Technical information:  (202) 691-6392     USDL 01-496
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                           For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902     Friday, December 28, 2001

                                     
                       MASS LAYOFFS IN NOVEMBER 2001
                                     
   
   In November 2001, there were 2,699 mass layoff actions by employers as
measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the
month, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics.  Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single
establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 293,074.  (See
table 1.)  The number of layoff events and initial claimants for unemploy-
ment insurance were the highest for the month of November since the series 
began in April 1995.  (November 2001 contained 5 weeks for possible mass 
layoffs, compared with 4 weeks in each of the prior three Novembers.)  Over 
the January-November 2001 period, the total number of events, at 18,920, and           
initial claims, at 2,228,945, were substantially higher than in January-
November 2000, at 13,061 and 1,508,849, respectively.

   The BLS also tabulated data through November 17 on the direct and
indirect effects of the September 11 attacks on plant closings and mass
layoffs lasting more than 30 days.  See page 2.
   
Industry Distribution

   Manufacturing industries accounted for 42 percent of all mass layoff
events and 52 percent of all initial claims filed in November 2001.  A year
earlier, layoffs in manufacturing accounted for 36 percent of events and 43
percent of initial claims.  Manufacturing industries with the highest
number of initial claimants were transportation equipment (24,691, mostly
in motor vehicles and car bodies), industrial machinery and equipment
(19,587, largely in refrigeration and heating equipment and in construction
machinery), and electronic and other electrical equipment (18,295).  
(See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 18 percent of events and 15 percent of initial
claims filed during the month.  Layoffs in services were concentrated in
business services (particularly help supply services).  This industry is
more likely than most other industries to lay off workers for fewer than 
30 days.
   
   Twelve percent of all layoff events and 10 percent of initial claims
filed during the month were in construction, mostly in heavy construction,
except buildings.  Agriculture accounted for 12 percent of events and 8
percent of initial claims in November, mostly in agricultural services
(farm labor contractors).  Retail trade accounted for an additional 
6 percent of both events and initial claims, primarily in eating and 
drinking places.
   
   Compared with November 2000, the largest increases in initial claims
were reported in electronic and other electrical equipment (+11,077),
industrial machinery and equipment (+9,688), and primary metal industries
(+8,455).  The largest over-the-year decrease in initial claims was
reported in motion pictures (-2,282).
   
                                  - 2 -

Geographic Distribution
   
   In November, the highest number of initial claims due to mass layoffs
was in the Midwest--101,147--largely in transportation equipment, heavy
construction (except buildings), and industrial machinery and equipment.
(See table 3.)  These three industries accounted for 36 percent of all
claimants in the region.  The Northeast region continued to register the
lowest number of mass layoff-related initial claims, 41,738.
   
   The largest over-the-year increase in initial claimants in mass layoffs
occurred in the Midwest (+35,861), followed by the South (+22,812) and the
Northeast (+20,249).  Only the West reported an over-the-year decrease 
(-2,362).  Eight of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year increases
in the number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the
largest increases in the East North Central, Middle Atlantic, and South
Atlantic divisions.  Over the year, the number of initial claims decreased
in the Pacific division.
   
   California registered the largest number of initial claims filed in
mass layoff events, 57,804, mostly in agricultural services and in business
services, followed by Wisconsin (23,522, primarily in electronic and other
electrical equipment), Michigan (23,102, largely in transportation
equipment), and Pennsylvania (22,386, mostly in electronic and other
electrical equipment).  These four states accounted for 49 percent of all
layoff events and 43 percent of all initial claims for unemployment
insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   Michigan reported the largest over-the-year increase (+13,544) in
initial claims, followed by Pennsylvania (+11,022).  The largest over-
the-year decrease occurred in California (-13,198).
   
Impact of the September 11 Attacks
   
   After the events of September 11, BLS added a new code for reason for
layoff, 'non-natural disaster,' for use in the quarterly reporting of
extended mass layoffs (those lasting more than 30 days).  This allows for
the identification of workers separated from companies as a direct or
indirect effect of situations such as the September 11 attacks.  BLS also
implemented interim reporting of extended mass layoffs in order to analyze
the layoff impact of those attacks on a more timely basis.

   In the 10 weeks following the September 11 attacks (the weeks ending
September 15 through November 17), employers reported 350 events involving
103,781 workers separated as a direct or indirect effect of the attacks.
Thirty-one states reported extended mass layoff activity related to the
September 11 incidents.  However, 69 percent of these events and 64 percent
of the associated separations occurred in just six states--California,
Nevada, New York, Illinois, Texas, and Florida.
   
   Among the workers laid off because of the terrorist attacks, 42 percent, 
or 43,795, had been employed in the scheduled air transportation industry.  
An additional 29 percent, or  30,399 workers, had been employed
in hotels and motels.
   
   Thirty-one percent of the employers reporting extended mass layoffs
related to the attacks indicated they anticipated some type of recall.

Note
   
    The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or
more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of the
layoffs.  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 demographics of the laid-off workers.  Because monthly figures 

                                  - 3 -

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.
   
                      ______________________________
   
   The report on Mass Layoffs in December 2001 will be issued in the week
of January 28, 2002.
   
   
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |                Change in Industry Classification System                 |
 |                                                                         |
 |   December 2001 data will be the last from the Mass Layoff Statistics   |
 |(MLS) program using the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)    |
 |system.  Beginning with the release of data for January 2002 in late     |
 |February 2002, the program will switch to the 2002 version of the North  |
 |American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as 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 for 2002 will not be comparable to the SIC-based|
 |data for earlier years.  However, the monthly historical industry series |
 |from April 1995 through December 2001 will be available on both SIC and  |
 |NAICS bases.                                                             |
 |                                                                         |
 |  NAICS uses a production-oriented approach to categorize economic units.|
 |Units with similar production processes are classified in the same indus-|
 |try.  NAICS focuses on how products and services are created, as opposed |
 |to the SIC focus on what is produced. This approach yields significantly |
 |different industry groupings than those produced by the SIC approach.    |
 |                                                                         |
 |  Users interested in more information about NAICS can access the BLS Web|
 |page at http://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm or the Bureau of the Census Web |
 |page at http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html.                       |
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, October 1999 to November 2001

  
                                                       Extended mass layoffs 
                                                     lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                               
                              Total mass layoffs                                           Realization rates(1)
                                                                                           
                                                                                                
                                          Initial                         Initial                        Initial 
                              Events     claimants      Events           claimants         Events       claimants        

            1999  
 
 October ....................  1,098      118,938     
 November ...................  1,336      139,508     
 December ...................  1,509      162,381 
    
 Fourth Quarter .............  3,943      420,827        1,625            287,685           41.2           68.4     
 
           2000

 January ....................  1,934      223,322     
 February ...................  1,045      103,898     
 March ......................    986      106,748     

 First Quarter ..............  3,965      433,968        1,330            221,368           33.5           51.0     

 April ......................    924      101,359     
 May ........................    984       92,193     
 June .......................  1,597      192,025     

 Second Quarter .............  3,505      385,577        1,271            231,471           36.3           60.0     

 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            376,362           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            338,596           38.8           62.2     

 April ......................  1,450      175,911     
 May ........................  1,426      157,759     
 June .......................  2,081      250,359     

 Second Quarter .............  4,957      584,029        2,055            387,880           41.5           66.4     

 July .......................  2,108      272,308     
 August .....................  1,474      163,263     
 September...................  1,316      158,859     

 Third Quarter ..............  4,898      594,430  (2)(p)1,689      (2)(p)233,780        (p)34.5        (p)39.3

 October(p) .................  1,816      212,695     
 November(p) ................  2,699      293,074       


    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

                                                       November September October November   November  September  October  November
                                                          2000     2001   2001(p)  2001(p)      2000      2001    2001(p)   2001(p)

      Total(1) .......................................   1,697    1,316    1,816    2,699     216,514   158,859   212,695   293,074     

 Total, private ......................................   1,651    1,281    1,753    2,645     212,318   154,697   206,622   288,224     

   Agriculture .......................................     254       77       99      312      21,916     5,033     8,134    22,476     
   Nonagriculture ....................................   1,374    1,200    1,653    2,330     186,788   149,273   198,431   265,506     
     Manufacturing ...................................     607      485      729    1,129      92,805    58,953   105,505   152,916     
       Durable goods .................................     363      315      503      750      59,217    39,270    78,371   104,309     
         Lumber and wood products ....................      61        6       28       59       7,725       499     3,205     7,256     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................      20       24       27       46       2,576     2,496     3,193     5,025     
         Stone, clay, and glass products .............      26       11       20       33       2,559     1,068     2,596     3,397     
         Primary metal industries ....................      35       28       58      103       4,643     2,820     8,334    13,098     
         Fabricated metal products ...................      44       38       49       75       4,332     3,181     6,858     7,559     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........      48       62       91      139       9,899    10,479    11,988    19,587     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...      32       77      101      121       7,218     7,159    13,080    18,295     
         Transportation equipment ....................      77       48       99      133      18,322     9,960    25,524    24,691     
         Instruments and related products ............       8       14       21       14         769       989     2,677     1,686     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......      12        7        9       27       1,174       619       916     3,715     

       Nondurable goods ..............................     244      170      226      379      33,588    19,683    27,134    48,607     
         Food and kindred products ...................      84       50       73      121       9,927     6,175     8,467    12,398     
         Tobacco products ............................       -        -        -    ( 2 )           -         -         -     ( 2 )
         Textile mill products .......................      48       35       30       57       9,379     5,216     6,073     8,445     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........      37       36       43       44       4,147     3,547     5,078     6,637     
         Paper and allied products ...................      16        8       13       30       2,243       727     1,315     4,363     
         Printing and publishing .....................       7       12       14       24         585     1,233     1,063     2,342     
         Chemicals and allied products ...............       6       10       16       13         420       684     1,429     1,377     
         Petroleum and coal products .................       6        -    ( 2 )    ( 2 )         548         -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..      31       13       34       68       5,182     1,534     3,401    10,876     
         Leather and leather products ................       9        6    ( 2 )       11       1,157       567     ( 2 )       958     

     Nonmanufacturing ................................     767      715      924    1,201      93,983    90,320    92,926   112,590     
       Mining ........................................       9    ( 2 )       10       22         984     ( 2 )     1,191     2,396     
       Construction ..................................     241       67       99      312      22,983     4,657     8,692    28,508     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........      45       95      141      120       4,811    11,698    15,950    11,384     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................     139      141      182      221      15,743    13,584    16,742    21,240     
          Wholesale trade ............................      32       33       39       57       2,649     2,599     3,228     4,601     
          Retail trade ...............................     107      108      143      164      13,094    10,985    13,514    16,639     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........      18    ( 2 )       43       43       1,562     ( 2 )     3,620     3,685     
       Services ......................................     315      385      449      483      47,900    58,110    46,731    45,377     

   Not identified ....................................      23        4        1        3       3,614       391        57       242     

 Government ..........................................      46       35       63       54       4,196     4,162     6,073     4,850     
   Federal ...........................................      15        9       20       10       1,275       901     2,151     1,020     
   State .............................................      20       10       18       20       2,002     1,078     1,890     1,826     
   Local .............................................      11       16       25       24         919     2,183     2,032     2,004     


   1 Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.                   
   2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
   p = preliminary.
   NOTE:  Dash represents zero. 
Table 3. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division
                                                                                          
                                          Mass layoff events                            Initial claimants for
                                                                                        unemployment insurance
  Census region and division

                             
                               November  September   October   November     November    September     October     November
                                 2000       2001     2001(p)    2001(p)       2000         2001       2001(p)      2001(p)

         United States(1) ....  1,697      1,316      1,816      2,699      216,514      158,859      212,695      293,074     

 Northeast ...................    187        220        273        388       21,489       23,678       29,900       41,738 
 
     New England .............     30         30         57         76        2,926        2,785        7,258        8,813     
     Middle Atlantic .........    157        190        216        312       18,563       20,893       22,642       32,925     

 South .......................    329        298        433        517       44,026       30,703       49,275       66,838     

     South Atlantic ..........    154        170        238        287       24,888       17,272       24,849       35,748     
     East South Central ......     68         54         64         90        7,936        5,591       7,944        13,464     
     West South Central ......    107         74        131        140       11,202        7,840       16,482       17,626     

 Midwest .....................    464        221        450        793       65,286       31,437       68,814      101,147     

     East North Central ......    361        182        360        615       52,987       26,358       51,022       79,965     
     West North Central ......    103         39         90        178       12,299        5,079       17,792       21,182     

 West ........................    717        577        660      1,001       85,713       73,041       64,706       83,351     

     Mountain ................     66         61         68        120        7,552       13,245        6,361       14,802     
     Pacific .................    651        516        592        881       78,161       59,796       58,345       68,549     


      1 See footnote 1, table 2.                                                                                       
      p = preliminary.                                                   
      NOTE:  The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, 
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle  Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania;         
South Atlantic:  Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and 
West Virginia; East South Central:  Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, 
Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North Central:  Iowa, Kansas, 
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.




Table 4. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance

                                                                                          Initial claimants for                
                                            Mass layoff events                            unemployment insurance
                                                                                          
              State       

                                November  September   October   November    November    September   October    November
                                  2000       2001     2001(p)    2001(p)      2000        2001      2001(p)     2001(p)

    Total(1) .................   1,697      1,316      1,816      2,699     216,514     158,859     212,695     293,074     

 Alabama .....................      13         12          9         23       2,039       1,067       1,113       2,402     
 Alaska ......................       6      ( 2 )          4          6         399       ( 2 )         381         651     
 Arizona .....................       3          7         12         17         274         506         823       1,663     
 Arkansas ....................      13          8          5         11       1,254         807         734       2,500     
 California ..................     581        465        516        782      71,002      54,267      48,316      57,804     
 Colorado ....................       8          8         16         29         850         787       1,594       3,044     
 Connecticut .................       3      ( 2 )          6          9         233       ( 2 )         366         745     
 Delaware ....................       3      ( 2 )          8      ( 2 )       2,368       ( 2 )         970       ( 2 )
 District of Columbia ........       -          5          3      ( 2 )           -         704         350       ( 2 )
 Florida .....................      34         75        119        102       2,240       5,575       9,065      10,138     
 Georgia .....................      19         14         16         26       2,187       1,505       1,742       3,714     
 Hawaii ......................       3         16         20         10         285       2,108       2,130         924     
 Idaho .......................      14          6         11         27       1,795         763       1,638       3,250     

 Illinois ....................      70         60         83        106      16,382       9,708      12,717      13,648     
 Indiana .....................      48         20         43         65       6,698       3,241       5,845       8,775     
 Iowa ........................      25         13         26         50       4,355       2,041       3,598       6,647     
 Kansas ......................      13          4          5         13       1,212         706       2,940       1,613     
 Kentucky ....................      24         26         28         44       3,711       3,033       4,078       8,863     
 Louisiana ...................      24      ( 2 )          5          7       2,214       ( 2 )         282         537     
 Maine .......................   ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )          7       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )         827     
 Maryland ....................       6          3          7         11         724         175         651         878     
 Massachusetts ...............      16         21         39         41       1,284       1,910       4,612       4,617     
 Michigan ....................      90         43         88        158       9,558       6,062      10,349      23,102     
 Minnesota ...................      45          6         19         62       4,711         507       1,989       6,934     
 Mississippi .................      16          5         11          7       1,041         335       1,288         499     
 Missouri ....................      17         15         36         33       1,730       1,672       8,844       3,704     

 Montana .....................       4      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          5         455       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         562     
 Nebraska ....................   ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )         10       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       1,347     
 Nevada ......................      23         34         23         18       2,847      10,762       1,797       2,730     
 New Hampshire ...............   ( 2 )          3          3          6       ( 2 )         182       1,213       1,277     
 New Jersey ..................      31         23         40         48       4,912       2,348       6,229       5,155     
 New Mexico ..................       -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 New York ....................      22         77         47         51       2,287       9,427       4,546       5,384     
 North Carolina ..............      15         10         29         46       1,987         805       3,997       4,764     
 North Dakota ................   ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          8       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         809     
 Ohio ........................      53         30         73        103       6,756       3,983      13,435      10,918     
 Oklahoma ....................       9          6         11         14       2,155       1,479       1,237       2,648     
 Oregon ......................      30         14         30         54       3,293       1,291       5,009       6,674     
 Pennsylvania ................     104         90        129        213      11,364       9,118      11,867      22,386     

 Rhode Island ................       5      ( 2 )          4          6         518       ( 2 )         464         772     
 South Carolina ..............      46         45         36         61       9,339       5,904       5,361      10,651     
 South Dakota ................       -          -          -      ( 2 )           -           -           -       ( 2 )
 Tennessee ...................      15         11         16         16       1,145       1,156       1,465       1,700     
 Texas .......................      61         58        110        108       5,579       5,417      14,229      11,941     
 Utah ........................      13      ( 2 )          3         20       1,276       ( 2 )         307       3,184     
 Vermont .....................       3          3          3          7         281         487         462         575     
 Virginia ....................      29         14         20         35       5,889       2,282       2,713       5,125     
 Washington ..................      31         19         22         29       3,182       1,986       2,509       2,496     
 West Virginia ...............   ( 2 )          3          -          3       ( 2 )         209           -         229     
 Wisconsin ...................     100         29         73        183      13,593       3,364       8,676      23,522     
 Wyoming .....................   ( 2 )          -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )

 Puerto Rico .................       7          9         12         13         537         831       1,035       1,524     


  1 See footnote 1, table 2.                                      
  2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  Dash represents zero.