Technical information:  (202) 691-6392     USDL 02-602
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                           For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Thursday, October 24, 2002

                                     
                      MASS LAYOFFS IN SEPTEMBER 2002

   
   Employers initiated 1,060 mass layoff actions in September 2002, as mea-
sured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, 
according to 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 122,277.  (See table 1.)  A year ear-
lier, in September 2001, there were 1,327 mass layoff events involving 
160,402 workers.  Over 9 percent of the initial claims in September 2002 
were in general freight trucking (11,348), and an additional 6 percent were 
in the temporary help services industry (7,587).  In January through Septem-
ber 2002, both the total number of events, at 14,150, and initial claims, at 
1,567,505, were lower than in January-September 2001 (14,475 and 1,734,530, 
respectively).
   
   The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or more 
workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of the lay-
offs.  Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later and issued 
in a quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days 
(referred to as "extended mass layoffs") and provides more information on the 
industry classification and location of the establishment and on the demogra-
phics of the laid-off workers.  Because monthly figures include short-term 
layoffs of 30 days or less, the sum of the figures for the 3 months in a quar-
ter 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
   
   Manufacturing industries accounted for 33 percent of all mass layoff events 
and 35 percent of all initial claims filed in September.  A year earlier, lay-
offs in this sector accounted for 37 percent of events and 36 percent of ini-
tial claims.  Within manufacturing, the number of initial claimants was high-
est in computer and electronic products (5,146, primarily in semiconductors 
and related devices), followed by transportation equipment (4,959) and food 
manufacturing (4,688).  (See table 2.)
   
   Six percent of all layoff events and 15 percent of all initial claims filed 
during the month were in transportation and warehousing, mostly in general 
long distance freight trucking.  A year earlier, layoffs in this sector ac-
counted for 5 percent of events and 6 percent of initial claims.  Thirteen 
percent of the events and 11 percent of initial claims in September were from 
administrative and waste services, mostly in temporary help services.  Retail 
trade accounted for 9 percent of events and 8 percent of initial claims, pri-
marily in general merchandise stores.  The information sector accounted for 
an additional 4 percent of events and 5 percent of initial claims, largely in 
motion picture and sound recording industries.
   
   Government establishments accounted for 5 percent of events and of initial 
claims filed during the month, particularly in elementary and secondary schools.
   
                                  - 2 -

   Compared with September 2001, the largest decreases in initial claims 
were reported in accommodation services (-18,485), administrative and support 
sevices (-8,293), and transportation equipment manufacturing (-6,926).  The 
largest over-the-year increases in initial claims were reported in truck trans-
portation (+11,026) and in support activities for transportation (+4,117).

Geographic Distribution
   
   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in September 
due to mass layoffs was in the West, 51,216.  (See table 3.)  Administrative 
and support services, support activities for transportation, and trucking 
accounted for 30 percent of all initial claims in the West during the month.  
The South followed with 29,643 initial claims (mainly in administrative and 
support services), then the Midwest, with 25,437 (largely in truck transpor-
tation).  The Northeast continued to report the lowest number of initial 
claims, with 15,981 (mostly in truck transportation).
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year
in each of the four geographic regions, with the largest decreases occurring 
in the West (-21,825).  The decline in the West was largely in accommodation 
services (hotels and motels).  Six of the nine geographic divisions reported 
over-the-year declines in the number of initial claims associated with mass 
layoffs, with the largest declines in the Pacific (-12,689) and Mountain 
(-9,136) divisions.  The largest increase (+454) was reported in the West 
North Central division.
   
   California had the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff 
events this September, 39,691, mostly in administrative and support services, 
followed by Texas (8,280) and Illinois (6,707).  These three states accounted 
for 45 percent of all layoff events and initial claims for unemployment in-
surance.  (See table 4.)  Thus far this year, 406,077 mass layoff initial 
claims were filed in California, 26 percent of the national total.  The states 
with the next largest number of claims were Texas (96,233) and Pennsylvania 
(89,726).
   
   California reported the largest over-the-year decrease in initial claims 
(-14,576), followed by Nevada (-9,629).  The largest over-the-year increases 
occurred in Texas (+2,863) and Oregon (+2,674).
                                     
                           ______________________________
   
   The report on Extended Mass Layoffs in the Third Quarter of 2002 will
be issued on Wednesday, November 13, 2002.
 
 
 
 

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 2000 to September 2002
                            
                                                            Extended mass layoffs 
                                Total mass layoffs        lasting more than 30 days        Realization rates(1)
             Date           

                                           Initial                        Initial                      Initial 
                                Events    claimants       Events         claimants         Events     claimants
                            
             2000           

July .......................     1,333     164,978
August .....................       751      97,215
September ..................       936     106,842

Third Quarter ..............     3,020     369,035         1,014          189,250           33.6         51.3

October ....................       874     103,755
November ...................     1,697     216,514
December ...................     2,677     326,743

Fourth Quarter .............     5,248     647,012         2,005          376,611           38.2         58.2

             2001           

January ....................     1,522     200,343
February ...................     1,501     172,908
March ......................     1,527     171,466

First Quarter ..............     4,550     544,717         1,765          340,210           38.8         62.5

April ......................     1,450     176,265
May ........................     1,434     159,365
June .......................     2,107     253,826

Second Quarter .............     4,991     589,456         2,072          401,168           41.5         68.1

July .......................     2,117     273,807
August .....................     1,490     166,148
September ..................     1,327     160,402

Third Quarter ..............     4,934     600,357         1,815          370,620           36.8         61.7

October ....................     1,831     215,483
November ...................     2,721     295,956
December ...................     2,440     268,893

Fourth Quarter .............     6,992     780,332         2,698          500,925           38.6         64.2

             2002           

January ....................     2,146     263,821
February ...................     1,383     138,984
March ......................     1,460     161,336

First Quarter ..............     4,989     564,141         1,749          313,686           35.1         55.6

April ......................     1,507     165,861
May ........................     1,726     180,007
June .......................     1,580     161,928

Second Quarter .............     4,813     507,796   (2)(p)1,754    (2)(p)256,338        (p)36.4      (p)50.5

July .......................     2,041     245,211
August (p) .................     1,247     128,080
September (p) ..............     1,060     122,277

    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                    

                                                   September  July    August  September   September    July      August    September
                                                     2001r    2002     2002p    2002p       2001r      2002       2002p      2002p 


     Total(1) ...................................    1,327    2,041    1,247    1,060      160,402    245,211    128,080    122,277

Total, private ..................................    1,292    1,936    1,189    1,006      156,240    235,558    122,106    116,292

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....       78      118       39       51        5,079      8,734      2,255      3,801
  Mining ........................................        3       12       10        7          345      1,450        701        513
  Utilities .....................................    ( 2 )        4    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        320      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................       68       74       98       80        4,804      5,675      8,241      5,735
  Manufacturing .................................      485      908      427      350       58,544    135,313     48,733     42,228
      Food ......................................       46       60       47       39        5,605      6,102      5,150      4,688
      Beverage and tobacco products .............        4    ( 2 )        5        7          251      ( 2 )        405        454
      Textile mills .............................       26       33       12       17        3,754      4,795      1,177      2,585
      Textile product mills .....................        5       11    ( 2 )       12          877      2,336      ( 2 )      1,966
      Apparel ...................................       39       34       24       19        3,869      3,196      3,127      2,225
      Leather and allied products ...............        7        6    ( 2 )        3          642        378      ( 2 )        240
      Wood products .............................        7       28       11       12          636      2,893      1,198      1,312
      Paper .....................................        9       13        8        9          862      1,244        741      1,007
      Printing and related support activities ...        9       13        5        7          802      1,331        558        650
      Petroleum and coal products ...............        -    ( 2 )        -        -            -      ( 2 )          -          -

      Chemicals .................................       12       14    ( 2 )        8          951      1,451      ( 2 )        952
      Plastics and rubber products ..............       10       71       16       15        1,257     10,080      1,368      1,322
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............       11       18       12        5        1,068      2,813      1,334        410
      Primary metals ............................       25       64       25       20        2,733      7,651      2,862      2,273
      Fabricated metal products .................       34       60       33       22        3,190      7,556      3,136      2,365
      Machinery .................................       51       76       50       28        8,315     12,778      9,197      3,657
      Computer and electronic products ..........       71       94       74       47        6,850     11,950      6,202      5,146
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......       22       31       23       23        1,916      5,036      3,082      2,679
      Transportation equipment ..................       66      234       50       32       11,885     47,583      6,665      4,959
      Furniture and related products ............       18       27       11       17        1,948      4,187        888      2,831
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............       13       17       13        8        1,133      1,699        931        507

  Wholesale trade ...............................       30       29       23       20        2,297      3,017      2,357      1,708
  Retail trade ..................................       74       93      111       93        7,498     10,412     11,322      9,851
  Transportation and warehousing ................       63       71       68       68        8,905      6,658      8,140     18,070
  Information ...................................       56       72       45       47       11,736     12,559      4,006      6,585
  Finance and insurance .........................       25       52       26       26        2,163      4,394      2,161      2,530
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............        4       11       11    ( 2 )          249      1,066        647      ( 2 )
  Professional and technical services ...........       31       74       47       29        2,943      6,818      6,455      2,811
  Management of companies and enterprises .......    ( 2 )        3        -    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        323          -      ( 2 )
  Administrative and waste services .............      161      233      179      133       22,254     24,762     18,192     13,874
  Educational services ..........................    ( 2 )       15    ( 2 )        5        ( 2 )      1,239      ( 2 )        369
  Health care and social assistance .............       11       54       27       18          776      3,652      1,738      1,299
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........       18       23       17       19        1,465      1,599      1,422      2,157
  Accommodation and food services ...............      163       70       38       48       24,821      5,930      2,702      3,955
  Other services, except public administration ..        8       17       13    ( 2 )          625      1,385      1,745      ( 2 )

  Unclassified ..................................       10        3        3        1        1,281        252        737        103

Government ......................................       35      105       58       54        4,162      9,653      5,974      5,985
  Federal .......................................        9        6       15        9          901        781      2,056      1,703
  State .........................................       10       17       12       10        1,078      1,315      1,596        980
  Local .........................................       16       82       31       35        2,183      7,557      2,322      3,302

    1 For September 2002, data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    p = preliminary.
    r = revised.
    NOTE: Beginning with data for January 2002, the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is
the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry. NAICS is the product of a cooperative effort on the part
of the statistical agencies of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Due to differences in NAICS and SIC structures, data by
industry for 2002 will not be comparable to the SIC-based data for earlier years. However, the monthly historical industry series
from April 1995 to December 2001 are available on both SIC and NAICS bases. 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

                             September     July      August    September   September      July       August     September
                                2001       2002       2002p      2002p        2001        2002        2002p       2002p 

      United States(1) ..... (r)1,327      2,041      1,247      1,060    (r)160,402     245,211     128,080     122,277

Northeast ..................      220        315        195        158        23,678      35,012      25,178      15,981

  New England ..............       30         68         27         21         2,785       7,000       3,897       1,919
  Middle Atlantic ..........      190        247        168        137        20,893      28,012      21,281      14,062

South ......................   (r)309        485        308        257     (r)32,246      56,170      31,764      29,643

  South Atlantic ...........      170        202        159        127        17,272      22,290      13,884      14,161
  East South Central .......       54        137         30         51         5,591      16,850       3,574       5,877
  West South Central .......    (r)85        146        119         79      (r)9,383      17,030      14,306       9,605

Midwest ....................      221        574        251        177        31,437      89,068      28,016      25,437

  East North Central .......      182        468        186        134        26,358      66,354      21,208      19,904
  West North Central .......       39        106         65         43         5,079      22,714       6,808       5,533

West .......................      577        667        493        468        73,041      64,961      43,122      51,216

  Mountain .................       61         66         38         35        13,245       6,399       3,933       4,109
  Pacific ..................      516        601        455        433        59,796      58,562      39,189      47,107


    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           

                             September      July       August     September   September      July       August     September
                                2001        2002        2002p       2002p        2001        2002        2002p       2002p 

   Total(1) ................ (r)1,327       2,041       1,247       1,060    (r)160,402     245,211     128,080     122,277

Alabama ....................       12          56           5          16         1,067       7,290         691       2,174
Alaska .....................    ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Arizona ....................        7          28           7           9           506       2,528         485       1,618
Arkansas ...................        8          11       ( 2 )           4           807         999       ( 2 )         421
California .................      465         545         415         376        54,267      52,556      34,590      39,691
Colorado ...................        8          15           7           6           787       1,658         573         561
Connecticut ................    ( 2 )           6           4           4         ( 2 )         598         588         262
Delaware ...................    ( 2 )           4           -           -         ( 2 )         642           -           -
District of Columbia .......        5       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           704       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Florida ....................       75          92          72          55         5,575       6,405       5,154       4,143
Georgia ....................       14           9          17          14         1,505         824       1,734       2,404
Hawaii .....................       16           3       ( 2 )           4         2,108         256       ( 2 )         428
Idaho ......................        6           7          10           4           763         864       1,708         287

Illinois ...................       60          62          51          41         9,708       9,521       6,185       6,707
Indiana ....................       20          72          23          16         3,241      11,367       2,954       2,512
Iowa .......................       13          25          10           9         2,041       6,494         939       1,673
Kansas .....................        4          15          11           3           706       3,701       1,378         196
Kentucky ...................       26          59          14          16         3,033       7,580       2,032       1,773
Louisiana ..................    (r)13          18          19          12      (r)1,680       1,294       1,513         761
Maine ......................        -       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )             -       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Maryland ...................        3          11           8           7           175       1,225         898         815
Massachusetts ..............       21          44          17          12         1,910       4,130       2,132         988
Michigan ...................       43         144          26          14         6,062      15,700       2,535       1,544
Minnesota ..................        6          16          11           9           507       1,702       1,243       1,142
Mississippi ................        5           5           3           6           335         583         176         782
Missouri ...................       15          42          28          15         1,672       9,917       2,884       1,886

Montana ....................    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -           -         ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -           -
Nebraska ...................        -           8           4           6             -         900         287         583
Nevada .....................       34          11          11          13        10,762         991         891       1,133
New Hampshire ..............        3           5           3           3           182         696         618         514
New Jersey .................       23          44          33          29         2,348       5,367       3,371       3,424
New Mexico .................    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
New York ...................       77          88          86          49         9,427       9,715      11,213       5,137
North Carolina .............       10          23          27          11           805       2,244       3,104       1,208
North Dakota ...............    ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           -
Ohio .......................       30          98          47          34         3,983      15,236       5,602       5,468
Oklahoma ...................        6          20           5       ( 2 )         1,479       2,757       1,008       ( 2 )
Oregon .....................       14          27          24          30         1,291       2,829       2,603       3,965
Pennsylvania ...............       90         115          49          59         9,118      12,930       6,697       5,501

Rhode Island ...............    ( 2 )           9       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       1,163       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
South Carolina .............       45          35          19          18         5,904       6,590       1,238       2,220
South Dakota ...............        -           -           -       ( 2 )             -           -           -       ( 2 )
Tennessee ..................       11          17           8          13         1,156       1,397         675       1,148
Texas ......................       58          97          93          62         5,417      11,980      11,660       8,280
Utah .......................    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Vermont ....................        3           3       ( 2 )           -           487         353       ( 2 )           -
Virginia ...................       14          24          15          19         2,282       3,974       1,693       3,092
Washington .................       19          26          14          21         1,986       2,921       1,856       2,889
West Virginia ..............        3           3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           209         308       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Wisconsin ..................       29          92          39          29         3,364      14,530       3,932       3,673
Wyoming ....................        -           -           -           -             -           -           -           -

Puerto Rico ................        9          11          10           9           831       2,251         772         873

    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.