Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6392          USDL 01-73

                                                For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902          Thursday, March 29, 2001

                                     
                       MASS LAYOFFS IN FEBRUARY 2001


   In February 2001, there were 1,501 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 172,908.
(See table 1.)  The number of layoff events and initial claims for unem-
ployment insurance were the highest for any February since the series
began in April 1995.
   
   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 establish-
ment and on the demographics of the laid-off workers.  Because monthly
figures include short-term layoffs of 30 days or less, the sum of the
figures for the 3 months in a quarter will be higher than the quarterly
figure for mass layoffs of more than 30 days.  (See table 1.)  See the
Technical Note for more detailed definitions.

Industry Distribution
   
   In February 2001, manufacturing industries accounted for 38 percent of
all mass layoff events and 46 percent of all initial claims filed.  A year
earlier, layoffs in manufacturing accounted for 25 percent of events and
29 percent of initial claims.  Manufacturing industries with the highest
number of initial claimants were transportation equipment (21,138), mostly
in motor vehicles and car bodies and in motor vehicle parts and accessories,
and food and kindred products (10,034), primarily in frozen and canned fruits
and vegetables.  (See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 21 percent of events and 23 percent of initial
claims filed during the month.  Layoffs in services were highly concen-
trated in business services (particularly help supply services).  Histori-
cally, this industry is more likely than most other industries to lay off
workers for fewer than 30 days.
   
   Thirteen percent of all layoff events and 8 percent of initial claims
during the month were from agriculture, mostly in agricultural services
(farm labor contractors).  Retail trade accounted for 9 percent of events
and 8 percent of claims, largely in general merchandise stores (department
stores).  Construction accounted for 9 percent of events and 6 percent of
initial claims, mostly in special trade contractors.
   
   Compared with February 2000, the largest increases in initial claims
were reported in business services (+19,007) and transportation equipment
(+13,700).  The largest over-the-year decreases in initial claims occurred
in agricultural services (-4,368) and motion pictures (-4,252).

                                  - 2 -

Geographic Distribution
   
   In February, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was
highest in the West (72,758).  Layoffs in business services and agri-
cultural services accounted for 41 percent of all claimants in the
West.  (See table 3.)  The Northeast region (18,161) continued to
report the lowest number of mass layoff-related initial claims.
   
   The Midwest reported the largest over-the-year increase in initial
claims filings (+32,920) followed by the South (+23,680), the Northeast
(+9,241), and the West (+3,169).  All nine geographic divisions reported
over-the-year increases in the number of initial claimants generated in
mass layoff actions.  The largest of these increases was reported in the
East North Central (primarily in transportation equipment).
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California reported
the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events (62,791),
mostly in business services and in agricultural services, followed by
Michigan (14,090).  These two states accounted for 47 percent of all layoff
events and 44 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance.
(See table 4.)
   
   From February 2000 to February 2001, 42 states and the District of
Columbia reported over-the-year increases in initial claims.  Michigan
reported the largest increase in initial claims filings (+12,285), fol-
lowed by Illinois (+6,139).  Six states reported over-the-year decreases
in initial claims activity, led by Washington (-2,953).
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, January 1999 to February 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

 January ...................  2,421      226,995       	         	          
 February ..................  1,067       89,800       	         	          
 March .....................    880       91,890       	         	          

 First Quarter .............  4,368      408,685          1,509          252,122           34.5          61.7     

 April .....................  1,270      136,885       	         	          
 May .......................  1,032      102,738       	         	          
 June ......................  1,140      130,951       	         	          

 Second Quarter ............  3,442      370,574          1,444          242,464           42.0          65.4     

 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          1,331          220,997           33.6          50.9     

 April .....................    924      101,359       	         	          
 May .......................    984       92,193       	         	          
 June ......................  1,597      192,025       	         	          

 Second Quarter ............  3,505      385,577          1,272          230,696           36.3          59.8     

 July ......................  1,333      164,978       	         	          
 August ....................    751       97,215       	         	          
 September .................    936      106,842       	         	          

 Third Quarter .............  3,020      369,035          1,014          187,865           33.6          50.9     

 October ...................    874      103,755       	         	          
 November ..................  1,697      216,514       	         	          
 December ..................  2,677      326,743       	         	          

 Fourth Quarter ............  5,248      647,012    (2)(p)1,905    (2)(p)271,126        (p)36.3       (p)41.9

            2001

 January(p) ................  1,522      200,343       	         	          
 February(p) ...............  1,501      172,908       	         	          


    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.

Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                                                                     Initial claimants for
                                                               Mass layoff events                    unemployment insurance
                           Industry

                                                      February  December  January  February  February  December   January  February
                                                        2000      2000    2001(p)   2001(p)    2000      2000     2001(p)   2001(p)

      Total(1) ......................................  1,045     2,677     1,522     1,501    103,898   326,743   200,343   172,908     

 Total, private .....................................  1,022     2,605     1,469     1,474    101,817   320,875   194,889   170,185     

   Agriculture ......................................    245       152        65       190     20,938    11,007     6,371    13,998     
   Nonagriculture ...................................    769     2,388     1,372     1,269     80,212   301,367   183,453   154,424     
     Manufacturing ..................................    260     1,056       628       575     29,907   164,578   106,977    79,294     
       Durable goods ................................    125       676       414       353     16,945   118,984    82,785    53,691     
         Lumber and wood products ...................     18        88        54        35      2,198     9,636     5,396     3,598     
         Furniture and fixtures .....................     10        43        30        24        856     5,735     3,193     2,358     
         Stone, clay, and glass products ............      7        56        30         9        382     7,397     2,585       933     
         Primary metal industries ...................      8        75        37        43        663    12,796     8,620     5,109     
         Fabricated metal products ..................     21        89        50        54      1,892     9,500     5,427     5,416     
         Industrial machinery and equipment .........     17        88        47        45      1,724    14,979     7,961     6,967     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ..     16        65        49        65      1,366    15,035     5,955     7,315     
         Transportation equipment ...................     23       139        92        66      7,438    40,342    41,715    21,138     
         Instruments and related products ...........      5        10         6         6        426     1,080       494       483     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries .....      -        23        19         6          -     2,484     1,439       374     

       Nondurable goods .............................    135       380       214       222     12,962    45,594    24,192    25,603     
         Food and kindred products ..................     73        98        72        78      6,490    11,932     8,620    10,034     
         Tobacco products ...........................  ( 2 )         4     ( 2 )     ( 2 )      ( 2 )       338     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
         Textile mill products ......................      9        50        30        33      1,502     7,874     4,336     4,422     
         Apparel and other textile products .........     21        66        35        29      2,342     6,395     3,402     2,730     
         Paper and allied products ..................      5        27        15        19        317     2,876     1,445     2,120     
         Printing and publishing ....................      6        16        16        14        490     1,788     1,686     1,386     
         Chemicals and allied products ..............      7        14         5         9        508     1,201       384       779     
         Petroleum and coal products ................  ( 2 )        14     ( 2 )     ( 2 )      ( 2 )     1,437     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products .      8        81        37        33        599    10,498     4,036     3,250     
         Leather and leather products ...............  ( 2 )        10     ( 2 )         3      ( 2 )     1,255     ( 2 )       269     

     Nonmanufacturing ...............................    509     1,332       744       694     50,305   136,789    76,476    75,130     
       Mining .......................................      8        26         8         7        726     2,379       496     1,761     
       Construction .................................    156       433       139       134     12,045    37,175    10,236     9,991     
       Transportation and public utilities ..........     31       152        91        52      2,957    17,514     8,761     4,720     
       Wholesale and retail trade ...................    114       247       190       164     10,081    26,324    20,828    16,690     
          Wholesale trade ...........................     26        48        28        31      2,054     4,796     2,622     2,841     
          Retail trade ..............................     88       199       162       133      8,027    21,528    18,206    13,849     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ..........     25        26        21        24      1,510     2,177     2,464     1,812     
       Services .....................................    175       448       295       313     22,986    51,220    33,691    40,156     

   Not identified ...................................      8        65        32        15        667     8,501     5,065     1,763     

 Government .........................................     23        72        53        27      2,081     5,868     5,454     2,723     
   Federal ..........................................      4         6        27         7        242       583     3,182       665     
   State ............................................     12        20        11         8      1,120     1,705     1,030       737     
   Local ............................................      7        46        15        12        719     3,580     1,242     1,321     


   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

                                 February   December   January   February       February     December     January     February
                                   2000       2000     2001(p)    2001(p)         2000         2000       2001(p)      2001(p)

         United States(1) .....   1,045      2,677      1,522      1,501        103,898      326,743      200,343      172,908     

 Northeast ....................     100        397        227        176          8,920       40,688       21,994       18,161     

     New England ..............      14         95         37         43          1,665       10,739        2,857        5,630     
     Middle Atlantic ..........      86        302        190        133          7,255       29,949       19,137       12,531     

 South ........................     135        487        323        271         12,418       56,297       36,007       36,098     

     South Atlantic ...........      58        246        154        131          5,754       29,409       15,870       17,355     
     East South Central .......      28        119         68         56          2,433       14,617        7,121        7,280     
     West South Central .......      49        122        101         84          4,231       12,271       13,016       11,463     

 Midwest ......................     127      1,079        468        320         12,971      157,486       87,323       45,891     

     East North Central .......     101        837        376        260         10,046      125,559       72,119       39,121     
     West North Central .......      26        242         92         60          2,925       31,927       15,204        6,770     

 West .........................     683        714        504        734         69,589       72,272       55,019       72,758     

     Mountain .................      34         94         72         51          3,237        9,093        6,527        5,124     
     Pacific ..................     649        620        432        683         66,352       63,179       48,492       67,634     


      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       

                               February     December     January     February     February     December     January     February
                                 2000         2000       2001(p)      2001(p)       2000         2000       2001(p)      2001(p)

    Total(1) .................  1,045        2,677        1,522        1,501      103,898      326,743      200,343      172,908     

 Alabama .....................      8           17           15           15          777        2,086        1,370        2,072     
 Alaska ......................  ( 2 )            7            5        ( 2 )        ( 2 )          619          340        ( 2 )
 Arizona .....................      4            6            7            7          381          408          569          553     
 Arkansas ....................  ( 2 )           14           13            5        ( 2 )        1,765        1,515          403     
 California ..................    627          534          365          635       60,111       52,576       41,261       62,791     
 Colorado ....................      3           12           11            4          286          983        1,084          321     
 Connecticut .................      -            7            6            5            -          677          424          758     
 Delaware ....................      -        ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 District of Columbia ........      -            3            7        ( 2 )            -          265          496        ( 2 )
 Florida .....................     15           66           49           47        1,038        4,956        3,147        3,954     
 Georgia .....................     10           29           15           17        1,390        2,965        1,200        1,673     
 Hawaii ......................  ( 2 )        ( 2 )            6        ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )          429        ( 2 )
 Idaho .......................     11           17           10           12        1,192        2,201          677        1,681     

 Illinois ....................     22          157           68           51        2,330       29,157       12,163        8,469     
 Indiana .....................     15           95           37           26        1,467       17,391        4,425        3,749     
 Iowa ........................      6           67           21           12          555        9,619        2,505        1,096     
 Kansas ......................      4           19           10            8          301        1,949        3,766          904     
 Kentucky ....................     10           68            9           23          836        9,418        1,101        3,587     
 Louisiana ...................      5           20           23           11          242        1,345        4,410          782     
 Maine .......................  ( 2 )           10            6        ( 2 )        ( 2 )        1,168          434        ( 2 )
 Maryland ....................      4            9           10        ( 2 )          254          709        1,085        ( 2 )
 Massachusetts ...............      7           41           21           18          580        3,887        1,723        1,540     
 Michigan ....................     20          301           69           75        1,805       43,436       19,387       14,090     
 Minnesota ...................  ( 2 )           55           20           13        ( 2 )        7,140        3,669        2,362     
 Mississippi .................      6           11           18            6          468        1,110        2,036          457     
 Missouri ....................     14           93           37           23        1,888       12,435        4,567        2,054     

 Montana .....................  ( 2 )            4            6        ( 2 )        ( 2 )          585          484        ( 2 )
 Nebraska ....................      -            4            3        ( 2 )            -          367          284        ( 2 )
 Nevada ......................     10           44           23           23          923        4,091        2,195        2,016     
 New Hampshire ...............      -           10        ( 2 )            4            -        1,445        ( 2 )          543     
 New Jersey ..................     25           51           35           24        2,489        5,250        4,544        2,349     
 New Mexico ..................  ( 2 )            5            4            3        ( 2 )          292          397          229     
 New York ....................      9           41           21           23          671        3,980        2,198        1,921     
 North Carolina ..............     10           25           21           22          882        2,893        3,982        2,357     
 North Dakota ................      -        ( 2 )        ( 2 )            -            -        ( 2 )        ( 2 )            -
 Ohio ........................     18          142          132           53        1,604       18,623       28,700        5,063     
 Oklahoma ....................      6           13            8           10          652          937          833        3,204     
 Oregon ......................     12           42           44           23        1,029        5,545        5,354        2,543     
 Pennsylvania ................     52          210          134           86        4,095       20,719       12,395        8,261     

 Rhode Island ................      5           19        ( 2 )           11          928        2,522        ( 2 )        2,185     
 South Carolina ..............      8           51           28           20        1,203        8,404        3,327        3,322     
 South Dakota ................      -            3            -            3            -          362            -          235     
 Tennessee ...................      4           23           26           12          352        2,003        2,614        1,164     
 Texas .......................     37           75           57           58        3,216        8,224        6,258        7,074     
 Utah ........................      4            6           11        ( 2 )          320          533        1,121        ( 2 )
 Vermont .....................      -            8        ( 2 )            3            -        1,040        ( 2 )          294     
 Virginia ....................      7           59           20           18          504        8,561        2,210        2,949     
 Washington ..................      7           36           12           22        4,994        4,379        1,108        2,041     
 West Virginia ...............      4        ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )          483        ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ...................     26          142           70           55        2,840       16,952        7,444        7,750     
 Wyoming .....................      -            -            -            -            -            -            -            -

 Puerto Rico .................     13           18           17            8        1,105        2,413        1,475          490     


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.                                              
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.