p=preliminary.


Geographic Distribution

   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in March
due to mass layoffs was reported in the West, 32,508.  (See table 3.)
Administrative and support services and motion picture and sound recording
industries accounted for 30 percent of all initial claims in that region
during the month.  The Midwest region was next, with 25,756 initial claims,
followed by the South, with 22,094, and the Northeast, with 12,196.
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year
in all four of the regions, with the largest decrease in the West (-14,419).
Eight of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year decreases in the
number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest
decrease in the Pacific division (-13,202).
   
   Among the states, California recorded the largest number of initial
claims filed in mass layoff events in March (25,730), mostly in administra-
tive and support services and in motion picture and sound recording indus-
tries.  Pennsylvania reported 6,682 initial claims, followed by Texas (4,641),
Michigan (4,548), and Florida (4,405).  These five states accounted for
58 percent of all layoff events and 50 percent of all initial claims for
unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   California reported the largest over-the-year decrease in the number of
initial claims (-10,630), followed by Texas (-3,486), Oregon (-2,478), and
Indiana (-2,217).  The largest over-the-year increase occurred in Michigan
(+3,700).

                                  - 3 -      

Note
   
   The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or more
workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of the layoffs.
Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later and issued in a
quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days
(referred to as "extended mass layoffs").  The quarterly release provides
more information on the industry classification and location of the estab-
lishment and on the demographics of the laid-off workers.  Because monthly
figures include short-term layoffs of 30 days or less, the sum of the figures
for the 3 months in a quarter will be higher than the quarterly figure for
mass layoffs of more than 30 days.  (See table 1.)  See the Technical Note
for more detailed definitions.


                      ______________________________


   The report on Extended Mass Layoffs in the First Quarter of 2004 is sched-
uled to be released on Tuesday, May 18, 2004.  The report on Mass Layoffs in
April 2004 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 26, 2004.


     -------------------------------------------------------------------
    |    NOTE:  Due to budget constraints in the Mass Layoff Statistics |
    | (MLS) program, beginning with data for the first quarter of 2004, |
    | the scope of extended mass layoffs and plant closings, regularly  |
    | reported in the quarterly release, Extended Mass Layoffs, has been|
    | redefined to cover only the private nonfarm economy.  Quarterly   |
    | information on layoff events in agriculture and government will   |
    | no longer be collected.  However, the monthly reporting of the    |
    | MLS program in the release, Mass Layoffs, which is based only on  |
    | administrative data, will be unaffected and will continue to cover|
    | the total economy.                                                |
     -------------------------------------------------------------------





                                   - 4 -                                           

Technical Note
 
 
 
 The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program that
uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing, and
tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each state's
unemployment insurance database.  Each month, states report on establish-
ments which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them during a 
consecutive 5-week period.  These establishments then are contacted by the 
state agency to determine whether these separations lasted 31 days or long-
er, and, if so, other information concerning the layoff is collected.  States 
report on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a quarterly basis.
 
 A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment insurance 
claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that month.  All 
weeks are included for the particular month, except if the first day of the 
month falls on Saturday.  In this case, the week is included in the prior 
month's tabulations.  This means that some months will contain 4 weeks and 
others 5 weeks, and the number of weeks in a given month may be different 
from year to year.  Therefore, analysis of over-the-month and over-the-year 
change should take this calendar effect into consideration.
 
 The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been ter-
minated in November 1992 due to lack of funding.  Prior to April 1995,
monthly layoff statistics were not available.
 
 Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired indi-
viduals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200;  TDD message referral phone 
number:  1-800-877-8339.
 
Definitions
 
 Initial claimant.  A person who files any notice of unemployment to initiate 
a request either for a determination of entitlement to and eligibility for 
compensation, or for a subsequent period of unemployment within a benefit 
year or period of eligibility.
 
 Mass layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment insurance 
benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week period, regardless of 
duration.


 
 

Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, January 2002 to March 2004
                                      
                                                                                     Private nonfarm
                                              
                            Total mass layoffs                                    Extended mass layoffs             Realization
             Date                                        Mass layoffs           lasting more than 30 days             rates(1)
                                                         
                                       Initial                    Initial                        Initial                   Initial
                           Events     claimants       Events     claimants         Events       claimants       Events    claimants

         2002      

January ...............     2,146      263,777         2,028      252,245
February ..............     1,382      138,808         1,253      129,849
March .................     1,460      161,316         1,335      151,305

First Quarter .........     4,988      563,901         4,616      533,399          1,611         292,998         34.9         54.9

April .................     1,506      165,814         1,378      153,216
May ...................     1,723      179,799         1,571      166,801
June ..................     1,584      162,189         1,266      136,424

Second Quarter ........     4,813      507,802         4,215      456,441          1,624         299,598         38.5         65.6

July ..................     2,042      245,294         1,819      226,892
August ................     1,248      128,103         1,151      119,874
September .............     1,062      124,522           957      114,736

Third Quarter .........     4,352      497,919         3,927      461,502          1,186         254,955         30.2         55.2

October ...............     1,497      171,100         1,270      149,327
November ..............     2,153      240,171         1,860      216,237
December ..............     2,474      264,158         2,324      252,807

Fourth Quarter ........     6,124      675,429         5,454      618,371          1,916         370,592         35.1         59.9

         2003      

January ...............     2,315      225,430         2,130      210,918
February ..............     1,363      124,965         1,222      116,264
March .................     1,207      113,026         1,099      104,468

First Quarter .........     4,885      463,421         4,451      431,650          1,502         297,524         33.7         68.9

April .................     1,581      161,412         1,470      152,937
May ...................     1,703      174,204         1,538      160,729
June ..................     1,691      157,552         1,336      127,743

Second Quarter ........     4,975      493,168         4,344      441,409          1,799         346,549         41.4         78.5

July ..................     2,087      226,435         1,815      206,901
August ................     1,258      133,839         1,163      124,131
September .............       868       82,647           756       73,914

Third Quarter .........     4,213      442,921         3,734      404,946          1,190         225,609         31.9         55.7

October ...............     1,523      158,240         1,265      137,706
November ..............     1,438      138,543         1,234      123,524
December ..............     1,929      192,633         1,793      182,750

Fourth Quarter ........     4,890      489,416         4,292      443,980   (2)(p) 1,592  (2)(p) 229,014         37.1         51.6

         2004      

January ...............     2,428      239,454         2,226      220,687
February (p) ..........       941       84,201           832       76,577
March (p) .............       920       92,554           847       87,782

First Quarter (p) .....     4,289      416,209         3,905      385,046

    1 The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff events lasting more than
30 days. The initial claimant realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial
claimants associated with layoffs lasting more than 30 days. 
    2 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more data on these layoffs become
available. Experience suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by
less than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent.
    p = preliminary. 





Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                 
                                                                                                    Initial claimants for          
                                                             Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance         
                     Industry                    

                                                     March   January   February   March     March     January    February     March 
                                                     2003     2004      2004p     2004p     2003       2004       2004p       2004p 


      Total(1) ..................................    1,207    2,428      941      920      113,026    239,454     84,201     92,554

Total, private ..................................    1,163    2,339      905      884      109,417    228,578     81,093     89,955

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....       64      113       73       37        4,949      7,891      4,516      2,173

 Total, private nonfarm .........................    1,099    2,226      832      847      104,468    220,687     76,577     87,782
  Mining ........................................        7       17        4        4          708      1,329        505        206
  Utilities .....................................    ( 2 )        3    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        345      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................      125      324      131      106        7,640     23,405      8,586      7,288
  Manufacturing .................................      390      848      240      258       41,063     89,551     23,043     34,686
      Food ......................................       72      108       62       56        7,607     11,083      6,517      6,220
      Beverage and tobacco products .............    ( 2 )        9        6        9        ( 2 )        834        557      1,039
      Textile mills .............................        9       48        4        6          764      6,376        310        456
      Textile product mills .....................        5       19        7    ( 2 )          432      1,933        560      ( 2 )
      Apparel ...................................       11       44        5       13          950      5,836        389      1,050
      Leather and allied products ...............        -       11    ( 2 )        -            -      1,195      ( 2 )          -
      Wood products .............................       35       46       18       16        3,104      5,651      1,438      1,540
      Paper .....................................        9       20        4        7          937      1,847        391        529
      Printing and related support activities ...        7       24       10        7          658      2,147        828        501
      Petroleum and coal products ...............        -        5    ( 2 )        -            -        362      ( 2 )          -

      Chemicals .................................    ( 2 )       23        4        7        ( 2 )      2,384        324        416
      Plastics and rubber products ..............        6       50       10       14          552      4,821        917      1,061
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............       19       42        5       12        1,882      3,813        312        860
      Primary metals ............................       21       44        9        4        1,766      4,579        913        375
      Fabricated metal products .................       24       72       18       16        1,734      6,960      1,720      1,103
      Machinery .................................       35       39       12       10        3,761      3,017        803        693
      Computer and electronic products ..........       41       44       12       15        5,077      3,561        815      1,274
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......       26       23       11       12        3,787      2,263      2,109      2,789
      Transportation equipment ..................       44      114       23       38        5,061     15,107      2,671     13,430
      Furniture and related products ............       14       36        9       11        1,727      3,541        679        985
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............        8       27        8    ( 2 )          830      2,241        553      ( 2 )

  Wholesale trade ...............................       21       27       13       19        1,811      2,391        956      1,518
  Retail trade ..................................      102      188      102       77       10,480     22,145      9,383      6,733
  Transportation and warehousing ................       37      128       35       38        4,356     14,038      4,658      4,682
  Information ...................................       50       67       19       32        6,971      9,394      4,716      4,912
  Finance and insurance .........................       33       41       25       27        2,130      3,547      1,562      2,228
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............        8       15    ( 2 )        5          483      1,202      ( 2 )        332
  Professional and technical services ...........       40       47       30       29        3,187      4,288      4,247      2,619
  Management of companies and enterprises .......        4        3        6    ( 2 )          339        895        587      ( 2 )
  Administrative and waste services .............      163      285      139      129       15,062     27,855     11,065     11,546
  Educational services ..........................    ( 2 )        8    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        553      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
  Health care and social assistance .............       24       35       16       19        1,569      2,991        954      1,039
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........       12       41       11        4          663      3,149        677        167
  Accommodation and food services ...............       71      113       46       82        7,111      9,614      4,455      8,755
  Other services, except public administration ..        4       26        8        9          280      2,992        629        506

  Unclassified ..................................        3       10        2        1          284      1,003        191         85

Government ......................................       44       89       36       36        3,609     10,876      3,108      2,599
  Federal .......................................        6       26        6        5          570      2,725        504        428
  State .........................................        9       13       13       10          614      1,405      1,121        763
  Local .........................................       29       50       17       21        2,425      6,746      1,483      1,408


    1 Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero. 




Table 3. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division
                           
                                                                                      Initial claimants for            
                                          Mass layoff events                          unemployment insurance           
 Census region and division

                                March     January    February    March        March      January    February      March 
                                2003       2004       2004p      2004p        2003        2004       2004p        2004p 

      United States(1) ....    1,207      2,428        941        920       113,026     239,454      84,201      92,554

Northeast .................      157        498        117        123        15,230      50,650      12,795      12,196

  New England .............       29         64         26         12         2,987       5,689       3,321         912
  Middle Atlantic .........      128        434         91        111        12,243      44,961       9,474      11,284

South .....................      263        501        191        207        24,630      53,115      17,770      22,094

  South Atlantic ..........      109        244         87        101         9,362      25,490       8,799       8,749
  East South Central ......       55        153         32         41         4,752      17,176       3,602       4,141
  West South Central ......       99        104         72         65        10,516      10,449       5,369       9,204

Midwest ...................      237        688        211        185        26,239      68,404      19,183      25,756

  East North Central ......      174        574        172        138        18,946      58,674      15,385      19,002
  West North Central ......       63        114         39         47         7,293       9,730       3,798       6,754

West ......................      550        741        422        405        46,927      67,285      34,453      32,508

  Mountain ................       48         63         28         30         4,363       6,292       2,323       3,146
  Pacific .................      502        678        394        375        42,564      60,993      32,130      29,362


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are: New England:
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central:
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North
Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
 
 
 
Table 4. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                         
                                                                                       Initial claimants for            
                                         Mass layoff events                            unemployment insurance           
           State         

                              March     January     February      March       March      January     February      March 
                              2003       2004        2004p        2004p       2003        2004        2004p        2004p 

   Total(1) .............    1,207       2,428         941         920       113,026     239,454      84,201      92,554

Alabama .................       11         112       ( 2 )           7         1,108      13,754       ( 2 )         654
Alaska ..................        -           6       ( 2 )           -             -         429       ( 2 )           -
Arizona .................       13           7           3           6         1,148         645         214         593
Arkansas ................        5       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3           381       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         422
California ..............      438         576         365         341        36,360      51,395      29,865      25,730
Colorado ................        9          11           5       ( 2 )         1,126       1,043         523       ( 2 )
Connecticut .............        5           7           5           -           412         669         351           -
Delaware ................        -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
District of Columbia ....        -       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )             -       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Florida .................       60          60          46          57         4,188       4,044       3,480       4,405
Georgia .................       15          92          17          11         1,224      10,525       2,448         927
Hawaii ..................    ( 2 )           4       ( 2 )           8         ( 2 )         296       ( 2 )         788
Idaho ...................       13          16       ( 2 )          10         1,187       1,125       ( 2 )       1,156

Illinois ................       35          88          47          29         3,161       9,610       4,108       3,812
Indiana .................       37          58          24          13         4,826       5,499       2,195       2,609
Iowa ....................       14          29           7          11         1,572       2,267         698       1,330
Kansas ..................        9          14           6           5         1,449         954         517         357
Kentucky ................       21          10          10          18         2,124       1,030         950       2,164
Louisiana ...............        8          14          13          10           402         908         757         887
Maine ...................    ( 2 )          14           5       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       1,463         347       ( 2 )
Maryland ................    ( 2 )          19       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       2,009       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Massachusetts ...........       16          30           5           6         1,263       2,375         352         386
Michigan ................       10         171          23          27           848      16,615       2,150       4,548
Minnesota ...............       13          30           6           9         1,041       2,688         460       2,979
Mississippi .............        8           6       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           509         384       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Missouri ................       23          26          16          14         2,930       2,422       1,479       1,429

Montana .................    ( 2 )           4           3       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         270         336       ( 2 )
Nebraska ................    ( 2 )          11           3           5         ( 2 )         984         548         363
Nevada ..................        7          14           9           7           475       2,225         594         642
New Hampshire ...........    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )         480       ( 2 )
New Jersey ..............       17          73          25          23         1,253       7,191       2,749       2,151
New Mexico ..............        3           6       ( 2 )           3           248         328       ( 2 )         323
New York ................       40         194          26          27         3,571      24,376       3,612       2,451
North Carolina ..........       12          18          10          13         1,273       1,829         912       1,261
North Dakota ............    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Ohio ....................       40         141          46          31         4,988      15,169       4,142       4,167
Oklahoma ................       10          13           5           8         1,606       1,517         413       3,254
Oregon ..................       41          70          13          13         4,336       6,681         986       1,858
Pennsylvania ............       71         167          40          61         7,419      13,394       3,113       6,682

Rhode Island ............    ( 2 )           5           7           3         ( 2 )         332       1,716         219
South Carolina ..........        6          26           3           6           986       3,563         325         863
South Dakota ............    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Tennessee ...............       15          25          19          14         1,011       2,008       1,723       1,231
Texas ...................       76          74          52          44         8,127       7,571       4,062       4,641
Utah ....................    ( 2 )           5           4       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         656         295       ( 2 )
Vermont .................        3           5       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           833         573       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Virginia ................       14          24           8          10         1,392       3,061         574       1,010
Washington ..............       21          22          13          13         1,745       2,192       1,023         986
West Virginia ...........    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Wisconsin ...............       52         116          32          38         5,123      11,781       2,790       3,866
Wyoming .................        -           -           -       ( 2 )             -           -           -       ( 2 )

Puerto Rico .............        5           5           9           4           378         511         891         318


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.