Technical information:   (202) 691-6392          USDL 02-317
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                                 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902          Thursday, May 30, 2002
   

                                     
                        MASS LAYOFFS IN APRIL 2002
   
   
   Employers initiated 1,507 mass layoff actions in April 2002, as measured
by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according 
to 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 165,861.  (See table 1.)  Compared with April 2001, 
the number of initial claims declined by 6 percent, while the number of layoff 
events increased by 4 percent.  This was the third consecutive month of over-
the-year declines in initial claims due to mass layoffs.  However, because of 
high levels in January 2002, the total number of events and initial claims was 
higher in January-April 2002 than in January-April 2001.
   
   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") and provides more information on the 
industry classification and location of the establishment and on the demo-
graphics 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.
   
Industry Distribution
   
   Manufacturing industries accounted for 31 percent of all mass layoff
events and initial claims filed in April.  A year earlier, layoffs in this
sector accounted for 42 percent of events and 45 percent of initial claims.
The number of initial claimants was highest in food production (9,291, mostly 
in fruit and vegetable canning and in fresh and frozen seafood processing), 
followed by transportation equipment (7,428, primarily in aircraft manu-
facturing and railroad rolling stock manufacturing) and computer and 
electronic products (7,336, mainly in semiconductors and related devices).  
(See table 2.)
   
   The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 12 percent of
events and 11 percent of initial claims filed during the month, with layoffs 
almost entirely in administrative and support services, particularly temporary 
help services.  Seven percent of all layoff events and 9 percent of initial 
claims filed during the month were in transportation and warehousing, mostly 
in transit and ground passenger transportation (school and employee bus 
transportation).  Eight percent of the events and initial claims were from 
retail trade, mainly in general merchandise stores.  The information sector 
accounted for an additional 6 percent of events and 7 percent of initial 
claims, largely in motion picture and sound recording and in telecom-
munications.
   
   Compared with April 2001, the largest decreases in initial claims were
reported in administrative and support services (-7,598) and transportation
equipment manufacturing (-6,660).  The largest over-the-year increase in
initial claims was reported in transit and ground passenger transportation
(+5,605).
   
                                  - 2 -      
                                  
Geographic Distribution
   
   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in April
due to mass layoffs was in the West, 54,426.  (See table 3.)  Temporary
help services, motion picture and video production, and farm labor
contractors and crew leaders accounted for 23 percent of all initial claims
in the West during the month.  Following was the Northeast with 38,576
initial claims (mainly in school and employee bus transportation), the
Midwest with 37,119 (largely in temporary help services), and the South
with 35,740 (mostly in temporary help services and industrial building
construction).
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year
in the Midwest (-15,058) and West (-11,136) regions.  Over-the-year
increases were reported in the Northeast (+12,920) and South (+2,870)
regions.  Six of the nine geographic divisions experienced over-the-year
decreases in the number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs,
with the largest declines in the Pacific (-11,079) and East North Central 
(-10,033) divisions.  The Middle Atlantic division had the largest increase
over the year (+13,144).
   
   California registered the largest number of initial claims filed in mass
layoff events this April, 39,943, mostly in temporary help services and 
motion picture and video production.  New York reported 17,889 initial
claims in mass layoffs, followed by Texas (9,845), Illinois (9,583), Ohio
(9,034), and Pennsylvania (8,985).  These six states accounted for 
58 percent of all layoff events and 57 percent of all initial claims for
unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   California reported the largest over-the-year decrease in initial claims
(-11,079), followed by Iowa (-4,441), Ohio (-3,640), and Michigan (-3,486).
The largest over-the-year increase occurred in New York (+15,145).
   

                       ____________________________
   

   The report on Mass Layoffs in May 2002 will be issued on Thursday, 
June 27, 2002.
   

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
   |              Change in Industry Classification System                |
   |                                                                      |
   |    Beginning with the release of January 2002 mass layoff data on    |
   |  February 28, 2002, the Mass Layoff Statistics program implemented   |
   |  the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification      |
   |  System (NAICS) as the basis for the assignment and tabulation of    |
   |  economic data by industry.  NAICS is the product of a cooperative   |
   |  effort on the part of the statistical agencies of the United States,| 
   |  Canada, and Mexico.  Due to differences in NAICS and the previously |
   |  used Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) structures, data by   |
   |  industry for 2002 will not be comparable to the SIC-based data for  |
   |  earlier years.  However, the monthly historical industry series from| 
   |  April 1995 through December 2001 are available on both SIC and NAICS| 
   |  bases.                                                              |
   |                                                                      |
   |     NAICS uses a production-oriented approach to categorize economic |
   |   units.  Units with similar production processes are classified in  |
   |   the same industry.  NAICS focuses on how products and services are |
   |   created, as opposed to the SIC focus on what is produced. This     |
   |   approach yields significantly different industry groupings than    |
   |   those produced by the SIC approach.                                |
   |                                                                      |
   |     Users interested in more information about NAICS can access the  |
   |   BLS Web page at http://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm or the Bureau of  |
   |   the Census Web page at http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html.  |
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 

 
Technical Note
 
 
 
 The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program that
uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing, and
tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each state's
unemployment insurance database.  Each month, states report on
establishments which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them
during a consecutive 5-week period.  These establishments then are
contacted by the state agency to determine whether these separations lasted
31 days or longer, and, if so, other information concerning the layoff is
collected.  States report on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a
quarterly basis.
 
 A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment
insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that
month.  All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the
first day of the month falls on Saturday.  In this case, the week is
included in the prior month's tabulations.  This means that some months
will contain 4 weeks and others 5 weeks, and the number of weeks in a given
month may be different from year to year.  Therefore, analysis of over-the-
month and over-the-year change should take this calendar effect into
consideration.
 
 The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been
terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding.  Prior to April 1995,
monthly layoff statistics were not available.
 
 Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; 
TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
 
Definitions
 
 Initial claimant.  A person who files any notice of unemployment to
initiate a request either for a determination of entitlement to and
eligibility for compensation, or for a subsequent period of unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.
 
 Mass layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week period,
regardless of duration.
 
 
 

Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, April 2000 to April 2002
			    
							    Extended mass layoffs      
							  lasting more than 30 days  
	     Date                                
				Total mass layoffs                                         Realization rates(1)
		      
		       
					   Initial                        Initial                      Initial 
				Events    claimants       Events         claimants         Events     claimants 
					   
	     2000           
	     
April ......................       924     101,359
May ........................       984      92,193
June .......................     1,597     192,025

Second Quarter .............     3,505     385,577         1,271          231,471           36.3         60.0

July .......................     1,333     164,978
August .....................       751      97,215
September ..................       936     106,842

Third Quarter ..............     3,020     369,035         1,014          189,250           33.6         51.3

October ....................       874     103,755
November ...................     1,697     216,514
December ...................     2,677     326,743

Fourth Quarter .............     5,248     647,012         2,005       (r)376,611           38.2         58.2

	     2001           

January ....................     1,522     200,343
February ...................     1,501     172,908
March ......................     1,527     171,466

First Quarter ..............     4,550     544,717         1,765       (r)340,151           38.8         62.4

April ......................     1,450     176,265
May ........................     1,434     159,365
June .......................     2,107     253,826

Second Quarter .............     4,991     589,456         2,072       (r)401,294           41.5      (r)68.1

July .......................     2,117     273,807
August .....................     1,490     166,148
September ..................     1,327     160,402

Third Quarter ..............     4,934     600,357      (r)1,815       (r)371,124           36.8      (r)61.8

October ....................     1,831     215,483
November ...................     2,721     295,956
December ...................     2,440     268,893

Fourth Quarter .............     6,992     780,332      (r)2,700       (r)497,136        (r)38.6      (r)63.7

	     2002           

January ....................     2,146     263,821
February ...................     1,383     138,984
March(p) ...................     1,460     161,336

First Quarter(p) ...........     4,989     564,141      (2)1,669       (2)236,891           33.5         42.0

April(p) ...................     1,507     165,861


    1 The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days. 
The initial claimant realization rate is the percentage of total mass-layoff initial claimants associated 
with layoffs lasting more than 30 days.  
    2 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will increase as more data on these layoffs become avaliable. 
Recent 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. 
    r = revised.  
 
 
 

Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance

												    Initial claimants for 
							    Mass layoff events                      unemployment insurance          
		     Industry                                                                       
											     
						     April   February  March    April       April     February    March      April 
						      2001     2002   2002(p)  2002(p)     2001(r)      2002     2002(p)    2002(p) 
						 
  Total(1) .......................................   1,450    1,383    1,460    1,507      176,265    138,984    161,336    165,861

Total, private ...................................   1,413    1,351    1,414    1,458      172,117    135,518    157,100    161,342
     
  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting .....      60       97       79       79        5,950      5,493      5,775      8,079
  Mining .........................................       4       15       22       15          266      1,802      1,882      1,409
  Utilities ......................................       4    ( 2 )        7    ( 2 )          312      ( 2 )        727      ( 2 )
  Construction ...................................      74      140      150      105        6,315     10,277     11,826      9,135
  Manufacturing ..................................     608      482      500      461       78,845     58,842     59,644     50,897
    Food .........................................      65       63       74       80        7,381      6,991      9,070      9,291
    Beverage and tobacco products ................   ( 2 )        7        8        8        ( 2 )        409        802        899
    Textile mills ................................      23       21       14        9        4,190      2,380      1,468      1,120
    Textile product mills ........................       4        8    ( 2 )    ( 2 )          496        873      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
    Apparel ......................................      35       26       17       30        3,521      2,190      1,536      3,742
    Leather and allied products ..................       5    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        5          524      ( 2 )      ( 2 )        437
    Wood products ................................      25       37       19       19        2,537      3,854      2,319      1,637
    Paper ........................................      26       16       18       15        3,050      1,636      2,688      1,330
    Printing and related support activities ......       7       12       26       10          600      1,321      2,105        874
    Petroleum and coal products ..................   ( 2 )    ( 2 )        -    ( 2 )        ( 2 )      ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )
    
    Chemicals ....................................      12       12       14       10          910        780      1,659        664
    Plastics and rubber products .................      24       15       20       11        2,959      1,472      1,613        857
    Nonmetallic mineral products .................      14       10       21        9        1,446        976      1,537        717
    Primary metals ...............................      39       24       21       22        4,894      2,829      3,000      1,979
    Fabricated metal products ....................      50       36       34       22        4,663      3,471      3,319      1,781
    Machinery ....................................      58       28       43       35        9,871      6,027      6,588      5,045
    Computer and electronic products .............      95       58       65       74       12,166      6,025      6,902      7,336
    Electrical equipment and appliances ..........      24       16       26       19        2,926      2,162      3,602      2,427
    Transportation equipment .....................      78       56       46       53       14,088     11,424      8,531      7,428
    Furniture and related products ...............      15       20       19       18        1,701      2,593      1,772      1,919
    Miscellaneous manufacturing ..................       6       14       11        7          717      1,172        837        735
					      
  Wholesale trade ................................      20       24       25       27        1,892      1,569      2,694      2,212
  Retail trade ...................................     104      105      108      122       11,752     10,605     12,067     13,715
  Transportation and warehousing .................      82       45       76      104        9,536      5,179     10,441     15,442
  Information ....................................      66       69       36       86       11,650      9,902      4,456     12,127
  Finance and insurance ..........................      25       38       32       34        2,073      2,539      2,697      3,142
  Real estate and rental and leasing .............       4        8        9    ( 2 )          385        469        629      ( 2 )
  Professional and technical services ............      51       45       50       62        5,982      2,956      8,260      7,767
  Management of companies and enterprises ........   ( 2 )        8        3        3        ( 2 )        699        182        397
  Administrative and waste services ..............     185      185      185      177       25,659     17,306     21,704     18,110
  Educational services ...........................   ( 2 )        -        3        5        ( 2 )          -        232        356
  Health care and social assistance ..............      22       18       22       29        1,868      1,115      1,671      2,406
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ............      26    ( 2 )       13       33        2,489      ( 2 )      1,013      3,507
  Accommodation and food services ................      64       49       76       74        5,740      4,091      9,721      7,378
  Other services, except public administration ...      10        9        7       26        1,144        481        609      3,279
  
  Unclassified ...................................       1        6       11       10           84      1,563        870      1,106

Government .......................................      37       32       46       49        4,148      3,466      4,236      4,519
    Federal ......................................       9        8        7        7        1,069      1,002        777        543
    State ........................................       5        7       16       15          778        449      1,652      1,717
    Local ........................................      23       17       23       27        2,301      2,015      1,807      2,259


    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. 
    r = revised. 
    NOTE:  Beginning with data for January 2002, the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is 
the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry. NAICS is the product of a cooperative effort on the part 
of the statistical agencies of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Due to differences in NAICS and SIC structures, data by 
industry for 2002 will not be comparable to the SIC-based data for earlier years. However, the monthly historical industry series 
from April 1995 to December 2001 are available on both SIC and NAICS bases.  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                                                                            
                               
                               April     February    March      April         April     February      March       April 
                                2001       2002     2002(p)    2002(p)         2001       2002       2002(p)     2002(p) 
                            
      United States(1) .....   1,450      1,383      1,460      1,507     (r)176,265     138,984     161,336     165,861

Northeast ..................     244        175        210        306         25,656      20,241      20,443      38,576

  New England ..............      69         38         33         62          7,487       4,107       2,995       7,263
  Middle Atlantic ..........     175        137        177        244         18,169      16,134      17,448      31,313

South ......................     305        350        347        331      (r)32,870      37,256      37,291      35,740

  South Atlantic ...........     131        176        157        158         15,156      16,633      16,644      16,451
  East South Central .......      71         67         73         58          6,678       7,024       7,076       6,629
  West South Central .......     103        107        117        115      (r)11,036      13,599      13,571      12,660

Midwest ....................     361        284        327        314         52,177      34,912      42,491      37,119

  East North Central .......     288        217        253        260         41,160      27,662      32,058      31,127
  West North Central .......      73         67         74         54         11,017       7,250      10,433       5,992

West .......................     540        574        576        556         65,562      46,575      61,111      54,426

  Mountain .................      66         60         52         61          7,439       5,782       4,841       7,382
  Pacific ..................     474        514        524        495         58,123      40,793      56,270      47,044


   1 See footnote 1, table 2. 
   p = preliminary. 
   r = revised. 
   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                                                           
                               
                              April      February     March       April         April      February     March       April 
                               2001        2002      2002(p)     2002(p)         2001        2002      2002(p)     2002(p) 
   
   Total(1)................   1,450       1,383       1,460       1,507     (r)176,265     138,984     161,336     165,861

Alabama ...................       9          21          10          25          1,020       2,129       1,295       2,529
Alaska ....................       4       ( 2 )           -           4            404       ( 2 )           -         361
Arizona ...................      21          11          12          24          2,848         939         879       3,649
Arkansas ..................       9           4           5           7          1,104         299         488         509
California ................     413         460         466         436         51,022      34,494      48,376      39,943
Colorado ..................      13          10          10          11          1,234         976         845       1,121
Connecticut ...............       6       ( 2 )           4           4            511       ( 2 )         377         232
Delaware ..................       -           -           4           3              -           -         790         508
District of Columbia ......       -       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )              -       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Florida ...................      43          86          64          69          3,553       5,903       5,689       6,303
Georgia ...................      14          20          20          16          1,207       2,396       2,202       1,686
Hawaii ....................       5          10           6           7            421       1,090         658         512
Idaho .....................      10          13          13           6            802       1,579       1,628         625

Illinois ..................      54          58          53          61          9,785      10,045       7,645       9,583
Indiana ...................      26          25          21          24          2,995       2,319       2,212       2,998
Iowa ......................      25          13          12          12          5,971       1,869       1,510       1,530
Kansas ....................       4           4           7           9            374         431       1,357         797
Kentucky ..................      31          27          31          20          3,388       2,963       3,354       2,315
Louisiana .................       8          13          19          19         (r)765       2,409       1,501       1,982
Maine .....................       8       ( 2 )           4           7            633       ( 2 )         226         822
Maryland ..................   ( 2 )           6       ( 2 )           3          ( 2 )         606       ( 2 )         218
Massachusetts .............      28          25          15          24          2,731       2,406       1,652       2,891
Michigan ..................      47          41          56          30          6,200       4,235       6,483       2,714
Minnesota .................      19          24          16          14          2,124       2,662       2,238       1,936
Mississippi ...............      15           5          13           5          1,087         757         890         287
Missouri ..................      19          20          29          11          2,109       1,510       4,109         974

Montana ...................       5           3           3           3            847         225         264         224
Nebraska ..................       3           5           9           6            240         564       1,133         499
Nevada ....................       9          14           6           9          1,097       1,122         461       1,169
New Hampshire .............      10       ( 2 )           3          10          1,370       ( 2 )         247       1,099
New Jersey ................      38          39          35          35          3,790       6,074       3,749       4,439
New Mexico ................       4           3           3       ( 2 )            304         279         176       ( 2 )
New York ..................      21          26          19         126          2,744       2,375       1,568      17,889
North Carolina ............      25          18          23          25          3,086       2,628       2,686       2,832
North Dakota ..............   ( 2 )           -           -       ( 2 )          ( 2 )           -           -       ( 2 )
Ohio ......................      78          50          52          80         12,674       4,966       5,780       9,034
Oklahoma ..................       7          15          10           5          1,116       1,810       1,887         324
Oregon ....................      32          24          27          24          4,310       2,576       3,507       3,118
Pennsylvania ..............     116          72         123          83         11,635       7,685      12,131       8,985

Rhode Island ..............      12           6           4           8          1,726         942         323       1,431
South Carolina ............      33          25          21          21          5,562       2,808       2,750       2,450
South Dakota ..............   ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -          ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Tennessee .................      16          14          19           8          1,183       1,175       1,537       1,498
Texas .....................      79          75          83          84          8,051       9,081       9,695       9,845
Utah ......................       4           6           5           6            307         662         588         460
Vermont ...................       5       ( 2 )           3           9            516       ( 2 )         170         788
Virginia ..................      12          17          16          17          1,442       2,061       1,794       1,959
Washington ................      20          18          25          24          1,966       2,495       3,729       3,110
West Virginia .............   ( 2 )           3           7           3          ( 2 )         166         571         346
Wisconsin .................      83          43          71          65          9,506       6,097       9,938       6,798
Wyoming ...................       -           -           -           -              -           -           -           -

Puerto Rico ...............      15           7           9          12          1,670         827       1,082       1,591

 1 See footnote 1, table 2. 
 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
 p = preliminary.  
 r = revised. 
 NOTE: Dash represents zero.