Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov:80/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 606-6396     USDL 96-483

                                           For release:  10:00 A.M.  EST
Media contact:                606-5902     Wednesday, November 20, 1996


               BLS STARTS NEW MONTHLY SERIES ON MASS LAYOFFS
                        WITH SEPTEMBER 1996 FIGURES


   The Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, is issuing a
new series on mass layoffs based on initial filings for unemployment
insurance during the reference month.  In the past, BLS has issued
quarterly reports on mass layoffs that involve 50 or more workers from one
establishment and are more than 30 days in duration.  The new series will
cover mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning in a given month,
regardless of duration.  Information on the length of the layoff will be
obtained later for the quarterly release, which will include only mass
layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs")
and more information on the establishment classification and location and
on the demographics of the laid-off workers.  See the Technical Note for
more detailed definitions.
   
   Because of the inclusion in the monthly figures of short-term layoffs of
30 days or less, the sum of the figures for the 3 months in a quarter will
be significantly higher than the quarterly figure for mass layoffs of more
than 30 days.  For example, the sum of all mass layoffs in April, May, and
June of 1996 was 2,816 layoff events involving 266,205 initial claimants
for unemployment insurance.  The second quarter 1996 figures for mass
layoffs lasting more than 30 days, however, were 1,247 events and 139,390
claimants.  A little more than two-fifths (44 percent) of all mass layoffs
in the April-June period lasted for more than a month.  (See table 1.)  The
new monthly series will be available on a more current basis than the
quarterly release.
   
Mass Layoffs in September 1996
   
   In September 1996, there were 498 mass layoff actions by employers as
measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the
month.  (See table 1.)  Each action involved at least 50 persons from a
single establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 40,964
persons.  Over the prior five quarters, from about 30 to 45 percent of new
mass layoffs of 50 or more workers turned into extended mass layoffs that
lasted for more than 30 days.  See Technical Note for definitions.
   
State Distribution
   
   In the month of September, the states with the largest numbers of
initial claims filed in mass layoff events were:

                     California      12,184
                     Pennsylvania     3,699
                     Illinois         2,845
                     South Carolina   1,948
                     Texas            1,904

These five states accounted for 55 percent of the initial claims reported
and 58 percent of the total number of layoff events.  (See table 2.)
Layoffs in these states were primarily in business services (mostly in help
supply) and electronic equipment manufacturing (largely in semiconductor
firms).

   Comparing September 1996 to September 1995, 32 states and the District
of Columbia reported fewer people who filed initial claims stemming from
mass layoff events.  California reported the sharpest decline in initial
claims (8,461), largely due to fewer layoffs in motion pictures and
business services.  Maryland reported the largest over-the-year rise
(1,081).  States with the largest over-the-year changes in initial claims
were:

                Decreases               Increases
          California    -8,461     Maryland        1,081
          Illinois      -3,692     Washington        542
          Ohio          -2,917     Kansas            277
          Texas         -2,723     Oregon            238
          Pennsylvania  -2,573     North Carolina    207
                             

Industry Distribution

   Manufacturing industries accounted for 52 percent of all initial claims
filed and 46 percent of all mass layoff events in September 1996.  (See
table 3.)  Within manufacturing, slightly more layoff activity occurred in
nondurable goods industries than in durable goods industries.
Manufacturing industries which had the largest numbers of initial claimants
were:

          Electronic and other electrical equipment    3,609
          Food and kindred products                    2,881
          Apparel and other textile products           2,517
          Textile mill products                        2,455
          Transportation equipment                     2,034

   Within nonmanufacturing industries (including agriculture), over 55
percent of the activity was in services (largely in business services) and
retail trade (mostly in general merchandise stores).  Nonmanufacturing
industries with the largest numbers of initial claims filed in mass layoff
events were:


          Business services            3,067
          General merchandise stores   1,354
          Agricultural services        1,011

   Compared with September 1995, the reported number of layoff events and
of related initial claims filings declined in most industries.  The largest
changes in initial claims from a year ago occurred in the following
industries:

                    Decreases
          Industrial machinery and equipment         -4,726
          Food and kindred products                  -3,281
          Transportation equipment                   -3,192
          General merchandise stores                 -3,005
          Apparel and other textile products         -2,656
                                            
                    Increases
          Electronic and other electrical equipment   1,306
          Finance, taxation, and monetary policy        292
          Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products    267
          Transportation by air                         196
          Communications                                178

Technical Note



   The  Mass  Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state  program
which uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing,
and  tracking  the effects of major job cutbacks, using  data  from  each
state's  unemployment insurance database.  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  one
month on a quarterly basis.
   
   This  release  is the first monthly report from the MLS program.   The
program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been terminated  in
November  1992  due  to  lack of funding.  Previously,  however,  monthly
layoff statistics were not published.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD phone: 
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-326-2577.
   
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.
   
   Layoff event. Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment insurance
benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week period.
Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, July 1995 to September 1996
                                                                                                         
                                                                                                         
                                     Total mass layoffs        Mass layoffs lasting more                 
                                                                         than 30 days           Event    
             Date                                                                            realization 
                                                                                               rate(1)   
                                   Events         Initial        Events         Initial                  
                                                 claimants                     claimants                 
                                                                                                         
             1995                                                                             

                                                                                                         
July..........................       1,452        162,229                                                
August........................         656         55,196                                                
September.....................         684         73,088                                                
                                                                                                         
Third quarter.................       2,792        290,513            902        144,578         32.3     
                                                                                                         
October.......................       1,050        110,134                                                
November......................       1,248        130,092                                                
December......................       2,010        209,060                                                
                                                                                                         
Fourth quarter................       4,308        449,286          1,716        294,957         39.8     
                                                                                                         
             1996                                                                             
                                                                                                         
January.......................       1,666        167,834                                                
February......................         918         74,984                                                
March.........................         975        121,046                                                
                                                                                                         
First quarter.................       3,559        363,864          1,350        213,253         37.9                          
                                                                                                         
April.........................       1,010        110,873                                                
May...........................         913         78,045                                                
June..........................         893         77,287                                                
                                                                                                         
Second quarter(2).............       2,816        266,205          1,247        139,390         44.3     
                                                                                                         
July..........................       1,503        189,096                                                
August........................         869         76,462                                                
September(3)..................         498         40,964                                                
                                                                                                         
Third quarter(3)..............       2,870        306,522          (4)            (4)            (4)     

  1  The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days.
  2  Data for layoffs lasting more than 30 days were reported for the District of Columbia and all
states, except Michigan and Mississippi.
  3  Data for total mass layoffs were reported for the District of Columbia and all states, except
Michigan.
  4  Data not available.
Table 2. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for
unemployment insurance, September 1995 and September 1996
                                                                         
                                                                         
                             Mass layoff events    Initial claimants for 
                                                   unemployment insurance
          State                                                          
                                                                         
                           September   September   September   September 
                              1995        1996        1995        1996   
                                                                         
  Total(1)...............       684         498      73,088      40,964  
                                                                         
Alabama..................         4           5         313         330  
Alaska...................         5       (2)           290       (2)    
Arizona..................         8       (2)           567       (2)    
Arkansas.................        13           6         926         582  
California...............       200         177      20,645      12,184  
Colorado.................     (2)          -          (2)          -     
Connecticut..............         4       (2)           328       (2)    
Delaware.................         3        -          1,256        -     
District of Columbia.....     (2)          -          (2)          -     
Florida..................        37          25       2,619       1,612  
Georgia..................        10           7         857         487  
Hawaii...................         4           3         319         306  
Idaho....................         3       (2)           286       (2)    
                                                                         
Illinois.................        32          23       6,537       2,845  
Indiana..................         5           8         590         614  
Iowa.....................        10           3         852         288  
Kansas...................      -              5        -            277  
Kentucky.................         8       (2)         1,152       (2)    
Louisiana................         3           3         217         282  
Maine....................        10       (2)         1,105       (2)    
Maryland.................         9           9         771       1,852  
Massachusetts............         5       (2)           400       (2)    
Michigan.................        11       (1)           945       (1)    
Minnesota................        10       (2)         2,132       (2)    
Mississippi..............         5           3         400         149  
Missouri.................        12          13       1,112       1,183  
                                                                         
Montana..................     (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)    
Nebraska.................     (2)          -          (2)          -     
Nevada...................     (2)             3       (2)           260  
New Hampshire............      -           -           -           -     
New Jersey...............        16          12       1,369       1,124  
New Mexico...............      -           -           -           -     
New York.................        12           9         825         913  
North Carolina...........         6           9         579         786  
North Dakota.............      -           -           -           -     
Ohio.....................        29          12       3,694         777  
Oklahoma.................         3        -            238        -     
Oregon...................         7          13         731         969  
Pennsylvania.............        81          53       6,272       3,699  
                                                                         
Rhode Island.............         3       (2)           310       (2)    
South Carolina...........        19          14       3,671       1,948  
South Dakota.............     (2)          -          (2)          -     
Tennessee................         8          10         673         811  
Texas....................        32          22       4,627       1,904  
Utah.....................     (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)    
Vermont..................      -           -           -           -     
Virginia.................        16           8       1,445       1,237  
Washington...............     (2)             9       (2)           728  
West Virginia............         3       (2)           255       (2)    
Wisconsin................        28          17       2,868       1,488  
Wyoming..................      -           -           -           -     
Puerto Rico..............         4           6         414         678  

  1  For September 1996, data were reported for the District of Columbia
and all states, except Michigan.
  2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
  NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
September 1995 and September 1996
                                                                                                              
                                                                                                              
                                                         Mass layoff events          Initial claimants for    
                                                                                     unemployment insurance   
                     Industry                                                                                 
                                                                                                              
                                                      September      September      September      September  
                                                        1995           1996           1995           1996     
                                                                                                              
   Total, all industries(1).......................         684            498         73,088         40,964   
                                                                                                              
Agriculture.......................................          26             26          1,682          1,542   
Nonagriculture....................................         636            442         69,687         36,485   
 Manufacutring....................................         355            231         42,769         21,391   
  Durable goods...................................         169            104         22,590          9,564   
   Lumber and wood products.......................          11              6            899            481   
   Furniture and fixtures.........................           5          (2)              338          (2)     
   Stone, clay, and glass products................          14              5          1,356            369   
   Primary metal industries.......................          19             11          3,016            775   
   Fabricated metal products......................          24             10          2,156            659   
   Industrial machinery and equipment.............          23             13          5,817          1,091   
   Electronic and other electrical equipment......          25             31          2,303          3,609   
   Transportation equipment.......................          31             18          5,226          2,034   
   Instruments and related products...............          10          (2)              969          (2)     
   Miscellaneous manufacturing industries.........           7              5            510            295   
                                                                                                              
  Nondurable goods................................         186            127         20,179         11,827   
   Food and kindred products......................          57             36          6,162          2,881   
   Textile mill products..........................          28             21          4,373          2,455   
   Apparel and other textile products.............          46             28          5,173          2,517   
   Paper and allied products......................          10              9            823            747   
   Printing and publishing........................       (2)               15          (2)              866   
   Chemicals and allied products..................           8              5            815            413   
   Petroleum and coal products....................       (2)            (2)            (2)            (2)     
   Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products.....          19              8          1,362          1,629   
   Leather and leather products...................           9          (2)              639          (2)     
                                                                                                              
 Nonmanufacturing.................................         281            211         26,918         15,094   
  Mining..........................................           3              5            175            504   
  Construction....................................          24             27          1,705          1,617   
  Transportation and public utilities.............          27             26          2,091          1,881   
  Wholesale and retail trade......................          87             51          9,625          3,450   
   Wholesale trade................................          15             14          1,418            827   
   Retail trade...................................          72             37          8,207          2,623   
   Finance, insurance, and real estate............          15             11          1,167            940   
   Services.......................................         115             81         11,194          5,911   
   Government.....................................          10             10            961            791   
                                                                                                              
Not identified....................................          22             30          1,719          2,937   

  1 For September 1996, data were reported for the District of Columbia and all states, except Michigan.
  2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.