Technical information:  (202) 691-6392       USDL 03-454
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                             For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902       Thursday, August 28, 2003

                                     
                         MASS LAYOFFS IN JULY 2003
                                     

   Employers initiated 2,087 mass layoff actions in July 2003, as measured
by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, accord-
ing 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 226,435.  (See table 1.)  Of the 10 indus-
tries with highest number of initial claims in July, 6 were automotive-related.  
(See table A.)  Compared with July 2002, the number of layoff events increased, 
while the number of workers involved declined.  July 2003 marks the 14th conse-
cutive month in which mass-layoff initial claims declined over the year.  From 
January through July 2003, the total number of events, at 11,947, was higher 
than for the same period a year ago, but the number of initial claims, at 
1,183,045, was lower.
   
   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").  The quarterly release 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 lay-
offs of more than 30 days.  (See table 1.)  See the Technical Note for more 
detailed definitions.
   
Industry Distribution
   
   The manufacturing sector accounted for 45 percent of all mass layoff
events and 60 percent of all initial claims filed in July, little changed
from a year ago (44 and 55 percent, respectively).  Within manufacturing,
the number of claimants was highest in transportation equipment (60,173,
mainly automotive-related), followed by plastics and rubber products
(11,122), primary metals (8,676), and machinery (8,669).  (See table 2.)
   
   The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 10 percent of
events and 8 percent of initial claims filed in July, with layoffs mostly
in temporary help services.  Retail trade accounted for 5 percent of events
and 4 percent of initial claims during the month, mainly in general merchan-
dise stores.  Six percent of the events and 4 percent of the initial claims 
were from agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, largely among farm 
labor contractors and crew leaders.  Transportation and warehousing accounted 
for an additional 4 percent of all layoff events and 3 percent of initial 
claims filed during July, as did the construction sector.  Layoffs in trans-
portation and warehousing were primarily in school and employee bus transpor-
tation.  Layoffs in construction were mostly among specialty trade contractors.
   
   Government establishments accounted for 7 percent of events and 5 percent 
of initial claims filed during the month, particularly in educational services, 
as the school year ended.  The 11,265 initial claims in this sector were the 
most for any July since 1998.
   
   Compared with July 2002, the largest decreases in initial claims were re-
ported in administrative and support services (-6,527), computer and elec-
tronic products (-6,374), and motion picture and sound recording (-5,878).  
The largest over-the-year increase in initial claims was reported in trans-
portation equipment manufacturing (+12,590).
   
                                  - 2-
   
Table A.  Industries with largest mass layoff initial claims in July 2003p
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Industry                  |Initial|       July peak
                                         | claims|--------------------------
                                         |       |  Year  | Initial claims
-----------------------------------------|-------|--------|-----------------
Temporary help services..................| 11,444|  1998  |     24,601
Motor vehicle power train components.....|  8,905|  2003  |      8,905
Light truck and utility vehicles.........|  8,348|  1997  |     14,618
All other motor vehicle parts............|  7,349|  1998  |      8,590
Elementary and secondary schools ........|  7,069|  2003  |      7,069
All other plastics products..............|  6,778|  2003  |      6,778
Motor vehicle metal stamping ............|  6,702|  1999  |      6,932
Automobiles..............................|  4,502|  1996  |     22,644
Motor vehicle seating and interior trim..|  3,849|  1999  |      6,702
Professional employer organizations......|  2,926|  2002  |      3,569
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     p=preliminary.

Geographic Distribution

   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in July
due to mass layoffs was reported in the Midwest, 101,533.  (See table 3.)
Transportation equipment manufacturing accounted for 44 percent of all
initial claims in that region during the month.  The South followed, with
48,895 initial claims, then the West, with 45,820, and the Northeast, with
30,187.
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year
in three of the four regions, with the largest decrease in the West (-19,224).  
The Midwest had the only over-the-year increase (+12,465).  Eight of the nine 
geographic divisions had over-the-year decreases in the number of initial 
claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest declines in the Pacific 
(-16,921).  The East North Central division had the only increase (+13,007).
   
   California recorded the largest number of initial claims filed in mass
layoff events this July, 37,033, mostly in administrative and support
services and in educational services.  Michigan reported 21,647 initial
claims, followed by Indiana (18,688) and Ohio (17,086).  These four states
accounted for 44 percent of all layoff events and 42 percent of initial
claims for unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   California reported the largest over-the-year decrease in the number of
initial claims (-15,523).  The largest over-the-year increases occurred in
Indiana (+7,321), Georgia (+7,011), and Michigan (+5,947).
   
   From January through July, California reported 284,855 initial claims,
24 percent of the national total.  The states with the next highest numbers
of initial claims were Pennsylvania (75,199), Ohio (69,023), New York
(60,615), and Texas (58,958).
   
                          ______________________________
   
   
   The report on Mass Layoffs in August 2003 will be issued on Thursday,
September 25, 2003.
   
   

Technical Note
 
 
 
 The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program that
uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing, and
tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each state's
unemployment insurance database.  Each month, states report on
establishments which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them
during a consecutive 5-week period.  These establishments then are
contacted by the state agency to determine whether these separations lasted
31 days or longer, and, if so, other information concerning the layoff is
collected.  States report on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a
quarterly basis.
 
 A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment
insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that
month.  All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the
first day of the month falls on Saturday.  In this case, the week is
included in the prior month's tabulations.  This means that some months
will contain 4 weeks and others 5 weeks, and the number of weeks in a given
month may be different from year to year.  Therefore, analysis of over-the-
month and over-the-year change should take this calendar effect into
consideration.
 
 The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been
terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding.  Prior to April 1995,
monthly layoff statistics were not available.
 
 Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; 
TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
 
Definitions
 
 Initial claimant.  A person who files any notice of unemployment to
initiate a request either for a determination of entitlement to and
eligibility for compensation, or for a subsequent period of unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.
 
 Mass layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week period,
regardless of duration.
   
   
   

Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, July 2001 to July 2003
                            
                                                            Extended mass layoffs 
                                Total mass layoffs        lasting more than 30 days        Realization rates(1)
             Date           

                                           Initial                        Initial                      Initial
                                Events    claimants       Events         claimants         Events     claimants
                            
             2001           

July .......................     2,117     273,807
August .....................     1,490     166,148
September ..................     1,327     160,402

Third Quarter ..............     4,934     600,357         1,815       (r)371,541           36.8      (r)61.9

October ....................     1,831     215,483
November ...................     2,721     295,956
December ...................     2,440     268,893

Fourth Quarter .............     6,992     780,332      (r)2,697       (r)502,502           38.6         64.4

             2002           

January ....................     2,146  (r)263,777
February (r) ...............     1,382     138,808
March ......................     1,460  (r)161,316

First Quarter (r) ..........     4,988     563,901         1,750          316,489           35.1         56.1

April (r) ..................     1,506     165,814
May (r) ....................     1,723     179,799
June (r) ...................     1,584     162,189

Second Quarter .............     4,813  (r)507,802         1,905       (r)353,017           39.6         69.5

July (r) ...................     2,042     245,294
August (r) .................     1,248     128,103
September ..................     1,062  (r)124,522

Third Quarter ..............  (r)4,352  (r)497,919      (r)1,383       (r)284,511           31.8      (r)57.1

October ....................     1,497  (r)171,100
November (r) ...............     2,152     240,151
December (r) ...............     2,474     264,158

Fourth Quarter .............  (r)6,123  (r)675,409      (r)2,257       (r)421,025           36.9      (r)62.3

             2003           

January ....................     2,315  (r)225,430
February ...................     1,363  (r)124,986
March (r) ..................     1,207     113,026

First Quarter ..............  (r)4,885  (r)463,442         1,700          329,153           34.8         71.0

April (2)(r) ...............     1,581     161,412
May (2) ....................     1,703     174,204
June (p) ...................     1,691     157,552

Second Quarter (p) .........     4,975     493,168      (3)1,894       (3)285,884           38.1         58.0

July (p) ...................     2,087     226,435


    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 For April and May 2003, data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia, except Wyoming. 
    3 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will increase as more data on these layoffs become avaliable.
Recent experience suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by less
than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent. 
    p = preliminary.
    r = revised. 
   
   

Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                 
                                                                                                    Initial claimants for          
                                                             Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance         
                     Industry                    

                                                     July     May      June     July        July       May        June       July  
                                                     2002r    2003     2003p    2003p       2002r      2003       2003p      2003p 


     Total(1) ...................................    2,042    1,703    1,691    2,087      245,294    174,204    157,552    226,435

Total, private ..................................    1,937    1,591    1,397    1,932      235,626    164,028    132,185    215,170

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....      118       53       61      117        8,734      3,299      4,442      8,269
  Mining ........................................       13        9        4        7        1,491      1,749        591        505
  Utilities .....................................        4        7        3        -          320        529        315          -
  Construction ..................................       74      159       95       88        5,675     13,279      6,238      5,970
  Manufacturing .................................      907      499      389      946      135,271     61,278     40,845    136,410
      Food ......................................       60       70       59       74        6,102      7,655      5,829      6,460
      Beverage and tobacco products .............    ( 2 )        5    ( 2 )        8        ( 2 )        548      ( 2 )        614
      Textile mills .............................       33       21       18       27        4,795      2,204      1,970      2,828
      Textile product mills .....................       11       10       10       12        2,336        948      1,581      1,048
      Apparel ...................................       34       31       19       36        3,196      3,705      1,584      3,093
      Leather and allied products ...............        6        7        6    ( 2 )          378        544        692      ( 2 )
      Wood products .............................       28       24        9       31        2,893      2,361        711      3,976
      Paper .....................................       13       15        9       16        1,244      1,072      1,202      1,035
      Printing and related support activities ...       13       16       14       12        1,331      1,249      1,053        723
      Petroleum and coal products ...............    ( 2 )        3    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        190      ( 2 )      ( 2 )

      Chemicals .................................       14        8        9       15        1,451        930        878      1,332
      Plastics and rubber products ..............       71       22       19       90       10,080      1,480      3,233     11,122
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............       18       13       10       30        2,813      1,080        828      3,954
      Primary metals ............................       64       27       29       66        7,651      3,920      2,226      8,676
      Fabricated metal products .................       60       34       23       59        7,556      2,957      1,728      6,235
      Machinery .................................       76       39       30       65       12,778      6,179      3,062      8,669
      Computer and electronic products ..........       93       46       35       60       11,908      4,029      3,464      5,534
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......       31       20       13       33        5,036      3,665      2,088      5,445
      Transportation equipment ..................      234       52       51      265       47,583     13,288      6,367     60,173
      Furniture and related products ............       27       21       15       20        4,187      1,985      1,363      2,391
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............       17       15        6       19        1,699      1,289        572      1,648

  Wholesale trade ...............................       29       31       25       36        3,017      2,431      1,597      2,776
  Retail trade ..................................       93      117      100      108       10,412     12,107      9,640      9,065
  Transportation and warehousing ................       71       80      135       84        6,658      7,755     15,035      7,489
  Information ...................................       72       63       54       44       12,559      8,819      5,954      3,700
  Finance and insurance .........................       52       31       23       35        4,394      2,414      1,730      2,569
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............       11        5        7       11        1,066        478        485        751
  Professional and technical services ...........       74       65       36       53        6,818      5,542      3,357      4,970
  Management of companies and enterprises .......        3        5        4        4          323        369        725        438
  Administrative and waste services .............      234      204      175      212       24,831     19,751     15,596     18,427
  Educational services ..........................       15        8       12       25        1,239        536        961      1,714
  Health care and social assistance .............       54       84      123       59        3,652      7,043     10,226      4,048
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........       23       32       25       27        1,599      2,293      1,383      2,559
  Accommodation and food services ...............       70       98       83       50        5,930     10,068      9,975      3,764
  Other services, except public administration ..       17       39       41       19        1,385      4,143      2,937      1,115

  Unclassified ..................................        3        2        2        7          252        145        153        631

Government ......................................      105      112      294      155        9,668     10,176     25,367     11,265
  Federal .......................................        6       14        9       10          781      1,736        841        899
  State .........................................       17       17       22       24        1,330      1,454      1,699      1,527
  Local .........................................       82       81      263      121        7,557      6,986     22,827      8,839


    1 For May 2003, data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia, except Wyoming. 
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    p = preliminary. 
    r = revised.
    NOTE:  Industry data reflect the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), 2002. Dash represents zero. 
   
   

Table 3. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division
                           
                                                                                      Initial claimants for            
                                          Mass layoff events                          unemployment insurance           
 Census region and division

                               July       May        June       July         July        May         June        July  
                               2002       2003       2003p      2003p        2002        2003        2003p       2003p 

      United States(1) .... (r)2,042      1,703      1,691      2,087    (r)245,294     174,204     157,552     226,435

Northeast .................      315        274        275        336        35,012      27,071      29,032      30,187

  New England .............       68         32         55         69         7,000       2,888       5,732       6,148
  Middle Atlantic .........      247        242        220        267        28,012      24,183      23,300      24,039

South .....................      485        446        461        440        56,170      48,321      41,019      48,895

  South Atlantic ..........      202        214        243        200        22,290      21,217      18,913      22,033
  East South Central ......      137         74         78        128        16,850       7,645       9,495      14,232
  West South Central ......      146        158        140        112        17,030      19,459      12,611      12,630

Midwest ...................      574        373        310        697        89,068      46,401      33,819     101,533

  East North Central ......      468        271        238        589        66,354      34,240      24,398      79,361
  West North Central ......      106        102         72        108        22,714      12,161       9,421      22,172

West (1) ..................   (r)668        610        645        614     (r)65,044      52,411      53,682      45,820

  Mountain (1) ............    (r)67         62         68         53      (r)6,482       6,104       5,827       4,179
  Pacific .................      601        548        577        561        58,562      46,307      47,855      41,641


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    p = preliminary.
    r = revised.
    NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are: New England:
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central:
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North
Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. 
 
 
Table 4. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                         
                                                                                       Initial claimants for            
                                         Mass layoff events                            unemployment insurance           
           State         

                             July        May         June        July         July        May         June        July  
                             2002        2003        2003p       2003p        2002        2003        2003p       2003p 

   Total(1) ............. (r)2,042       1,703       1,691       2,087    (r)245,294     174,204     157,552     226,435

Alabama .................       56          21          21          45         7,290       1,996       3,882       5,466
Alaska ..................        -       ( 2 )           4           -             -       ( 2 )         439           -
Arizona .................       28          19          17          20         2,528       1,846       1,282       1,634
Arkansas ................       11           4           9           8           999         266         653         621
California ..............      545         502         526         517        52,556      41,857      42,918      37,033
Colorado ................       15           7          11           7         1,658         721         884         478
Connecticut .............        6           5           9          12           598         403       1,296         833
Delaware ................        4       ( 2 )           4           3           642       ( 2 )         266       1,430
District of Columbia ....    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Florida .................       92         100         117          76         6,405       8,078       8,488       5,356
Georgia .................        9          38          43          53           824       3,807       3,641       7,835
Hawaii ..................        3           6           7       ( 2 )           256         554         525       ( 2 )
Idaho ...................        7          11           8           9           864       1,444         629         957

Illinois ................       62          70          44          85         9,521       9,525       4,231      11,117
Indiana .................       72          34          36          86        11,367       4,685       3,912      18,688
Iowa ....................       25          27          10          24         6,494       4,582       1,186       4,674
Kansas ..................       15           7          11          14         3,701         811       2,198       1,800
Kentucky ................       59          25          28          57         7,580       3,100       3,087       7,110
Louisiana ...............       18          22          28          20         1,294       2,005       2,308       2,299
Maine ...................    ( 2 )           4           6           3         ( 2 )         265         388         178
Maryland ................       11           8          11          16         1,225         969         950       1,149
Massachusetts ...........       44          16          32          43         4,130       1,734       3,230       3,947
Michigan ................      144          36          39         190        15,700       6,599       3,541      21,647
Minnesota ...............       16          22          20          18         1,702       2,119       1,898       2,127
Mississippi .............        5          10           7           8           583         717         547         460
Missouri ................       42          28          25          40         9,917       3,044       3,730      12,137

Montana .................    ( 2 )           3           8           3         ( 2 )         236         528         172
Nebraska ................        8           9           4           9           900         702         267       1,231
Nevada ..................       11          14          14          10           991       1,099       1,597         694
New Hampshire ...........        5       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           8           696       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         944
New Jersey ..............       44          22          69          59         5,367       1,915       9,441       5,354
New Mexico ..............     (r)3           6           6       ( 2 )        (r)172         583         605       ( 2 )
New York ................       88         110          46          92         9,715      11,375       4,194       8,253
North Carolina ..........       23          27          24          11         2,244       2,790       1,918       1,298
North Dakota ............        -           5           -       ( 2 )             -         349           -       ( 2 )
Ohio ....................       98          68          72         133        15,236       7,098       8,361      17,086
Oklahoma ................       20          23          13           9         2,757       4,653       1,188       1,947
Oregon ..................       27          22          20          24         2,829       2,151       2,022       2,891
Pennsylvania ............      115         110         105         116        12,930      10,893       9,665      10,432

Rhode Island ............        9       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3         1,163       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         246
South Carolina ..........       35          11          12          17         6,590       1,436       1,039       1,815
South Dakota ............        -           4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             -         554       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Tennessee ...............       17          18          22          18         1,397       1,832       1,979       1,196
Texas ...................       97         109          90          75        11,980      12,535       8,462       7,763
Utah ....................    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           4       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )         302       ( 2 )
Vermont .................        3           4       ( 2 )           -           353         315       ( 2 )           -
Virginia ................       24          26          27          21         3,974       2,967       2,189       2,981
Washington ..............       26          17          20          18         2,921       1,684       1,951       1,579
West Virginia ...........        3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           308       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Wisconsin ...............       92          63          47          95        14,530       6,333       4,353      10,823
Wyoming .................        -       ( 1 )           -           -             -       ( 1 )           -           -

Puerto Rico .............       11           7           8          13         2,251       1,098         702       1,116


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    p = preliminary. 
    r = revised.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.