Technical information:  (202) 691-6392    USDL 01-279
http://www.bls.gov/mlshome.htm

                                          For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902    Thursday, August 30, 2001

                                     
                         MASS LAYOFFS IN JULY 2001

   In July 2001, there were 2,108 mass layoff actions by employers as
measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the
month, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics.  Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single
establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 272,308.  (See
table 1.)  In January-July 2001, the total number of events, at 11,615, and
initial claims, at 1,401,054, were higher than in January-July 2000 (8,803
and 984,523, respectively).
   
   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 demogra-
phics 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 July 2001, manufacturing industries accounted for 54 percent of all
mass layoff events and 61 percent of all initial claims filed.  A year
earlier, layoffs in manufacturing accounted for 49 percent of events and
60 percent of initial claims.  Manufacturing industries with the highest
number of initial claimants were transportation equipment (34,976, mostly
in motor vehicle parts and accessories and in motor vehicles and car bodies),
industrial machinery and equipment (24,895, primarily in internal combustion
engines and in construction machinery), and electronic and other electrical
equipment (20,502, largely in semiconductors).  (See table 2.)  Compared with
July 2000, 18 of the 20 manufacturing industry groups had increases in the
number of initial claims.
   
   Services accounted for 19 percent of events and 18 percent of initial
claims filed during the month.  Forty-five percent of those claimants were
in help supply services, which usually has high turnover, but is more
likely than other industries to lay off workers for fewer than 30 days.
   
   Six percent of all layoff events and 5 percent of initial claims during
the month were in retail trade industries, largely in general merchandise
stores (department stores). Transportation and public utilities accounted
for 5 percent of events and 4 percent of initial claims during the month,
mostly in trucking and warehousing.  An additional 4 percent of events and
3 percent of initial claims each were in agriculture and government.
Layoffs in agricultural industries were mostly in agricultural services
(farm labor contractors).  Layoffs in government were most prevalent in
educational services (elementary and secondary schools).
   
   Compared with July 2000, the largest increases in initial claims were
reported in business services (+20,062), industrial machinery and equipment
(+15,663), and electronic and other electrical equipment (+14,663).  The
largest over-the-year decreases in initial claims were reported in motion
pictures (-2,069) and in interurban passenger transit, largely school
busing (-1,436).

                                  - 2 -

Geographic Distribution
   
   In July, the highest number of initial claims due to mass layoffs were
in the Midwest--116,117, largely in transportation equipment, industrial
machinery and equipment, and fabricated metal products.  (See table 3.)
These three industries accounted for 47 percent of all claimants in the
region.  The Northeast region continued to register the lowest number of
mass layoff-related initial claims (33,490).
   
   Over the year, all four regions (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West)
reported increases in mass layoff events and initial claims, with the
largest increase occurring in the Midwest (+45,068).  The number of initial
claimants associated with mass layoff events increased in each of the nine
geographic divisions, with the largest increases in the East North Central
and Pacific divisions.
   
   California had the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff
events (51,198), mostly in business services and in motion pictures, followed
by Michigan (28,650) and Ohio (23,143).  These three states accounted for
38 percent of all layoff events and initial claims for unemployment insurance.
(See table 4.)
   
   Compared with a year earlier, 38 states experienced increases in the
levels of initial claims in July 2001.  California reported the largest
over-the-year increase (+23,763), followed by Michigan (+11,453) and
Illinois (+10,050).  Nine states and the District of Columbia had over-
the-year decreases in the number of initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, led by Virginia (-2,003).
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, July 1999 to July 2001

                                                          Extended mass layoffs 
                                                        lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                               
                                 Total mass layoffs                                       Realization rates(1)
                                                                                             
                                                                                                
                                            Initial                     Initial                       Initial 
                                  Events    claimants      Events       claimants         Events      claimants 


             1999

 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          51.0     

 October .....................    1,098      118,938     
 November ....................    1,336      139,508     
 December ....................    1,509      162,381     

 Fourth Quarter ..............    3,943      420,827         1,625       287,685          41.2          68.4     

             2000

 January .....................    1,934      223,322     
 February ....................    1,045      103,898     
 March .......................      986      106,748     

 First Quarter ...............    3,965      433,968      (r)1,330    (r)221,368       (r)33.5          51.0     

 April .......................      924      101,359     
 May .........................      984       92,193     
 June ........................    1,597      192,025     

 Second Quarter ..............    3,505      385,577      (r)1,271    (r)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    (r)188,641          33.6       (r)51.1

 October .....................      874      103,755     
 November ....................    1,697      216,514     
 December ....................    2,677      326,743     

 Fourth Quarter ..............    5,248      647,012         2,005    (r)376,024          38.2          58.1     

             2001

 January .....................    1,522      200,343     
 February ....................    1,501      172,908     
 March .......................    1,527      171,466     

 First Quarter ...............    4,550      544,717      (r)1,768    (r)335,877       (r)38.9       (r)61.7

 April .......................    1,450      175,911     
 May .........................    1,426      157,759     
 June(p) .....................    2,081      250,359     

 Second Quarter(p) ...........    4,957      584,029      (2)1,911    (2)268,809          38.6          46.0     
 
 July(p) .....................    2,108      272,308     


    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 available.
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


                                                          July   May     June     July         July     May     June     July
                                                          2000   2001   2001(p)  2001(p)       2000     2001   2001(p)  2001(p)


      Total(1) .......................................   1,333  1,426   2,081    2,108       164,978  157,759  250,359  272,308     

 Total, private ......................................   1,252  1,393   1,892    2,034       158,672  154,549  233,470  264,922     

   Agriculture .......................................      91     68     118       92         6,038    4,714    9,360    7,396     
   Nonagriculture ....................................   1,136  1,312   1,762    1,935       149,693  148,406  222,500  256,578     
     Manufacturing ...................................     652    528     745    1,144        99,807   65,317  116,626  167,427     
       Durable goods .................................     425    334     484      802        71,405   44,279   78,747  126,136     
         Lumber and wood products ....................      32     12      19       28         3,487    1,125    1,631    3,375     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................      25     23      44       41         3,955    2,566    6,237    5,962     
         Stone, clay, and glass products .............      10     13      16       20         1,158    1,695    1,788    2,796     
         Primary metal industries ....................      35     23      44       85         4,230    3,439    5,639   13,746     
         Fabricated metal products ...................      70     34      66      137         8,797    3,724    7,055   16,156     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........      63     61      66      146         9,232    7,303    9,662   24,895     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...      38    114     115      130         5,839   15,410   18,636   20,502     
         Transportation equipment ....................     133     38      91      174        33,094    7,768   26,431   34,976     
         Instruments and related products ............       8      9      12       21           663      706      925    2,210     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......      11      7      11       20           950      543      743    1,518     

       Nondurable goods ..............................     227    194     261      342        28,402   21,038   37,879   41,291     
         Food and kindred products ...................      74     66      65       82         7,584    6,523    5,989    9,239     
         Tobacco products ............................   ( 2 )      3       -        -         ( 2 )      235        -        -
         Textile mill products .......................      22     26      39       50         2,970    3,344   11,104    7,323     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........      44     29      50       48         5,711    3,180    5,941    6,009     
         Paper and allied products ...................   ( 2 )     10      16       20         ( 2 )    1,248    1,766    2,436     
         Printing and publishing .....................       9     27      20       16           631    3,024    1,690    1,471     
         Chemicals and allied products ...............   ( 2 )      8      12       17         ( 2 )      908    1,390    2,071     
         Petroleum and coal products .................       -      -       -    ( 2 )             -        -        -    ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..      51     22      54       97         8,597    2,160    9,588   11,586     
         Leather and leather products ................      10      3       5    ( 2 )           822      416      411    ( 2 )

     Nonmanufacturing ................................     484    784   1,017      791        49,886   83,089  105,874   89,151     
       Mining ........................................   ( 2 )      3       4        8         ( 2 )      488    1,519    1,259     
       Construction ..................................      52    105      88       64         4,040    9,483    6,375    5,022     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........      79     53     146      114         8,538    4,907   21,002   11,387     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................     103    190     230      170         9,488   18,823   26,030   18,352     
          Wholesale trade ............................      30     31      58       48         3,055    2,614    5,747    5,016     
          Retail trade ...............................      73    159     172      122         6,433   16,209   20,283   13,336     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........   ( 2 )     34      33       44         ( 2 )    2,910    3,059    3,409     
       Services ......................................     235    399     516      391        26,158   46,478   47,889   49,722     

   Not identified ....................................      25     13      12        7         2,941    1,429    1,610      948     

 Government ..........................................      81     33     189       74         6,306    3,210   16,889    7,386     
   Federal ...........................................      16      7      17       18         1,851      720    2,870    2,020     
   State .............................................      13      9      28        7         1,063      996    2,419      592     
   Local .............................................      52     17     144       49         3,392    1,494   11,600    4,774     


   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


                                  July      May       June       July         July        May        June        July
                                  2000      2001     2001(p)    2001(p)       2000        2001      2001(p)     2001(p)

         United States(1) ....   1,333     1,426     2,081      2,108       164,978     157,759     250,359     272,308     

 Northeast ...................     176       192       299        319        18,226      21,001      38,111      33,490     

     New England .............      36        59        67         70         3,953       5,545       7,145       8,574     
     Middle Atlantic .........     140       133       232        249        14,273      15,456      30,966      24,916     

 South .......................     312       345       479        453        39,032      38,495      62,023      54,895     

     South Atlantic ..........     166       171       249        236        22,269      17,312      34,834      28,391     
     East South Central ......      66        57       110         89         6,881       5,783      14,057      10,772     
     West South Central ......      80       117       120        128         9,882      15,400      13,132      15,732     

 Midwest .....................     481       304       569        763        71,049      38,953      87,401     116,117     

     East North Central ......     399       220       452        618        60,565      29,057      65,836      96,509     
     West North Central ......      82        84       117        145        10,484       9,896      21,565      19,608     

 West ........................     364       585       734        573        36,671      59,310      62,824      67,806     

     Mountain ................      36        47        77         74         4,374       4,972       8,012       8,156     
     Pacific .................     328       538       657        499        32,297      54,338      54,812      59,650     


      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       
                                  July        May         June        July           July        May         June         July
                                  2000        2001       2001(p)     2001(p)         2000        2001       2001(p)      2001(p)

    Total(1) .................   1,333       1,426       2,081       2,108         164,978     157,759     250,359      272,308     

 Alabama .....................       4          15          26          13             305       1,568       2,649        1,312     
 Alaska ......................       -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -               -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            -
 Arizona .....................       9          11          17          22             912       1,200       2,215        2,149     
 Arkansas ....................      10           7           5          13           1,158         533         489        1,043     
 California ..................     287         488         590         444          27,435      49,009      46,675       51,198     
 Colorado ....................       3          12          14          12             234       1,294       1,274        1,248     
 Connecticut .................       5          13           8       ( 2 )             490       1,039         783        ( 2 )
 Delaware ....................   ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           6           ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )        1,021     
 District of Columbia ........   ( 2 )       ( 2 )           4           -           ( 2 )       ( 2 )         338            -
 Florida .....................      68          65         106          80           4,711       5,328       8,319        6,692     
 Georgia .....................       8          15          44          15             574       2,044       4,361        1,413     
 Hawaii ......................   ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           ( 2 )         233       ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 Idaho .......................       7           7          11          12             824       1,031       1,084        2,104     

 Illinois ....................      54          55          85          68           5,981       9,232      13,605       16,031     
 Indiana .....................      50          24          42          83           9,562       2,311       8,600       12,304     
 Iowa ........................      23          15          14          49           3,004       1,739       1,789        8,154     
 Kansas ......................      10           6           8           9             836         730       1,972          883     
 Kentucky ....................      40          23          41          52           4,888       2,853       7,560        7,227     
 Louisiana ...................      13           6          10           6           1,236         420         745          610     
 Maine .......................       6           5       ( 2 )           5             457         498       ( 2 )          586     
 Maryland ....................       7          10           9           7             896         708         649          691     
 Massachusetts ...............      15          27          36          44           1,472       2,686       3,613        5,051     
 Michigan ....................     138          40         181         231          17,197       4,935      26,714       28,650     
 Minnesota ...................      12          18          38          24           1,663       2,108       6,327        2,792     
 Mississippi .................      10          10          15          12             757         657       1,276        1,171     
 Missouri ....................      33          38          46          57           4,614       4,759       9,019        6,939     

 Montana .....................       4       ( 2 )           5           -             915       ( 2 )         355            -
 Nebraska ....................   ( 2 )           -           6           4           ( 2 )           -       1,098          434     
 Nevada ......................      10           9          17          20           1,290         848       2,067        2,095     
 New Hampshire ...............       5           6           7          11             768         584         698        1,846     
 New Jersey ..................      28          28          52          43           2,950       2,797       9,745        4,963     
 New Mexico ..................   ( 2 )           3           7           5           ( 2 )         219         564          252     
 New York ....................      45          24          32          39           4,373       2,108       3,045        4,071     
 North Carolina ..............      10          23          23          28           1,933       2,115       2,505        3,705     
 North Dakota ................   ( 2 )           5       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           ( 2 )         284       ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 Ohio ........................     104          47          77         127          20,416       5,035       9,401       23,143     
 Oklahoma ....................       5           9          11          14             848       2,961       1,355        1,720     
 Oregon ......................      30          25          32          33           4,063       2,974       4,572        6,336     
 Pennsylvania ................      67          81         148         167           6,950      10,551      18,176       15,882     

 Rhode Island ................   ( 2 )       ( 2 )          11           4           ( 2 )       ( 2 )       1,700          338     
 South Carolina ..............      36          33          39          63           6,517       4,247      12,225        9,790     
 South Dakota ................       -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -               -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            -
 Tennessee ...................      12           9          28          12             931         705       2,572        1,062     
 Texas .......................      52          95          94          95           6,640      11,486      10,543       12,359     
 Utah ........................   ( 2 )           4           6       ( 2 )           ( 2 )         325         453        ( 2 )
 Vermont .....................       4           6       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             688         612       ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 Virginia ....................      33          23          21          35           6,974       2,671       4,233        4,971     
 Washington ..................       9          20          29          20             649       1,999       2,944        1,928     
 West Virginia ...............   ( 2 )           -           -       ( 2 )           ( 2 )           -           -        ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ...................      53          54          67         109           7,409       7,544       7,516       16,381     
 Wyoming .....................       -           -           -           -               -           -           -            -

 Puerto Rico .................      17           6          17           8           1,909       1,791       1,816          896     


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.