Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6392   USDL 01-04


                                         For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902   Tuesday, January 9, 2001

                                     
                       MASS LAYOFFS IN NOVEMBER 2000

   In November 2000, there were 1,697 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; the number of workers involved totaled 216,514.  (See table
1.)  The number of layoff events and initial claims for unemployment
insurance were the highest for the month of November since the series began
in 1995.  From January through November 2000, the total number of layoff
events (13,061) was slightly lower than in January-November 1999, while the
total number of initial claims (1,508,849) was higher.
   
   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 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.
   
Industry Distribution
   
   In November 2000, manufacturing industries accounted for 36 percent of
all mass layoff events and 43 percent of all initial claims filed.  The
highest number of initial claimants was in transportation equipment
(18,322), primarily in motor vehicles and car bodies.  Other manufacturing
industries with high numbers of initial claimants were food and kindred
products (9,927), industrial machinery and equipment (9,899), and textile
mill products (9,379).  (See table 2.)
   
   Nineteen percent of all layoffs and 22 percent of initial claimants
during the month were in services, mainly in business services (particularly
help supply services) and motion pictures.  Layoffs in these industries, how-
ever, are more likely than those in most other industries to last less than
30 days.
   
   Agriculture accounted for 15 percent of all layoff events and 10 percent
of initial claimants during the month, mostly in agricultural services
(farm labor contractors).  Construction, particularly in heavy construction
and in special trade contractors, accounted for 14 percent of all events
and 11 percent of all initial claimants.  Retail trade accounted for an
additional 6 percent of all mass layoff events and initial claimants during
the month, largely in eating and drinking places and in general merchandise
stores (department stores).

                                  - 2 -

   Compared with November 1999, the largest over-the-year increases in
initial claims occurred in transportation equipment (+15,167) and business
services (+11,278).  The largest decreases in initial claims occurred in
agricultural services (-2,332) and agricultural production crops (-1,242).
   
Geographic Distribution
   
   In November, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher
in the West (85,713) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  Layoffs in
business services, agricultural services, agricultural production crops,
motion pictures, and food and kindred products accounted for 62 percent of
the claims in the West.  The fewest number of mass-layoff initial claims
was reported in the Northeast region (21,489).
   
   Over-the-year increases in mass layoff-related initial claims were
reported in all four regions: Midwest (+31,090), South (+22,081), West
(+15,260), and Northeast (+8,575).  Each of the nine geographic divisions
reported over-the-year increases in initial claims associated with mass
layoff events, with the largest increase reported in the Pacific division.
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California accounted
for the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events
(71,002), primarily in business services and agricultural services.  Other
states with significant numbers of mass-layoff initial claims were Illinois
(16,382), Wisconsin (13,593), and Pennsylvania (11,364).  These four states
accounted for 50 percent of all layoff events and 52 percent of all initial
claims for unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   From November 1999 to November 2000, 41 states reported over-the-year
increases in initial claims, led by California (+11,577).  Eight states
reported over-the-year decreases in initial claims, with Arkansas reporting
the largest decrease (-2,108).
Technical Note
 
 
 
 The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program that
uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing, and
tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each state's
unemployment insurance database.  Each month, states report on
establishments which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them
during a consecutive 5-week period.  These establishments then are
contacted by the state agency to determine whether these separations lasted
31 days or longer, and, if so, other information concerning the layoff is
collected.  States report on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a
quarterly basis.
 
 A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment
insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that
month.  All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the
first day of the month falls on Saturday.  In this case, the week is
included in the prior month's tabulations.  This means that some months
will contain 4 weeks and others 5 weeks, and the number of weeks in a given
month may be different from year to year.  Therefore, analysis of over-the-
month and over-the-year change should take this calendar effect into
consideration.
 
 The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been
terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding.  Prior to April 1995,
monthly layoff statistics were not available.
 
 Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; 
TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
 
Definitions
 
 Initial claimant.  A person who files any notice of unemployment to
initiate a request either for a determination of entitlement to and
eligibility for compensation, or for a subsequent period of unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.
 
 Mass layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week period,
regardless of duration.
Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, October 1998 to November 2000

  
                                                             Extended mass layoffs 
                                                           lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                                 
                                    Total mass layoffs                                    Event
                                                                                       realization
                                                                                         rate(1)
                                              Initial                    Initial          
                                 Events      claimants      Events      claimants


             1998

 October ......................   1,553       160,830     
 November .....................   1,368       144,343     
 December .....................   1,776       207,661     

 Fourth Quarter ...............   4,697       512,834         1,734       325,990          36.9     

             1999

 January ......................   2,421       226,995     
 February .....................   1,067        89,800     
 March ........................     880        91,890     

 First Quarter ................   4,368       408,685         1,509       252,122          34.5     

 April ........................   1,270       136,885     
 May ..........................   1,032       102,738     
 June .........................   1,140       130,951     

 Second Quarter ...............   3,442       370,574         1,444       242,464          42.0     

 July .........................   1,741       221,334     
 August .......................     698        75,691     
 September ....................     717        75,288     

 Third Quarter ................   3,156       372,313         1,097       189,973          34.8     

 October ......................   1,098       118,938     
 November .....................   1,336       139,508     
 December .....................   1,509       162,381     

 Fourth Quarter ...............   3,943       420,827         1,625       287,421          41.2     

             2000

 January ......................   1,934       223,322     
 February .....................   1,045       103,898     
 March ........................     986       106,748     

 First Quarter ................   3,965       433,968         1,331       220,019          33.6     

 April ........................     924       101,359     
 May ..........................     984        92,193     
 June .........................   1,597       192,025     

 Second Quarter ...............   3,505       385,577         1,272       228,867          36.3     

 July .........................   1,333       164,978     
 August .......................     751        97,215     
 September ....................     936       106,842     

 Third Quarter ................   3,020       369,035        (p)975    (p)142,269       (p)32.3

 October(p) ...................     874       103,755     
 November(p) ..................   1,697       216,514     

   1 The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days.
   p = preliminary.
Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance

                                                                                                    Initial claimants for
                                                                Mass layoff events                  unemployment insurance
                           Industry
                                                      November September October November   November  September  October  November
                                                        1999      2000   2000(p)  2000(p)     1999       2000    2000(p)   2000(p)

      Total(1) .......................................  1,336      936      874    1,697     139,508   106,842   103,755   216,514     

 Total, private ......................................  1,299      885      826    1,651     135,031   101,134    98,349   212,318     

   Agriculture .......................................    328      119      145      254      25,546     7,747    13,631    21,916     
   Nonagriculture ....................................    958      754      670    1,374     107,599    92,220    82,285   186,788     
     Manufacturing ...................................    348      313      321      607      45,029    46,605    48,588    92,805     
       Durable goods .................................    183      178      175      363      26,418    33,403    34,544    59,217     
         Lumber and wood products ....................     43       18       19       61       4,429     1,354     1,819     7,725     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................      4       10       10       20         306     1,439       944     2,576     
         Stone, clay, and glass products .............     13       11    ( 2 )       26       1,220       794     ( 2 )     2,559     
         Primary metal industries ....................     12       20       20       35       1,039     2,082     2,857     4,643     
         Fabricated metal products ...................     20       12       20       44       1,965       844     1,737     4,332     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........     35       24       22       48       6,419     5,816     6,567     9,899     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...     20       17       14       32       6,766     1,470     1,865     7,218     
         Transportation equipment ....................     24       51       57       77       3,155    18,124    17,704    18,322     
         Instruments and related products ............      6        8        6        8         607       836       480       769     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......      6        7    ( 2 )       12         512       644     ( 2 )     1,174     

       Nondurable goods ..............................    165      135      146      244      18,611    13,202    14,044    33,588     
         Food and kindred products ...................     65       40       64       84       7,384     4,235     6,729     9,927     
         Tobacco products ............................      -        -        -        -           -         -         -         -
         Textile mill products .......................     27       18       14       48       4,216     2,294     1,696     9,379     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........     35       33       30       37       3,583     2,762     2,281     4,147     
         Paper and allied products ...................  ( 2 )       19        8       16       ( 2 )     1,899       695     2,243     
         Printing and publishing .....................  ( 2 )        6    ( 2 )        7       ( 2 )       480     ( 2 )       585     
         Chemicals and allied products ...............      9        4        6        6         691       265       438       420     
         Petroleum and coal products .................      6        -    ( 2 )        6         571         -     ( 2 )       548     
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..     11       12       14       31         943       976     1,185     5,182     
         Leather and leather products ................  ( 2 )       3     ( 2 )        9       ( 2 )       291     ( 2 )     1,157     

     Nonmanufacturing ................................    610      441      349      767      62,570    45,615    33,697    93,983     
       Mining ........................................      6        -    ( 2 )        9         476         -     ( 2 )       984     
       Construction ..................................    171       54       58      241      15,498     3,584     4,929    22,983     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........     37       35       29       45       3,405     3,046     3,116     4,811     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................    107       98       87      139      10,305     9,159     7,815    15,743     
          Wholesale trade ............................     22       16       17       32       2,013     1,773     1,191     2,649     
          Retail trade ...............................     85       82       70      107       8,292     7,386     6,624    13,094     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........     24       27    ( 2 )       18       1,798     1,801     ( 2 )     1,562     
       Services ......................................    265      227      155      315      31,088    28,025    15,842    47,900     

   Not identified ....................................     13       12       11       23       1,886     1,167     2,433     3,614     

 Government ..........................................     37       51       48       46       4,477     5,708     5,406     4,196     
   Federal ...........................................      5       22       18       15         496     2,983     2,397     1,275     
   State .............................................     16       11       12       20       1,910       951     1,355     2,002     
   Local .............................................     16       18       18       11       2,071     1,774     1,654       919     


   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
                                                                                          
                                                Mass layoff events                             Initial claimants for
                                                                                               unemployment insurance
  Census region and division

                                  November   September     October     November        November    September   October     November
                                    1999        2000       2000(p)      2000(p)          1999         2000     2000(p)      2000(p)

         United States(1) ......   1,336         936          874        1,697        139,508      106,842     103,755     216,514     

 Northeast .....................     128         106          110          187         12,914       13,642       9,040      21,489     

     New England ...............      25          17           16           30          2,122        5,979       1,293       2,926     
     Middle Atlantic ...........     103          89           94          157         10,792        7,663       7,747      18,563     

 South .........................     178         158          217          329         21,945       17,457      26,981      44,026     

     South Atlantic ............      82          67           91          154         10,017        6,375      12,727      24,888     
     East South Central ........      25          39           42           68          2,075        4,655       3,868       7,936     
     West South Central ........      71          52           84          107          9,853        6,427      10,386      11,202     

 Midwest .......................     282         179          180          464         34,196       25,529      30,047      65,286     

     East North Central ........     210         140          144          361         25,302       18,454      24,434      52,987     
     West North Central ........      72          39           36          103          8,894        7,075       5,613      12,299     

 West ..........................     748         493          367          717         70,453       50,214      37,687      85,713     

     Mountain ..................      57          31           35           66          6,279        2,727       4,185       7,552     
     Pacific ...................     691         462          332          651         64,174       47,487      33,502      78,161     
  

      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       

                           November  September   October   November        November  September   October   November
                             1999       2000     2000(p)    2000(p)          1999       2000     2000(p)    2000(p)

    Total(1) ............   1,336        936        874      1,697        139,508    106,842    103,755    216,514     

 Alabama ................       5          8          7         13            400        596        450      2,039     
 Alaska .................       5          3      ( 2 )          6            392        282      ( 2 )        399     
 Arizona ................       6          3          9          3            510        240        959        274     
 Arkansas ...............      12          5          5         13          3,362        548        558      1,254     
 California .............     638        430        302        581         59,425     43,042     30,578     71,002     
 Colorado ...............      13      ( 2 )          4          8          1,175      ( 2 )        380        850     
 Connecticut ............   ( 2 )          -          3          3          ( 2 )          -        247        233     
 Delaware ...............   ( 2 )          -          -          3          ( 2 )          -          -      2,368     
 District of Columbia ...      -       ( 2 )      ( 2 )          -              -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          -
 Florida ................      15         20         32         34            991      1,662      2,880      2,240     
 Georgia ................      15          7         14         19          1,728        550      1,233      2,187     
 Hawaii .................   ( 2 )      ( 2 )          3          3          ( 2 )      ( 2 )        174        285     
 Idaho ..................      12      ( 2 )          6         14          1,475      ( 2 )        801      1,795     

 Illinois ...............      47         39         39         70          5,407      5,592      5,692     16,382     
 Indiana ................      22         10         11         48          5,120      1,411      1,216      6,698     
 Iowa ...................      15          8          9         25          1,911      1,254        736      4,355     
 Kansas .................       6          3          3         13            658        197      2,488      1,212     
 Kentucky ...............       5         17         15         24            503      2,988      1,565      3,711     
 Louisiana ..............       5      ( 2 )         13         24            363      ( 2 )      1,299      2,214     
 Maine ..................   ( 2 )          4          3      ( 2 )          ( 2 )      2,119        171      ( 2 )
 Maryland ...............       3          3          4          6            247        263        354        724     
 Massachusetts ..........      16          9          5         16          1,400      3,229        507      1,284     
 Michigan ...............      40         28         23         90          3,660      3,804      3,537      9,558     
 Minnesota ..............      31          7         10         45          3,367      1,909      1,104      4,711     
 Mississippi ............       7          8         12         16            452        643        950      1,041     
 Missouri ...............      19         20         13         17          2,610      3,659      1,122      1,730     

 Montana ................       4          -          -          4            594          -          -        455     
 Nebraska ...............   ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 Nevada .................      15         20         13         23          2,062      1,837      1,578      2,847     
 New Hampshire ..........   ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 New Jersey .............      19         10         14         31          2,181        931      1,229      4,912     
 New Mexico .............   ( 2 )      ( 2 )          3          -          ( 2 )      ( 2 )        467          -
 New York ...............      12         12         12         22            971        918      1,020      2,287     
 North Carolina .........       8          8         15         15          1,839        833      3,717      1,987     
 North Dakota ...........       -          -          -      ( 2 )              -          -          -      ( 2 )
 Ohio ...................      34         33         34         53          3,023      4,669      9,611      6,756     
 Oklahoma ...............       7      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          9            603      ( 2 )      ( 2 )      2,155     
 Oregon .................      28         19          7         30          2,425      3,209        638      3,293     
 Pennsylvania ...........      72         67         68        104          7,640      5,814      5,498     11,364     

 Rhode Island ...........   ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          5          ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )        518     
 South Carolina .........      32         16         11         46          4,234      1,712      2,812      9,339     
 South Dakota ...........       -      ( 2 )          -          -              -      ( 2 )          -          -
 Tennessee ..............       8          6          8         15            720        428        903      1,145     
 Texas ..................      47         44         65         61          5,525      5,529      8,477      5,579     
 Utah ...................       5      ( 2 )          -         13            342      ( 2 )          -      1,276     
 Vermont ................       3      ( 2 )          3          3            260      ( 2 )        236        281     
 Virginia ...............       6         12         12         29            787      1,182      1,432      5,889     
 Washington .............      19          9         18         31          1,867        865      1,968      3,182     
 West Virginia ..........   ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ..............      67         30         37        100          8,092      2,978      4,378     13,593     
 Wyoming ................       -          -          -      ( 2 )              -          -          -      ( 2 )

 Puerto Rico ............       5         11          9          7            340        863      1,141        537     



    1 See footnote 1, table 2.                                              
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.