Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 606-6392  USDL 99-348
                                     
                                        For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902  Wednesday, December 8, 1999
                                     
                                     
            EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1999


   In July through September of 1999, there were 1,072 mass layoff actions
by employers that resulted in the separation of 237,777 workers from their
jobs for more than 30 days, according to preliminary figures released by
the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Both the number
of layoff events and the number of separations were lower than in July-
September 1998, when there were strike-related plant shutdowns in the
transportation equipment and electronic equipment industries.  (See table A.)
   
   The completion of seasonal work was the major reason cited for layoffs
and accounted for 32 percent of all third-quarter 1999 events and 34
percent of all separations.  Layoffs due to internal company restructuring
resulted in 68,251 separations.  Permanent closure of worksites occurred in
17 percent of all events and affected 55,820 workers, up from 41,321
workers in the same period a year earlier.
   
   The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs covers layoffs of at
least 31-days duration that involve 50 or more individuals from a single
establishment filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a
consecutive 5-week period.  Data for the third quarter are preliminary and
subject to revision.  This release also includes revised data for previous
quarters.  Data are not seasonally adjusted, but survey data suggest that
there is a seasonal pattern to layoffs.  Thus, comparisons between
consecutive quarters should not be used as an indicator of trend.
Additional information about the program is provided in the technical note
that follows the analysis.
   
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs

   In the private sector during July-September 1999, agriculture accounted
for 12 percent of all layoff events and 16 percent of all separations.  The
layoff activity occurred primarily among farm labor contractors and was
almost entirely due to the end of seasonal work.  (See table 1.)
   
   Thirty-eight percent of all layoff events and 41 percent of all
separations occurred in manufacturing industries.  Layoffs from durable
goods manufacturers were most numerous in electronic and other electrical
equipment (primarily in semiconductors and related devices), transportation
equipment (largely in motor vehicle parts and accessories and in aircraft
manufacturing), and industrial machinery and equipment (mostly in farm

                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Selected measures of mass layoff activity
--------------------------------------------------- -----------------
       Period        | Layoff events| Separations | Initial claimants
---------------------------------------------------------------------
     1995            |              |             |
April-June...........|    1,724     |   400,891   |      332,731
July-September.......|      950     |   193,956   |      154,226
October-December.....|    1,764     |   348,036   |      312,428
     1996            |              |             |
January-March........|    1,408     |   272,399   |      224,393
April-June...........|    1,352     |   261,628   |      200,032
July-September.......|    1,021     |   233,199   |      185,247
October-December.....|    1,916     |   417,044   |      348,073
     1997            |              |             |
January-March........|    1,317     |   255,227   |      224,180
April-June...........|    1,587     |   351,198   |      292,673
July-September.......|    1,082     |   217,869   |      209,019
October-December.....|    1,697     |   321,821   |      316,035
     1998            |              |             |
January-March........|    1,320     |   208,082   |      247,315
April-June...........|    1,563     |   391,461   |      402,276
July-September(r)....|    1,234     |   248,055   |      256,805
October-December(r)..|    1,736     |   380,249   |      326,109
     1999            |              |             |
January-March(r).....|    1,509     |   277,635   |      251,332
April-June(r)........|    1,445     |   295,215   |      241,828
July-September(p)....|    1,072     |   237,777   |      153,142
---------------------------------------------------------------------
     p=preliminary.                     r=revised.

machinery and equipment).  In nondurable goods industries, layoffs were
most prevalent in food processing (canned fruits and vegetables).

     Services accounted for 17 percent of all layoff events and 13 percent
of separations, mainly in business services (primarily help supply
services) and health services (mostly in offices and clinics of medical
doctors).  Retail trade accounted for 7 percent of all layoff events and 10
percent of all separations, largely in general merchandise stores.
Cutbacks in transportation and public utilities accounted for 8 percent of
events and 9 percent of separations, primarily in local and interurban
passenger transit.
     
     Layoffs in government establishments accounted for 5 percent of total
events and 7 percent of all separations.
     
                                  - 3 -

Table B.  Distribution of layoff events by size of layoff, July-
September 1999
-----------------------------------------------------------------
                 |    Layoff events    |      Separations
        Size     |-----------------------------------------------
                 |  Number |  Percent  |   Number |  Percent
-----------------------------------------------------------------
   Total.........|  1,072  |   100.0   |  237,777 |  100.0
                 |         |           |          |
50-99............|    449  |    41.9   |   32,326 |   13.6
100-149..........|    230  |    21.5   |   27,120 |   11.4
150-199..........|     85  |     7.9   |   14,233 |    6.0
200-299..........|    138  |    12.9   |   32,192 |   13.5
300-499..........|     89  |     8.3   |   32,296 |   13.6
500-999..........|     56  |     5.2   |   36,151 |   15.2
1,000 or more....|     25  |     2.3   |   63,459 |   26.7
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Reasons for Extended Layoff
     
   Thirty-two percent of the events and 34 percent of the separations in
the third quarter were due to seasonal work.  These layoffs were most
numerous among workers in agricultural services (such as farm labor
contractors), food and kindred products (mostly in canned fruits and
vegetables), and local and interurban transit (largely in school buses).
Layoffs due to internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business
ownership change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) comprised 23
percent of all layoff events and 29 percent of all separations; the 68,251
separations due to restructuring was the highest third-quarter level since
1995 (59,463).  (See table 2.)

Size of Extended Layoff

   Layoff events during the third quarter continued to be concentrated at
the lower end of the layoff-size spectrum, with 63 percent involving fewer
than 150 workers.   These events, however, accounted for only 25 percent of
all separations.  (See table B.)  Separations involving 500 or more workers
accounted for 42 percent of all separations, up from 33 percent a year
earlier.  The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per
layoff event) differed widely by industry, ranging from an average of 67
separations in real estate to 1,165 in general merchandise stores.

Initial Claimant Characteristics
   
   A total of 153,142 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were
associated with mass layoffs in the third quarter of 1999.  Of these
claimants, 16 percent were black, 47 percent were women, 22 percent were
Hispanic, and 14 percent were 55 years of age or older.  (See table 3.)
Two out of five claimants were 30 to 44 years of age.  Among the civilian
labor force for the same period, 12 percent were black, 46 percent were
women, 11 percent were Hispanic, and 13 percent were 55 years of age or
older.  Thirty-nine percent of the civilian labor force were ages 30 to 44.

                                  - 5 -

Geographic Distribution

   In the third quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass
layoff events was higher in the West (92,483) than in any of the other
regions.  (See table 4.)  Contributing to extended mass layoffs in the West
region were agricultural services and food products.  The lowest number of
worker separations was reported in the Midwest region (43,610).
   
   Over-the-year decreases in separations were largest in the Midwest 
(-26,356), where strike-related plant shutdowns in the transportation
equipment industry had occurred in third-quarter 1998.  The largest
increase in separations occurred in the West region (+26,017); separations
rose in both the Pacific and Mountain divisions.  Lower levels of
separations this year were reported mainly by employers in the East North
Central and South Atlantic divisions, with sharply fewer layoffs in
transportation equipment.
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of
worker separations occurred in California (64,816), followed by New York
(22,960), Texas (17,430), Arizona (16,009), Illinois (14,839), and Michigan
(14,113).  These six states accounted for 57 percent of total layoff events
and 63 percent of all separations during the third quarter of 1999.  (See
table 5.)  After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work,
California still reported the most laid-off workers (25,707), primarily in
general merchandise stores.
   
   Over the year, the largest decreases in laid-off workers occurred in
Ohio (-12,505 workers) and in Florida (-10,470).  The largest increases
occurred in Arizona (+14,063) and in California (+12,955).

Recall Expectations
   
   Fifty percent of employers reporting a layoff in the third quarter of
1999 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, down from 56 percent a
year earlier.  (See table C.)  Among establishments expecting a recall,
most employers expected to recall over one-half of the separated employees
and to do so within 6 months.  The number of expected recalls of all
workers decreased by almost one-half during the last year, from 72.5
percent in third-quarter 1998 to 39.5 percent in third-quarter 1999.
   
   Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period (in
which 94 percent of the employers expected a recall), employers expected to
recall laid-off workers in 27 percent of the events, the lowest percentage
for any period in the series.  In layoff events due to internal company
restructuring, employers anticipated a recall in only 7 percent of the
events.
     
                                  - 6 -

Table C.  Summary of employer expectations of a recall from layoff,
third-quarter 1998 - third-quarter 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                          |           Percentage of events
   Nature of the recall   |-------------------------------------------
                          |  III  |    IV   |    I   |   II   |   III
                          |  1998 |   1998  |  1999  |  1999  |  1999p
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anticipate a recall.......|  56.1 |   58.1  |  57.3  |  60.1  |  49.5
                          |       |         |        |        |
          Timeframe       |       |         |        |        |
                          |       |         |        |        |
Within 6 months...........|  85.1 |   86.6  |  84.1  |  84.2  |  82.3
  Within 3 months.........|  65.9 |   35.5  |  47.3  |  51.1  |  56.9
                          |       |         |        |        |
            Size          |       |         |        |        |
                          |       |         |        |        |
At least half.............|  92.5 |   96.5  |  89.5  |  91.5  |  88.3
  All workers.............|  72.5 |   52.4  |  53.0  |  60.3  |  39.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
          p=preliminary.                              r=revised.

Technical Note
  
  The  Mass  Layoff  Statistics (MLS) program is  a  federal-state  program
which  uses  a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing,
and  tracking  the  effects of major job cutbacks,  using  data  from  each
state's  unemployment  insurance database.  Establishments  which  have  at
least  50  initial  claims filed against them during a  consecutive  5-week
period  are  contacted  by  the state agency  to  determine  whether  these
separations  are of at least 31 days duration, and, if so,  information  is
obtained on the total number of persons separated and the reasons for these
separations.    Establishments  are  identified   according   to   industry
classification  and  location,  and unemployment  insurance  claimants  are
identified by such demographic factors as age, race, sex, ethnic group, and
place  of  residence.  The program yields information  on  an  individual's
entire  spell  of  unemployment,  to the point  when  regular  unemployment
insurance benefits are exhausted.

  The  MLS  program  was resumed in April 1995; it had been  terminated  in
November  1992 due to lack of funding.  However, due to changes in concepts
and  definitions,  data  from the resumed program  are  not  comparable  to
earlier data.

  Information   in   this   release  will  be  made  available  to  sensory
impaired  individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD  phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-326-2577.

Definitions

  Establishment.   A  unit  at   a  single   physical  location   at  which
predominantly one type of economic activity is conducted.

  Extended layoff event.  Fifty  or  more  initial  claims for unemployment
insurance  benefits from an establishment during a 5-week period,  with  at
least 50 workers separated for more than 30 days.

  Initial  claimant.  A person  who  files  any  notice of unemployment  to
initiate  a  request  either  for a determination  of  entitlement  to  and
eligibility  for  compensation, or for a subsequent period of  unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.

  Layoff. The separation of persons  from  an  employer  as part of a  mass
layoff  event.  (See below.) Such layoffs involve both persons  subject  to
recall and those who are terminated by the establishment.

                                  - 2 -

  Mass layoff.  Fifty or more  initial  claims for  unemployment  insurance
benefits  from  an establishment beginning in a given month, regardless  of
duration.

  Worksite  closure.  The  full  closure  of  either multi-unit or  single-
unit  establishments  or the partial closure of a multi-unit  establishment
where  entire  worksites affected by layoffs are closed or  planned  to  be
closed.


Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, selected quarters, 1998 and 1999

                                                          Layoff events             Separations             Initial claimants for
                                                                                                            unemployment insurance
                        Industry
                                                        III    II     III        III      II       III        III      II       III
                                                       1998r  1999r  1999p      1998r    1999r    1999p      1998r    1999r    1999p    

        Total( 1 ) ................................... 1,234  1,445  1,072    248,055  295,215  237,777    256,805  241,828  153,142     

Total, private ....................................... 1,159  1,378  1,018    229,915  284,587  220,742    241,113  230,957  144,085     

  Agriculture  .......................................   129    175    125     28,628   36,959   34,313     21,441   25,661   11,711     
  Nonagriculture ..................................... 1,026  1,200    887    200,980  247,398  185,848    219,360  204,991  131,894     
     Manufacturing  ..................................   530    392    391    105,651   89,275   90,146     99,157   68,814   59,983     
        Durable goods  ...............................   308    195    204     65,649   49,019   44,917     61,487   36,060   30,075     
           Lumber and wood products ..................     9      7     12      1,187      965    1,217        910      634    1,113     
           Furniture and fixtures ....................     8      6      8      1,252      776      909      1,511      457      803     
           Stone, clay, and glass products ...........     6      4      7      1,055      631      865        666      605    1,530     
           Primary metal industries ..................    27     24     23      5,391    2,690    4,230      5,667    3,650    3,616     
           Fabricated metal products .................    46     26     25      5,981    3,426    4,319      5,781    3,404    3,974     
           Industrial machinery and equipment ........    53     29     39      9,229    6,702    8,166      8,673    6,190    6,271     
           Electronic and other electrical equipment .    70     39     27     13,376    7,556   14,218     15,477    6,434    3,517     
           Transportation equipment ..................    61     38     47     24,698   23,811    8,769     19,572   11,967    7,774     
           Instruments and related products ..........    15     11      7      1,980    1,133    1,232      1,480    1,320      818     
           Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ....    13     11      9      1,500    1,329      992      1,750    1,399      659     

        Nondurable goods  ............................   222    197    187     40,002   40,256   45,229     37,670   32,754   29,908     
           Food and kindred products .................    71     82     63     14,453   19,286   21,023     15,346   13,523    8,944     
           Tobacco products .......................... ( 2 )      -  ( 2 )      ( 2 )        -    ( 2 )      ( 2 )        -    ( 2 )
           Textile mill products .....................    23     23     19      4,697    5,010    4,160      4,257    4,452    4,597     
           Apparel and other textile products ........    52     41     48      7,875    7,795    9,851      6,478    7,435    8,586     
           Paper and allied products .................    17     12     10      3,437    1,864    1,870      3,105    1,323    1,236     
           Printing and publishing ...................     8     13      4      1,451    1,840    1,037      1,349    2,140      366     
           Chemicals and allied products ............. ( 2 )      8     12      ( 2 )    1,196    2,083      ( 2 )    1,062    1,607     
           Petroleum and coal products ............... ( 2 )  ( 2 )  ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )
           Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products.    34     12     26      5,297    2,222    4,209      4,367    1,941    4,014     
           Leather and leather products ..............     8  ( 2 )  ( 2 )      1,012    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      1,091    ( 2 )    ( 2 )

     Nonmanufacturing  ...............................   496    808    496     95,329  158,123   95,702    120,203  136,177   71,911     
        Mining  ......................................    24     23     12      3,830    3,807    4,450      4,534    3,595    5,031     
        Construction .................................    62    138     76      9,558   24,537   10,519     10,941   22,886   10,356     
        Transportation and public utilities ..........    88     89     86     20,506   19,595   20,371     21,281   18,735   14,212     
        Wholesale and retail trade ...................    91    172    102     19,094   36,020   26,782     18,292   28,500   13,676     
           Wholesale trade  ..........................    26     35     29      3,954    4,905    5,542      3,211    3,440    3,048     
           Retail trade  .............................    65    137     73     15,140   31,115   21,240     15,081   25,060   10,628     
        Finance, insurance, and real estate ..........    28     28     46      7,424    4,893    5,325      5,739    4,217    5,156     
        Services .....................................   203    358    174     34,917   69,271   28,255     59,416   58,244   23,480     

  Not identified  ....................................     4      3      6        307      230      581        312      305      480     

Government ...........................................    75     67     54     18,140   10,628   17,035     15,692   10,871    9,057     
        Federal ......................................    13      9      8      3,308    2,048    2,586      3,624    1,929    2,148     
        State ........................................     8     11      4      1,637    2,159      335      1,466    1,487      542     
        Local ........................................    54     47     42     13,195    6,421   14,114     10,602    7,455    6,367     


   1   For the third quarter 1999, data on layoffs were reported by employers in all states and the District of Columbia.          
   2   Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
   r = revised.                                                                                                       
   p = preliminary.    
   NOTE:  Dash represents zero.
Table 2. Reason for separation: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment 
insurance, selected quarters, 1998 and 1999

 

                                       Layoff events                Separations                Initial claimants for                                                                           
                                                                                               unemployment insurance
      Reason for separation                                                               
                                  III     II       III         III       II        III         III        II         III
                                 1998r   1999r    1999p       1998r     1999r     1999p       1998r      1999r      1999p     


    Total, all reasons( 1 ) ...  1,234   1,445    1,072     248,055   295,215   237,777     256,805    241,828    153,142      


 Automation ...................      -   ( 2 )    ( 2 )           -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )           -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 Bankruptcy ...................     21      31       24       8,673     9,148    10,422       3,638      5,104      2,884      
 Business ownership change ....     34      49       53       8,766    12,409    18,909       4,034      8,109      6,624      
 Contract cancellation ........     15      24       15       2,664     3,854     2,463       4,293      3,071      1,621      
 Contract completed ...........    145     214      140      27,104    37,260    20,119      53,854     39,610     22,168      
 Domestic relocation ..........     23      16       15       3,466     2,984     2,801       2,994      2,270      1,648      
 Energy-related ...............     11       4        -       2,131       395         -       2,893        707          -
 Environment-related ..........  ( 2 )       4        -       ( 2 )     1,578         -       ( 2 )        897          -
 Financial difficulty .........     29      54       60       7,818    13,223    17,769       4,313      8,087     11,078      
 Import competition ...........     26      23       24       4,746     5,694     8,598       4,102      3,763      5,610      
 Labor dispute ................     15       5        3      10,927     7,653       829       6,594      1,189        469      
 Material shortage ............     32   ( 2 )        6       4,486     ( 2 )     1,368       4,790      ( 2 )      2,053      

 Model changeover .............  ( 2 )   ( 2 )        -       ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -       ( 2 )      ( 2 )          -
 Natural disaster .............  ( 2 )       -    ( 2 )       ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )       ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )
 Overseas relocation ..........     11      14        5       3,520     2,427       980       2,665      1,822        537      
 Plant or machine repair ......      5   ( 2 )        3       1,193     ( 2 )       318         816      ( 2 )        280      
 Product line discontinued ....     10      11        9       1,413     1,498     1,114       1,232      1,793        940      
 Reorganization within company.    139     114      108      25,945    28,695    21,151      25,815     25,801     16,604      
 Seasonal work ................    347     536      338      69,138   116,404    80,409      63,170     84,414     41,333      
 Slack work ...................    222     142      117      42,099    19,132    16,921      46,424     23,984     16,798      
 Vacation period ..............     22      83       24       2,619    13,345    13,032       2,746     13,854      3,420      
 Weather-related ..............  ( 2 )      17        6       ( 2 )     2,414     1,095       ( 2 )      1,476        496      
 Other ........................     73      50       27      12,257     6,859     5,662      13,279      6,747      3,935      
 Not reported .................     47      44       92       7,987     8,650    13,422       8,154      8,016     14,296      


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.   
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.                                                          
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.                
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.
Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, second and third quarters, 1999
               
                                                                                        Percent of total
                                              Total       
                         Layoff events       initial                              Hispanic                         Persons age 55   
                                            claimants           Black              origin           Women             and over 
                                                                                                                      
          State                                            

                         II      III       II       III      II      III       II      III       II      III       II       III
                        1999r   1999p     1999r    1999p    1999r   1999p     1999r   1999p     1999r   1999p     1999r    1999p 
                                       
     Total( 1 )  ...... 1,445   1,072   241,828  153,142     17.6    16.3      21.5    21.8      50.3    46.5      14.7     13.7     
                                       
 Alabama ..............    32      20     4,522    1,940     46.6    52.1        .2      .5      54.0    54.1      16.9      6.8     
 Alaska ...............     6       -       815        -      4.2       -       8.5       -      45.5       -      14.8        -
 Arizona ..............    27      24     4,803    4,445      1.0     2.4      77.3    60.3      35.4    23.8      11.9     12.4     
 Arkansas .............     8       4       993      790     40.3    40.3        .6     2.9      75.7    55.7      10.2      7.6     
 California ...........   305     238    44,979   30,794      5.8     7.9      51.3    47.3      41.9    48.0      12.8     12.0     
 Colorado .............     4   ( 2 )       389    ( 2 )      3.3     1.4      23.9     9.8      73.5    33.2      15.4     18.5     
 Connecticut ..........    11       9     1,938      874     11.2    16.0       4.3    13.2      66.8    42.2      16.2     22.1     
 Delaware .............     -       -         -        -        -       -         -       -         -       -         -        -
 District of Columbia .     -       -         -        -        -       -         -       -         -       -         -        -
 Florida ..............    94      42    13,073    3,989     31.3    34.9      35.5    22.1      51.6    43.9      21.3     19.5     
 Georgia ..............    15      13     3,023    1,370     60.3    51.2       3.5      .7      70.3    55.3       9.1     15.0     
 Hawaii ...............    15       8     1,499      633       .8     3.5        .6     1.6      43.0    25.8      14.7      9.5     
 Idaho ................     8       8       804    1,016       .2      .4      27.2    37.7      65.3    57.6      12.4     18.0     
                                       
 Illinois .............   107      56    21,752    8,505     25.3    17.0       8.4    10.6      51.4    37.1      15.0     12.9     
 Indiana ..............    20      18     3,440    1,955     13.5    26.4       2.1     4.5      54.3    40.3      15.2     14.9     
 Iowa .................     4   ( 2 )       698    ( 2 )      5.2     5.9       1.3     2.1      68.6    30.8       9.5      9.7     
 Kansas ...............    10       5     1,226      425      7.4    25.2       3.3     3.3      57.1    57.9      11.3      9.6     
 Kentucky .............     6       7       538      584      3.5    11.6         -      .5      11.3    47.6       6.7     10.6     
 Louisiana ............    20       5     3,822      813     45.9    40.6       2.9      .2      48.7    33.0      13.7     10.3     
 Maine ................     7   ( 2 )       863    ( 2 )       .2     1.3       1.6      .4      39.5    40.6       9.0     16.2     
 Maryland .............     7       5       692      704     51.6    32.2        .9      .7      76.9    52.8      21.8     28.6     
 Massachusetts ........    35      23     6,610    2,737     12.9    12.7       9.8    12.2      62.7    64.9      22.6     18.1     
 Michigan .............    66      88    12,577   14,733     19.5    17.7       2.4     4.3      51.0    42.0      11.5      8.9     
 Minnesota ............    26       7     2,843    1,475      2.3     5.5       1.5     1.0      47.5    31.9      16.0     11.1     
 Mississippi ..........     6       3       746      527     68.4    67.9        .1      .6      69.3    45.7      10.6      4.6     
 Missouri .............    15       8     2,540    1,599     18.5    17.2       1.0     2.1      65.4    63.7      15.8     17.2     
                                       
 Montana ..............     8       -       642        -       .3       -       1.6       -      31.0       -      14.3        -
 Nebraska .............     -   ( 2 )         -    ( 2 )        -    46.9         -    22.9         -    65.6         -      4.2     
 Nevada ...............    22       8     3,029      646     11.3     8.4      19.4    23.8      21.5    31.9      14.0     19.2     
 New Hampshire ........ ( 2 )   ( 2 )     ( 2 )    ( 2 )       .9       -        .9       -      36.3    96.1      10.6     24.5     
 New Jersey ...........    41      50     5,928    6,367     19.4    26.7      19.1    17.1      69.3    67.6      23.8     24.9     
 New Mexico ...........    12   ( 2 )     1,298    ( 2 )      1.5      .4      47.1    52.7      62.1     6.8      14.0      7.5     
 New York .............    21     104     3,503   14,975     14.0    18.2      11.6    10.1      61.8    59.9      14.5     19.8     
 North Carolina .......    23      17     3,459    2,215     36.5    37.2        .7     1.2      61.1    48.8      16.2     13.5     
 North Dakota ......... ( 2 )       -     ( 2 )        -        -       -       1.3       -      82.5       -      12.5        -
 Ohio .................    77      41    11,525    6,642     17.6    13.6       2.1      .8      52.3    38.4      13.0     14.1     
 Oklahoma .............    11       7     1,900      612     11.2    12.3       2.1     2.3      53.8    42.6      11.5     15.4     
 Oregon ...............    28      18     3,437    1,622      1.3     5.4      18.0    11.8      63.0    55.7      17.4      9.7     
 Pennsylvania .........    82      58    21,140    9,951     11.7    10.1       1.9     1.3      59.2    43.9      19.6     16.1     
                                       
 Rhode Island .........     3       6       254      671      4.7     2.8       3.9    13.0      57.1    52.9      16.1     17.1     
 South Carolina .......    24      11     4,625    3,518     66.3    53.4        .2     1.8      71.4    64.7       2.2       .9     
 South Dakota ......... ( 2 )       -     ( 2 )        -        -       -         -       -      66.5       -      15.9        -
 Tennessee ............    17       9     2,129      905     32.5    14.4        .3     1.5      73.9    65.6      14.8     17.7     
 Texas ................   120      98    25,820   18,367     15.2    13.3      43.8    45.3      37.3    34.9      11.7     11.8     
 Utah .................     7       4       609      307       .7     1.6       3.0     7.5      36.0    47.9      10.7      4.2     
 Vermont ..............     -       -         -        -        -       -         -       -         -       -         -        -
 Virginia .............    20      11     3,103    1,091     52.2    33.5        .5      .7      54.8    76.0      12.3     14.2     
 Washington ...........    26      20     7,274    2,920      3.2     3.7      20.3    27.9      36.8    37.9      13.5     14.4     
 West Virginia ........ ( 2 )       -     ( 2 )        -      1.6       -         -       -         -       -      26.2        -
 Wisconsin ............    43      10     6,303    1,189     17.5     1.9       1.2     2.9      55.7    50.0      19.9     10.2     
 Wyoming .............. ( 2 )       -     ( 2 )        -        -       -      15.4       -       1.5       -      15.4        -
                                       
 Puerto Rico ..........    12      18     3,029    2,245    ( 3 )   ( 3 )     ( 3 )   ( 3 )      50.2    55.8      13.7     11.3     
                                        

     1 See footnote 1, table 1.                                                  
     2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.                
     3 Data are not available.
     r = revised. 
     p = preliminary.
     NOTE:  Dash represents zero.                                                   
Table 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, selected quarters, 1998 and 1999


                                                                                                        Initial claimants for
                                       Layoff events                      Separations	       	          unemployment insurance
 Census region and division

                                   III      II       III             III       II        III           III        II         III
                                  1998r    1999r    1999p           1998r     1999r     1999p         1998r      1999r      1999p     

         United States( 1 ).....  1,234    1,445    1,072         248,055   295,215   237,777       256,805    241,828    153,142     
                                 
 Northeast .....................    287      201      253          53,440    36,451    56,223        55,789     40,349     35,911     
                                 
     New England ...............     41       57       41           8,108    11,153    17,116         7,290      9,778      4,618     
     Middle Atlantic ...........    246      144      212          45,332    25,298    39,107        48,499     30,571     31,293     
                                
 South .........................    279      404      252          58,183    80,740    45,461        43,149     68,506     37,425     
                                 
     South Atlantic ............    133      184       99          30,058    42,302    17,998        17,038     28,036     12,887     
     East South Central ........     38       61       39           7,725     8,769     6,833         5,273      7,935      3,956     
     West South Central ........    108      159      114          20,400    29,669    20,630        20,838     32,535     20,582     
                                 
 Midwest .......................    290      371      236          69,966    78,773    43,610        60,113     63,330     36,856     
                                 
     East North Central ........    249      313      213          58,986    70,219    39,281        51,994     55,597     33,024     
     West North Central ........     41       58       23          10,980     8,554     4,329         8,119      7,733      3,832     
                                
 West ..........................    378      469      331          66,466    99,251    92,483        97,754     69,643     42,950     
                                 
     Mountain ..................     48       89       47           7,353    17,282    20,206         6,529     11,639      6,981     
     Pacific ...................    330      380      284          59,113    81,969    72,277        91,225     58,004     35,969     
                              
      1 See footnote 1, table 1.
      r = revised.            
      p = preliminary.
      NOTE:  The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the various 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 5. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
selected quarters, 1998 and 1999

                                                                                                 
                                   Layoff events                 Separations                      Initial claimants for 
                                                                                                  unemployment insurance
           State           
                               III      II      III          III       II         III           III          II           III
                              1998r    1999r   1999p        1998r     1999r      1999p         1998r        1999r        1999p
 
     Total( 1 )  ..........   1,234    1,445   1,072      248,055   295,215    237,777       256,805      241,828      153,142     

 Alabama ..................      11       32      20        2,682     4,376      3,001         2,203        4,522        1,940     
 Alaska ...................   ( 2 )        6       -        ( 2 )     1,578          -         ( 2 )          815            -
 Arizona ..................      16       27      24        1,946     6,135     16,009         2,044        4,803        4,445     
 Arkansas .................      13        8       4        2,262     1,547      1,726         1,707          993          790     
 California ...............     292      305     238       51,861    64,970     64,816        85,794       44,979       30,794     
 Colorado .................       6        4   ( 2 )          688       373      ( 2 )           708          389        ( 2 )
 Connecticut ..............       7       11       9        1,563     2,541      1,803           972        1,938          874     
 Delaware .................       -        -       -            -         -          -             -            -            -
 District of Columbia .....       -        -       -            -         -          -             -            -            -
 Florida ..................      67       94      42       17,085    19,078      6,615         8,980       13,073        3,989     
 Georgia ..................      17       15      13        5,883     3,382      2,759         2,019        3,023        1,370     
 Hawaii ...................       8       15       8          793     1,562        608           873        1,499          633     
 Idaho ....................      10        8       8        1,340     1,059      1,222         1,126          804        1,016     

 Illinois .................      56      107      56       17,624    31,630     14,839        11,737       21,752        8,505     
 Indiana ..................      28       20      18        5,699     4,366      3,137         4,498        3,440        1,955     
 Iowa .....................       6        4   ( 2 )          605       482      ( 2 )         1,211          698        ( 2 )
 Kansas ...................   ( 2 )       10       5        ( 2 )     1,183        718         ( 2 )        1,226          425     
 Kentucky .................       9        6       7        1,216       962        898           961          538          584     
 Louisiana ................      12       20       5        2,279     4,368        862         2,288        3,822          813     
 Maine ....................       9        7   ( 2 )        1,483     1,541      ( 2 )         1,917          863        ( 2 )
 Maryland .................       5        7       5          499       628        717           471          692          704     
 Massachusetts ............      21       35      23        4,519     6,422     13,404         3,975        6,610        2,737     
 Michigan .................      76       66      88       14,848    12,499     14,113        16,092       12,577       14,733     
 Minnesota ................       7       26       7        1,977     3,846      1,546         1,118        2,843        1,475     
 Mississippi ..............      16        6       3        3,347       917      1,567         1,604          746          527     
 Missouri .................      25       15       8        7,074     2,541      1,599         5,083        2,540        1,599     

 Montana ..................   ( 2 )        8       -        ( 2 )       691          -         ( 2 )          642            -
 Nebraska .................   ( 2 )        -   ( 2 )        ( 2 )         -      ( 2 )         ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )
 Nevada ...................       4       22       8          872     3,613        821           719        3,029          646     
 New Hampshire ............   ( 2 )    ( 2 )   ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )      ( 2 )         ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 New Jersey ...............      37       41      50        7,034     6,497      6,027         5,397        5,928        6,367     
 New Mexico ...............       6       12   ( 2 )        1,627     1,989      ( 2 )         1,067        1,298        ( 2 )
 New York .................     115       21     104       21,733     4,502     22,960        21,397        3,503       14,975     
 North Carolina ...........      14       23      17        3,056     6,493      4,923         1,449        3,459        2,215     
 North Dakota .............       -    ( 2 )       -            -     ( 2 )          -             -        ( 2 )            -
 Ohio .....................      67       77      41       18,511    12,662      6,006        16,550       11,525        6,642     
 Oklahoma .................      12       11       7        1,458     1,906        612         1,467        1,900          612     
 Oregon ...................      11       28      18        1,734     5,546      2,758         1,239        3,437        1,622     
 Pennsylvania .............      94       82      58       16,565    14,299     10,120        21,705       21,140        9,951     

 Rhode Island .............   ( 2 )        3       6        ( 2 )       549      1,540         ( 2 )          254          671     
 South Carolina ...........      13       24      11        1,467     2,471      1,371         2,213        4,625        3,518     
 South Dakota .............       -    ( 2 )       -            -     ( 2 )          -             -        ( 2 )            -
 Tennessee ................   ( 2 )       17       9        ( 2 )     2,514      1,367         ( 2 )        2,129          905     
 Texas ....................      71      120      98       14,401    21,848     17,430        15,376       25,820       18,367     
 Utah .....................       5        7       4          820     2,522        770           806          609          307     
 Vermont ..................       -        -       -            -         -          -             -            -            -
 Virginia .................      12       20      11        1,683    10,189      1,613         1,433        3,103        1,091     
 Washington ...............      17       26      20        4,463     8,313      4,095         3,109        7,274        2,920     
 West Virginia ............       5    ( 2 )       -          385     ( 2 )          -           473        ( 2 )            -
 Wisconsin ................      22       43      10        2,304     9,062      1,186         3,117        6,303        1,189     
 Wyoming ..................       -    ( 2 )       -            -     ( 2 )          -             -        ( 2 )            -
 
 Puerto Rico .................   14       12      18        3,466     2,771      2,937         2,397        3,029        2,245     


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.                                 
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.