Technical information:   (202) 691-6392     USDL 04-964
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                            For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902     Wednesday, May 26, 2004


                                     
                        MASS LAYOFFS IN APRIL 2004
   
   In April 2004, employers took 1,458 mass layoff actions, 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 157,314.  (See table 1.)  The number of
events was the lowest for any April since 2001, and the number of initial
claims was the lowest for April since 2000.  From January through April 2004,
the total number of events, at 5,747, and of initial claims, at 573,523, were
lower than in January-April 2003 (6,466 and 624,833, respectively).

Industry Distribution
   
   School and employee bus transportation, with 16,589 initial claims, and
temporary help services, with 12,254 initial claims, together accounted for
over 18  percent of all initial claims in April.  The 10 industries reporting
the highest number of mass-layoff initial claims accounted for 57,329 initial
claims in April, 36 percent of the total.  (See table A.)

   The manufacturing sector had 24 percent of all mass layoff events and
23 percent of all initial claims filed in April--the lowest shares for any
April since 1995, when the monthly series began.  A year ago, manufacturing
reported 32 percent of events and 39 percent of initial claims.  Within
manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in food processing
(13,582, mainly in frozen fruits and vegetables and in fresh and frozen
seafood processing), followed by transportation equipment (4,625, largely
automotive-related).  (See table 2.)
   
   The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 13 percent of
events and initial claims filed in April, with layoffs mostly in temporary
help services.  Ten percent of all layoff events and 13 percent of initial
claims filed during the month were in transportation and warehousing, mainly
in school and employee bus transportation.  Retail trade accounted for 8 per-
cent of events and initial claims, largely in general merchandise stores.
Construction accounted for 10 percent of events and 8 percent of initial
claims during the month, primarily among specialty trade contractors.  An
additional 6 percent of events and initial claims were in accommodation and
food services, mostly among food service contractors.
   
   Government establishments accounted for 4 percent of events and 5 percent
of initial claims filed during the month.  The number of mass-layoff initial
claims in government was 7,508.  In April 2003, there were 3,851 such claims
filed.
   
   Compared with April 2003, the largest decreases in initial claims were
reported in transportation equipment manufacturing (-10,689), computer and
electronic product manufacturing (-3,610), plastic and rubber products
manufacturing (-2,853), and machinery manufacturing (-2,710).  The largest
over-the-year increases in initial claims was reported in transit and
ground passenger transportation (+7,015), and food processing (+5,185).

                                   - 2 -                                                                              

Table A.  Industries with the largest mass-layoff initial claims in 
April 2004p
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           |          |       April peak
                 Industry                  | Initial  |-----------------------
                                           |  claims  |  Year  |Initial claims
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           |          |        |
School and employee bus transportation ....| 16,589   |  2004  |    16,589
Temporary help services....................| 12,254   |  2001  |    17,507
Motion picture and video production .......|  6,007   |  1997  |    15,908
Food service contractors...................|  5,496   |  2004  |     5,496
Tax preparation services...................|  3,329   |  2004  |     3,329
Professional employer organizations .......|  3,262   |  2001  |     3,280
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders ...|  3,103   |  1998  |     4,054
Hotels and motels, except casino hotels ...|  2,647   |  2004  |     2,647
Supermarkets and other grocery stores......|  2,405   |  1995  |    11,633
Industrial building construction...........|  2,237   |  2002  |     2,558
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  p=preliminary.


Geographic Distribution

   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in April
due to mass layoffs was reported in the West, 57,414.  (See table 3.)
Administrative and support services and motion picture and sound recording
industries accounted for 31 percent of all initial claims in that region
during the month.  The Northeast region was next, with 40,728 initial
claims, followed by the Midwest, with 31,619, and the South, with 27,553.
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year
in two of the four regions, with the larger decrease in the Midwest
(-11,847).  The Northeast had the largest over-the-year increase in initial
claims (+9,836).  Seven of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year
decreases in the number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs,
with the largest decrease in the East North Central division (-9,219).  The
Middle Atlantic division had the largest over-the-year increase (+10,137).
   
   Among the states, California recorded the highest number of initial claims
filed in mass layoff events in April (44,311), mostly in administrative and
support services and in motion picture and sound recording industries.  New
York reported 19,056 initial claims, followed by Pennsylvania (10,897),
Wisconsin (8,690), and Illinois (7,471).  These five states accounted for
55 percent of all layoff events and 57 percent of all initial claims for
unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)

   Ohio reported the largest over-the-year decrease in the number of initial
claims (-4,893), followed by Indiana (-4,599), Minnesota (-2,521), and Georgia
(-2,188).  The largest over-the-year increases occurred in New York (+9,905)
and California (+5,271).

                                  - 3 -     

   From January to April, California reported 151,301 mass layoff initial
claims, 26 percent of the national total.  The states with the next largest
number of claims over this period were New York (49,495), Pennsylvania
(34,086), and Ohio (29,289).  
   
Note
   
   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.
For private nonfarm establishments, information on the length of the layoff
is obtained later and issued in a quarterly release that reports on mass lay-
offs lasting more than 30 days (referred 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 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 Tech-
nical Note for more detailed definitions.


                       _____________________________


   A special report on offshoring and outsourcing associated with mass
layoffs is planned for June.  The report on Mass Layoffs in May 2004 is
scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 23, 2004.



 

                                   - 4 -                                           

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, April 2002 to April 2004

                                                                                  Private nonfarm         
                      
                                Total mass layoffs                             Extended mass layoffs           Realization 
             Date                                       Mass layoffs         lasting more than 30 days           rates(1)   

                                          Initial               Initial                     Initial                    Initial  
                                Events   claimants    Events   claimants        Events     claimants        Events    claimants 
             2002           

April ......................     1,506     165,814     1,378     153,216
May ........................     1,723     179,799     1,571     166,801
June .......................     1,584     162,189     1,266     136,424

Second Quarter .............     4,813     507,802     4,215     456,441         1,624       299,598          38.5         65.6

July .......................     2,042     245,294     1,819     226,892
August .....................     1,248     128,103     1,151     119,874
September ..................     1,062     124,522       957     114,736

Third Quarter ..............     4,352     497,919     3,927     461,502         1,186       254,955          30.2         55.2

October ....................     1,497     171,100     1,270     149,327
November ...................     2,153     240,171     1,860     216,237
December ...................     2,474     264,158     2,324     252,807

Fourth Quarter .............     6,124     675,429     5,454     618,371         1,916       370,592          35.1         59.9

             2003           

January ....................     2,315     225,430     2,130     210,918
February ...................     1,363     124,965     1,222     116,264
March ......................     1,207     113,026     1,099     104,468

First Quarter ..............     4,885     463,421     4,451     431,650         1,502    (r)297,607          33.7         68.9

April ......................     1,581     161,412     1,470     152,937
May ........................     1,703     174,204     1,538     160,729
June .......................     1,691     157,552     1,336     127,743

Second Quarter .............     4,975     493,168     4,344     441,409         1,799    (r)348,890          41.4      (r)79.0

July .......................     2,087     226,435     1,815     206,901
August .....................     1,258     133,839     1,163     124,131
September ..................       868      82,647       756      73,914

Third Quarter ..............     4,213     442,921     3,734     404,946         1,190    (r)227,568          31.9      (r)56.2

October ....................     1,523     158,240     1,265     137,706
November ...................     1,438     138,543     1,234     123,524
December ...................     1,929     192,633     1,793     182,750

Fourth Quarter .............     4,890     489,416     4,292     443,980      (r)1,690    (r)325,765       (r)39.4      (r)73.4

             2004           

January ....................     2,428     239,454     2,226     220,687
February ...................       941      84,201       832      76,577
March (p) ..................       920      92,554       847      87,782

First Quarter (p) ..........     4,289     416,209     3,905     385,046      (2)1,204    (2)165,272          30.8         42.9

April (p) ..................     1,458     157,314     1,316     142,657


    1 The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days. The initial
claimant realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial claimants associated with layoffs lasting
more than 30 days. 
    2 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more data on these layoffs become available. Experience
suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by less than 10 percent and the number of
initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent. 
    p = preliminary.
    r = revised. 
     
 
 
 

Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                 
                                                                                                    Initial claimants for          
                                                             Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance         
                     Industry                    

                                                      April  February   March   April       April     February    March      April 
                                                      2003     2004     2004p   2004p       2003        2004      2004p      2004p 

      Total(1) ..................................    1,581      941      920    1,458      161,412     84,201     92,554    157,314

Total, private ..................................    1,534      905      884    1,396      157,561     81,093     89,955    149,806

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....       64       73       37       80        4,624      4,516      2,173      7,149

  Total, private nonfarm ........................    1,470      832      847    1,316      152,937     76,577     87,782    142,657
  Mining ........................................    ( 2 )        4        4    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        505        206      ( 2 )
  Utilities .....................................        5    ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )          326      ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................      150      131      106      149       10,042      8,586      7,288     11,904
  Manufacturing .................................      499      240      258      343       62,349     23,043     34,686     36,172
      Food ......................................       84       62       56      112        8,397      6,517      6,220     13,582
      Beverage and tobacco products .............        7        6        9        5          450        557      1,039        319
      Textile mills .............................       17        4        6        8        2,725        310        456      1,091
      Textile product mills .....................        9        7    ( 2 )        5          697        560      ( 2 )        420
      Apparel ...................................       19        5       13       12        2,385        389      1,050        922
      Leather and allied products ...............        5    ( 2 )        -        5          398      ( 2 )          -        399
      Wood products .............................       30       18       16       16        2,858      1,438      1,540      1,684
      Paper .....................................       14        4        7        7        1,083        391        529        499
      Printing and related support activities ...        8       10        7       15          848        828        501      1,618
      Petroleum and coal products ...............        -    ( 2 )        -        -            -      ( 2 )          -          -

      Chemicals .................................        6        4        7       11        1,752        324        416        677
      Plastics and rubber products ..............       24       10       14       12        3,789        917      1,061        936
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............       14        5       12        7        1,190        312        860        452
      Primary metals ............................       27        9        4        9        3,195        913        375        920
      Fabricated metal products .................       35       18       16       22        2,478      1,720      1,103      2,030
      Machinery .................................       35       12       10       19        4,368        803        693      1,658
      Computer and electronic products ..........       53       12       15       17        4,985        815      1,274      1,375
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......       17       11       12        7        1,836      2,109      2,789      1,252
      Transportation equipment ..................       67       23       38       32       15,445      2,671     13,430      4,625
      Furniture and related products ............       22        9       11       11        2,829        679        985        835
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............        6        8    ( 2 )       11          641        553      ( 2 )        878

  Wholesale trade ...............................       31       13       19       21        2,425        956      1,518      1,944
  Retail trade ..................................      124      102       77      118       11,839      9,383      6,733     12,659
  Transportation and warehousing ................      132       35       38      145       14,386      4,658      4,682     20,292
  Information ...................................       51       19       32       42       11,131      4,716      4,912      7,851
  Finance and insurance .........................       35       25       27       31        2,121      1,562      2,228      2,594
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............       10    ( 2 )        5       11          569      ( 2 )        332      1,214
  Professional and technical services ...........       60       30       29       54        5,852      4,247      2,619      6,939
  Management of companies and enterprises .......    ( 2 )        6    ( 2 )        4        ( 2 )        587      ( 2 )        269
  Administrative and waste services .............      188      139      129      194       16,693     11,065     11,546     20,812
  Educational services ..........................        6    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        4          463      ( 2 )      ( 2 )        374
  Health care and social assistance .............       24       16       19       31        1,695        954      1,039      2,118
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........       33       11        4       40        2,605        677        167      3,368
  Accommodation and food services ...............       95       46       82       93        8,014      4,455      8,755     10,067
  Other services, except public administration ..       17        8        9       26        1,504        629        506      3,240

  Unclassified ..................................        5        2        1        6          389        191         85        563

Government ......................................       47       36       36       62        3,851      3,108      2,599      7,508
  Federal .......................................        4        6        5       14          318        504        428      1,173
  State .........................................       13       13       10       11        1,470      1,121        763        884
  Local .........................................       30       17       21       37        2,063      1,483      1,408      5,451


    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
                           
                                                                                      Initial claimants for            
                                          Mass layoff events                          unemployment insurance           
 Census region and division

                               April     February    March      April        April      February     March       April 
                               2003        2004      2004p      2004p        2003         2004       2004p       2004p 

      United States(1) ....    1,581        941        920      1,458       161,412      84,201      92,554     157,314

Northeast .................      326        117        123        332        30,892      12,795      12,196      40,728

  New England .............       59         26         12         49         6,214       3,321         912       5,913
  Middle Atlantic .........      267         91        111        283        24,678       9,474      11,284      34,815

South .....................      323        191        207        292        34,922      17,770      22,094      27,553

  South Atlantic ..........      151         87        101        139        14,851       8,799       8,749      12,141
  East South Central ......       74         32         41         52         9,550       3,602       4,141       5,936
  West South Central ......       98         72         65        101        10,521       5,369       9,204       9,476

Midwest ...................      334        211        185        275        43,466      19,183      25,756      31,619

  East North Central ......      271        172        138        235        36,974      15,385      19,002      27,755
  West North Central ......       63         39         47         40         6,492       3,798       6,754       3,864

West ......................      598        422        405        559        52,132      34,453      32,508      57,414

  Mountain ................       73         28         30         52         6,426       2,323       3,146       5,962
  Pacific .................      525        394        375        507        45,706      32,130      29,362      51,452


    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         

                             April     February      March       April        April      February     March       April 
                             2003        2004        2004p       2004p        2003         2004       2004p       2004p 

   Total(1) .............    1,581         941         920       1,458       161,412      84,201      92,554     157,314

Alabama .................       24       ( 2 )           7          15         4,048       ( 2 )         654       2,051
Alaska ..................        6       ( 2 )           -           5           489       ( 2 )           -         633
Arizona .................       22           3           6          20         2,193         214         593       3,177
Arkansas ................        3       ( 2 )           3           6           326       ( 2 )         422         513
California ..............      455         365         341         440        39,040      29,865      25,730      44,311
Colorado ................       14           5       ( 2 )           9         1,318         523       ( 2 )         973
Connecticut .............        3           5           -           6           206         351           -         513
Delaware ................        3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3           180       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         165
District of Columbia ....        -           -       ( 2 )           -             -           -       ( 2 )           -
Florida .................       64          46          57          69         4,451       3,480       4,405       5,447
Georgia .................       31          17          11          21         4,299       2,448         927       2,111
Hawaii ..................        8       ( 2 )           8           7           621       ( 2 )         788         570
Idaho ...................        8       ( 2 )          10           6           778       ( 2 )       1,156         559

Illinois ................       64          47          29          54         7,210       4,108       3,812       7,471
Indiana .................       37          24          13          25         6,826       2,195       2,609       2,227
Iowa ....................       13           7          11           8         1,249         698       1,330         846
Kansas ..................        5           6           5           9           406         517         357       1,222
Kentucky ................       29          10          18          20         4,186         950       2,164       2,559
Louisiana ...............       20          13          10          28         2,777         757         887       2,554
Maine ...................        6           5       ( 2 )           7           575         347       ( 2 )         662
Maryland ................        9       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           9           859       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         906
Massachusetts ...........       29           5           6          16         3,307         352         386       1,759
Michigan ................       32          23          27          38         4,704       2,150       4,548       3,556
Minnesota ...............       21           6           9           5         2,848         460       2,979         327
Mississippi .............        9       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           6           547       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         419
Missouri ................       18          16          14          15         1,441       1,479       1,429       1,242

Montana .................        4           3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           443         336       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Nebraska ................        4           3           5           3           348         548         363         227
Nevada ..................       13           9           7           6           961         594         642         420
New Hampshire ...........        3           3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           205         480       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
New Jersey ..............       47          25          23          47         4,523       2,749       2,151       4,862
New Mexico ..............        8       ( 2 )           3           4           495       ( 2 )         323         346
New York ................       91          26          27         120         9,151       3,612       2,451      19,056
North Carolina ..........       21          10          13          20         1,990         912       1,261       1,768
North Dakota ............    ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           -
Ohio ....................       62          46          31          51        10,704       4,142       4,167       5,811
Oklahoma ................        6           5           8           5         1,070         413       3,254         425
Oregon ..................       22          13          13          33         2,238         986       1,858       3,899
Pennsylvania ............      129          40          61         116        11,004       3,113       6,682      10,897

Rhode Island ............        9           7           3           8         1,137       1,716         219       1,624
South Carolina ..........        8           3           6           6         1,228         325         863         796
South Dakota ............    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Tennessee ...............       12          19          14          11           769       1,723       1,231         907
Texas ...................       69          52          44          62         6,348       4,062       4,641       5,984
Utah ....................        4           4       ( 2 )           4           238         295       ( 2 )         248
Vermont .................        9       ( 2 )       ( 2 )          10           784       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       1,177
Virginia ................       13           8          10          10         1,719         574       1,010         849
Washington ..............       34          13          13          22         3,318       1,023         986       2,039
West Virginia ...........    ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Wisconsin ...............       76          32          38          67         7,530       2,790       3,866       8,690
Wyoming .................        -           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             -           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )

Puerto Rico .............       13           9           4          11         1,833         891         318       1,147


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.