Technical information:  (202) 691-6392     USDL 03-563
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                           For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Thursday, October 23, 2003

                                     
                      MASS LAYOFFS IN SEPTEMBER 2003
                                     

   Employers initiated 868 mass layoff actions in September 2003, 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 sin-
gle establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 82,647.  
(See table 1.)  With fewer layoffs in long distance freight trucking, 
temporary help services, and department stores compared with September 
2002, the number of layoff events and the number of initial claims were 
down sharply, falling to their lowest levels for September since 1999.  
From January through September 2003, the total number of events, at 
14,073, and the number of initial claims, at 1,399,510, were lower than 
the January-September period a year ago.

   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 (re-
ferred to as "extended mass layoffs").  The quarterly release provides more 
information on the industry classification and location of the establishment 
and on the demographics of the laid-off workers.  Because monthly figures in-
clude 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 detail-
ed definitions.
   
Industry Distribution

   Temporary help services, with 5,737 claims, accounted for 7 percent of
all initial claims in September.  (See table A.)  Five of the 10 industries
reporting the highest number of mass-layoff initial claims recorded their
peak level for September this year.
   
   The manufacturing sector recorded 31 percent of all mass layoff events
and 38 percent of all initial claims filed in September.  A year ago, manu-
facturing reported 33 percent of events and 35 percent of initial claims.  
Within manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in transportation 
equipment (4,825), followed by computer and electronic products (4,820), 
food manufacturing (4,145), and textile mills (3,510).  (See table 2.)
   
   The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 13 percent
of events and 12 percent of initial claims filed in September, with layoffs
mostly in temporary help services.  The information sector accounted for 3
percent of events and 7 percent of initial claims during the month, mainly
in motion picture and video production.  Eight percent of the events and 7
percent of the initial claims were from retail trade, largely from general
merchandise stores.  An additional 9 percent of all layoff events and 6 per-
cent of initial claims filed during September were from construction firms, 
primarily among specialty trade contractors.

                                  - 2 - 

Table A.  Industries with the largest mass layoff initial claims in September 
2003p
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        |              |    September peak
                Industry                |Initial claims|----------------------
                                        |              | Year | Initial claims
----------------------------------------|--------------|------|---------------
Temporary help services.................|     5,737    | 2001 |     12,752
Motion picture and video production.....|     4,422    | 1997 |     11,176
Semiconductors and related device mfg...|     3,652    | 2003 |      3,652
Broadwoven fabric mills.................|     2,652    | 2003 |      2,652
Payroll services........................|     2,051    | 1999 |      4,737
Professional employer organizations.....|     1,711    | 2001 |      2,435
Elementary and secondary schools........|     1,544    | 2002 |      2,297
Public finance activities...............|     1,153    | 2003 |      1,153
Supermarkets and other grocery stores...|     1,095    | 2003 |      1,095
Nonresidential electrical contractors...|     1,072    | 2003 |      1,072
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p=preliminary.
   
   Government establishments accounted for 8 percent of events and initial
claims filed during the month, particularly in local executive, legislative, 
and general government agencies and in educational services.  The 6,351 ini-
tial claims in government were the most for any September since the mass lay-
offs series began in 1995.
   
   Compared with September 2002, the largest decreases in initial claims
were reported in truck transportation (-11,270), administrative and support
services (-4,760), and  general merchandise stores (-3,689).  The largest
over-the-year increase in initial claims was in motion picture and sound
recording (+1,397).
   
Geographic Distribution

   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in September 
due to mass layoffs was reported in the West, 34,377.  (See table 3.)  Admin-
istrative and support services and motion picture and sound recording account-
ed for 32 percent of all initial claims in that region during the month.  The 
South region was next, with 19,287 initial claims, followed by the Midwest, 
with 16,868, and the Northeast, with 12,115.
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year
in all four regions, with the largest decrease in the West (-16,849).
Eight of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year decreases in the
number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest
decreases in the Pacific (-15,298), South Atlantic (-7,698), and East North
Central (-7,258).  The New England division had the only increase (+2,640).
   
   California recorded the largest number of initial claims filed in mass
layoff events this September, 29,429, mostly in administrative and support
services and in the motion picture and sound recording industries.  Texas
reported 5,587 initial claims, followed by Illinois (4,510), Pennsylvania
(3,481), and New York (3,384).  These five states accounted for 60 percent
of all layoff events and 56 percent of initial claims for unemployment in-
surance.  (See table 4.)
   
   California registered the largest over-the-year decrease in the number
of initial claims (-10,262), followed by Oregon (-3,590).
   
                                  - 3 -

   From January through September, California reported 352,098 initial 
claims, 25 percent of the national total.  The states with the next high-
est numbers of initial claims were Pennsylvania (84,460), Ohio (78,391), 
New York (74,632), and Texas (71,116).
   
                      ______________________________
   
   The report on Extended Mass Layoffs in the Third Quarter of 2003 is
scheduled to be released on Thursday, November 20, 2003.  The report on
Mass Layoffs in October 2003 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday,
November 26, 2003.
 
 
 
 

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, July 2001 to September 2003
                            
                                                            Extended mass layoffs 
                                Total mass layoffs        lasting more than 30 days        Realization rates(1)
             Date           

                                           Initial                        Initial                      Initial
                                Events    claimants       Events         claimants         Events     claimants
                            
             2001           

July .......................     2,117     273,807
August .....................     1,490     166,148
September ..................     1,327     160,402

Third Quarter ..............     4,934     600,357         1,815          371,541           36.8         61.9

October ....................     1,831     215,483
November ...................     2,721     295,956
December ...................     2,440     268,893

Fourth Quarter .............     6,992     780,332         2,697          502,502           38.6         64.4

             2002           

January ....................     2,146     263,777
February ...................     1,382     138,808
March ......................     1,460     161,316

First Quarter ..............     4,988     563,901         1,750          316,489           35.1         56.1

April ......................     1,506     165,814
May ........................     1,723     179,799
June .......................     1,584     162,189

Second Quarter .............     4,813     507,802         1,905          353,017           39.6         69.5

July .......................     2,042     245,294
August .....................     1,248     128,103
September ..................     1,062     124,522

Third Quarter ..............     4,352     497,919         1,383          284,511           31.8         57.1

October ....................     1,497     171,100
November ...................     2,153     240,171
December ...................     2,474     264,158

Fourth Quarter .............     6,124     675,429         2,257          421,025           36.9         62.3

             2003           

January ....................     2,315     225,430
February ...................     1,363     124,965
March ......................     1,207     113,026

First Quarter ..............     4,885     463,421         1,700          329,153           34.8         71.0

April ......................     1,581     161,412
May ........................     1,703     174,204
June .......................     1,691     157,552

Second Quarter .............     4,975     493,168  (2)(p) 1,894   (2)(p) 285,884        (p)38.1      (p)58.0

July .......................     2,087     226,435
August (p) .................     1,258     133,839
September (p) ..............       868      82,647

Third Quarter  (p) .........     4,213     442,921


    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. 
     
 
 
 

Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                 
                                                                                                    Initial claimants for          
                                                             Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance         
                     Industry                    

                                                   September  July    August  September   September    July      August    September
                                                     2002     2003     2003p    2003p       2002       2003       2003p      2003p 


     Total(1) ...................................    1,062    2,087    1,258      868      124,522    226,435    133,839     82,647

Total, private ..................................    1,008    1,932    1,201      799      118,537    215,170    126,266     76,296

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....       51      117       38       43        3,801      8,269      2,135      2,382
  Mining ........................................        7        7        4        4          513        505        283        259
  Utilities .....................................    ( 2 )        -    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................       80       88      114       82        5,735      5,970      7,862      5,205
  Manufacturing .................................      352      946      405      271       43,755    136,410     52,620     31,428
      Food ......................................       39       74       42       44        4,688      6,460      5,803      4,145
      Beverage and tobacco products .............        7        8    ( 2 )    ( 2 )          454        614      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
      Textile mills .............................       17       27       21       21        3,406      2,828      7,154      3,510
      Textile product mills .....................       13       12        8    ( 2 )        2,543      1,048        739      ( 2 )
      Apparel ...................................       19       36       25       10        2,225      3,093      2,255      1,212
      Leather and allied products ...............        3    ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )          240      ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
      Wood products .............................       12       31       21       11        1,312      3,976      1,773        969
      Paper .....................................        9       16       13       10        1,007      1,035      1,083        834
      Printing and related support activities ...        7       12        4    ( 2 )          650        723        231      ( 2 )
      Petroleum and coal products ...............        -    ( 2 )        -        -            -      ( 2 )          -          -

      Chemicals .................................        8       15        7        9          977      1,332        549        602
      Plastics and rubber products ..............       15       90       24       10        1,322     11,122      2,203        886
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............        5       30        6        5          410      3,954        463        420
      Primary metals ............................       20       66       23       24        2,273      8,676      1,988      2,011
      Fabricated metal products .................       22       59       32        5        2,365      6,235      2,806        826
      Machinery .................................       28       65       39       21        3,657      8,669      6,606      2,073
      Computer and electronic products ..........       48       60       34       26        5,222      5,534      2,675      4,820
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......       23       33       21        9        2,679      5,445      2,564      1,142
      Transportation equipment ..................       32      265       50       31        4,984     60,173      9,476      4,825
      Furniture and related products ............       17       20       21       11        2,834      2,391      2,513      1,254
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............        8       19       11       10          507      1,648      1,351        662

  Wholesale trade ...............................       20       36       18       22        1,708      2,776      1,322      1,808
  Retail trade ..................................       92      108       99       69       10,029      9,065      9,980      5,789
  Transportation and warehousing ................       68       84       86       20       18,128      7,489      9,025      1,723
  Information ...................................       47       44       51       26        6,585      3,700      9,114      5,791
  Finance and insurance .........................       26       35       41       35        2,530      2,569      3,113      2,371
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............    ( 2 )       11        4        5        ( 2 )        751        349        382
  Professional and technical services ...........       29       53       41       29        2,811      4,970      3,775      3,730
  Management of companies and enterprises .......    ( 2 )        4    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        438      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
  Administrative and waste services .............      133      212      168      109       14,255     18,427     16,242      9,606
  Educational services ..........................        5       25        7        8          369      1,714        592        634
  Health care and social assistance .............       18       59       32       13        1,299      4,048      2,427        945
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........       19       27       19       19        2,157      2,559      1,386      1,237
  Accommodation and food services ...............       49       50       45       37        4,056      3,764      3,228      2,623
  Other services, except public administration ..    ( 2 )       19       22        3        ( 2 )      1,115      2,234        183

  Unclassified ..................................        1        7        4        1          103        631        259         50

Government ......................................       54      155       57       69        5,985     11,265      7,573      6,351
  Federal .......................................        9       10       10       13        1,703        899      1,287      1,910
  State .........................................       10       24       16       14          980      1,527      1,766      1,417
  Local .........................................       35      121       31       42        3,302      8,839      4,520      3,024


    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: Industry data reflect the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), 2002.  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

                             September    July      August    September    September     July       August     September
                               2002       2003       2003p      2003p        2002        2003        2003p       2003p 

      United States(1) ....    1,062      2,087      1,258        868       124,522     226,435     133,839      82,647

Northeast .................      158        336        220        107        15,981      30,187      21,272      12,115

  New England .............       21         69         25         19         1,919       6,148       2,151       4,559
  Middle Atlantic .........      137        267        195         88        14,062      24,039      19,121       7,556

South .....................      259        440        330        196        31,878      48,895      34,673      19,287

  South Atlantic ..........      129        200        164         96        16,396      22,033      18,195       8,698
  East South Central ......       51        128         68         31         5,877      14,232       8,033       4,144
  West South Central ......       79        112         98         69         9,605      12,630       8,445       6,445

Midwest ...................      177        697        239        165        25,437     101,533      30,872      16,868

  East North Central ......      134        589        199        125        19,904      79,361      25,707      12,646
  West North Central ......       43        108         40         40         5,533      22,172       5,165       4,222

West ......................      468        614        469        400        51,226      45,820      47,022      34,377

  Mountain ................       35         53         42         30         4,119       4,179       4,080       2,568
  Pacific .................      433        561        427        370        47,107      41,641      42,942      31,809


    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         

                           September     July       August     September    September     July       August     September
                             2002        2003        2003p       2003p        2002        2003        2003p       2003p 

   Total(1) .............    1,062       2,087       1,258         868       124,522     226,435     133,839      82,647

Alabama .................       16          45          24           8         2,174       5,466       3,740       1,164
Alaska ..................    ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           3         ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )         185
Arizona .................        9          20          10           4         1,618       1,634         703         423
Arkansas ................        4           8       ( 2 )           3           421         621       ( 2 )         268
California ..............      376         517         383         345        39,691      37,033      37,814      29,429
Colorado ................        6           7       ( 2 )           6           561         478       ( 2 )         439
Connecticut .............        4          12           3           4           262         833         237         291
Delaware ................        -           3           3       ( 2 )             -       1,430         598       ( 2 )
District of Columbia ....    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Florida .................       55          76          80          43         4,143       5,356       5,554       2,555
Georgia .................       16          53          20          19         4,639       7,835       2,077       2,130
Hawaii ..................        4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3           428       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         196
Idaho ...................        4           9          11           6           287         957       1,500         463

Illinois ................       41          85          50          41         6,707      11,117       7,996       4,510
Indiana .................       16          86          29          13         2,512      18,688       3,478         983
Iowa ....................        9          24          10           9         1,673       4,674       1,650       1,108
Kansas ..................        3          14           6           6           196       1,800         775         547
Kentucky ................       16          57          21          16         1,773       7,110       2,377       2,259
Louisiana ...............       12          20          17           4           761       2,299       1,215         231
Maine ...................    ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )         178       ( 2 )           -
Maryland ................        7          16           5       ( 2 )           815       1,149         422       ( 2 )
Massachusetts ...........       12          43          15          10           988       3,947       1,388       1,047
Michigan ................       14         190          11          18         1,544      21,647       2,369       1,861
Minnesota ...............        9          18           6           7         1,142       2,127         505         511
Mississippi .............        6           8           8       ( 2 )           782         460         571       ( 2 )
Missouri ................       15          40          15          13         1,886      12,137       1,521       1,307

Montana .................        -           3           4       ( 2 )             -         172         599       ( 2 )
Nebraska ................        6           9           -           5           583       1,231           -         749
Nevada ..................       13          10          11          12         1,133         694         915         879
New Hampshire ...........        3           8           3       ( 2 )           514         944         195       ( 2 )
New Jersey ..............       29          59          33           8         3,424       5,354       2,708         691
New Mexico ..............    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )         127       ( 2 )
New York ................       49          92          94          38         5,137       8,253      10,633       3,384
North Carolina ..........       11          11          32          11         1,208       1,298       6,680         897
North Dakota ............        -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -             -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Ohio ....................       34         133          54          29         5,468      17,086       6,389       2,979
Oklahoma ................    ( 2 )           9           6           5         ( 2 )       1,947         603         359
Oregon ..................       30          24          27           5         3,965       2,891       2,447         375
Pennsylvania ............       59         116          68          42         5,501      10,432       5,780       3,481

Rhode Island ............    ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         246       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
South Carolina ..........       18          17          10           5         2,220       1,815         870       1,548
South Dakota ............    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Tennessee ...............       13          18          15           5         1,148       1,196       1,345         608
Texas ...................       62          75          74          57         8,280       7,763       6,571       5,587
Utah ....................    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Vermont .................        -           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             -           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Virginia ................       19          21          13          14         3,092       2,981       1,887       1,321
Washington ..............       21          18          14          14         2,889       1,579       1,714       1,624
West Virginia ...........    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Wisconsin ...............       29          95          55          24         3,673      10,823       5,475       2,313
Wyoming .................        -           -           -           -             -           -           -           -

Puerto Rico .............        9          13          10           7           873       1,116       1,035         573


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.