Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information: (202) 691-6392      USDL 00-266
                                     
                                           For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:               691-5902      Wednesday, September 20, 2000
                                     
                                     
            EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2000

   In the second quarter of 2000, there were 1,187 mass layoff actions by
employers that resulted in the separation of 227,114 workers from their
jobs for more than 30 days, according to preliminary figures released by
the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Both the number
of layoff events and the number of separations were sharply lower than in
April-June 1999, with events and separations at their lowest level for any
April-June period since the resumption of the Mass Layoff Statistics
Program in April 1995.  (See table A.)  The data in this release do not
include the decline in federal government employment of temporary census
workers as they completed their assignments.
   
   The completion of seasonal work was the major reason cited for layoffs
in the second quarter and accounted for 44 percent of all events and 47
percent of all separations.  Layoffs due to internal company restructuring
resulted in 45,490 separations.  Permanent closure of worksites occurred in
14 percent of all events and affected 34,775 workers, down from a year
earlier (40,253).
   
   The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs cover layoffs of at least
31-days duration that involve 50 or more individuals from a single
establishment filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a
consecutive 5-week period.  Data for the second quarter are preliminary and
subject to revision.  This release also includes revised data for previous
quarters.  Data are not seasonally adjusted, but survey data suggest that
there is a seasonal pattern to layoffs.  Thus, comparisons between consecutive
quarters should not be used as an indicator of trend.  Additional information
about the program is provided in the technical note that follows the analysis.
   
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
   
   In the private sector during April-June 2000, agriculture accounted for
12 percent of all layoff events and 13 percent of all separations.  The layoff
activity occurred in agricultural services (primarily farm labor contractors)
and agricultural crop production (mainly in vegetables and melons) and was
almost entirely due to the end of seasonal work.  (See table 1.)
     
   Twenty-eight percent of all layoff events and 26 percent of separations
occurred in manufacturing industries.  Layoffs from durable goods industries
were most prevalent in transportation equipment (mostly in aircraft and motor
vehicle parts and accessories).  Among nondurable goods manufacturers, layoffs
were most numerous in food and kindred products (primarily in candy and other
confectionery products and in canned and frozen fruits and vegetables).
     
                                  - 2 -


Table A.  Selected measures of mass layoff activity
---------------------------------------------------------------------
      Period        | Layoff events|  Separations |Initial claimants
--------------------|--------------|--------------|------------------
     1995           |              |              |
April-June..........|     1,724    |    400,891   |     332,731
July-September......|       950    |    193,956   |     154,226
October-December....|     1,764    |    348,036   |     312,428
     1996           |              |              |
January-March.......|     1,408    |    272,399   |     224,393
April-June..........|     1,352    |    261,628   |     200,032
July-Septembe(r)....|     1,021    |    233,199   |     185,247
October-December....|     1,916    |    417,044   |     348,073
     1997           |              |              |
January-March.......|     1,317    |    255,227   |     224,180  
April-June..........|     1,587    |    351,198   |     292,673
July-September......|     1,082    |    217,869   |     209,019
October-December....|     1,697    |    321,821   |     316,035
     1998           |              |              |
January-March.......|     1,320    |    208,082   |     247,315
April-June..........|     1,563    |    391,461   |     402,276
July-September......|     1,234    |    248,054   |     256,803
October-December....|     1,734    |    379,976   |     325,990
     1999           |              |              |
January-March.......|     1,509    |    277,780   |     252,122
April-June(r).......|     1,444    |    294,968   |     242,464
July-September(r)...|     1,097    |    241,725   |     189,948
October-December(r).|     1,625    |    334,794   |     287,078
     2000           |              |              |
January-March(r)....|     1,332    |    255,298   |     219,603
April-June(p).......|     1,187    |    227,114   |     162,726
---------------------------------------------------------------------
       p=preliminary.                        r=revised.

   Services accounted for 29 percent of events and separations, primarily
in social services (mainly child day care services) and in miscellaneous
amusement and recreation services.  Transportation and public utilities
accounted for 9 percent of all layoff events and 10 percent of all
separations.  These layoffs were largely in local and interurban transit
and were most prevalent among school bus companies, occurring as the school
year ended.  Cutbacks in retail trade accounted for 9 percent of all
events and 11 percent of all separations, mostly in eating and drinking
places.
   
   Layoffs in government establishments accounted for 5 percent of all
events and 7 percent of all separations, primarily in educational services.
   
Reasons for Extended Layoff
   
   Forty-seven percent of the separations and 44 percent of the events in
the second quarter were due to the completion of seasonal work.  These
layoffs were most numerous among workers in agricultural services (such as
farm labor contractors and crop preparation services), in local and
interurban transit (mostly in school buses), and in amusement and
recreation services.  Layoffs due to internal company restructuring
(bankruptcy, business ownership change, financial difficulty, and
reorganization) comprised 20 percent of layoff events and separations; two
out of five of these separations were attributed to company
reorganizations.  (See table 2.)

                                  - 3 -

Table B.  Distribution of layoff events by size of layoff, April-June
2000p
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                   |      Layoff events      |       Separations
        Size       |-------------------------|-------------------------
                   |    Number  |   Percent  |    Number  |   Percent
-------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------
   Total...........|    1,187   |    100.0   |   227,114  |    100.0
                   |            |            |            |
50-99..............|      422   |     35.6   |    30,079  |     13.2
100-149............|      286   |     24.1   |    33,317  |     14.7
150-199............|      135   |     11.4   |    22,554  |      9.9
200-299............|      157   |     13.2   |    35,772  |     15.8
300-499............|      110   |      9.3   |    38,007  |     16.7
500-999............|       65   |      5.5   |    42,408  |     18.7
1,000 or more......|       12   |      1.0   |    24,977  |     11.0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
  p=preliminary.

Size of Extended Layoff

   Layoff events during the second quarter continued to be concentrated at
the lower end of the layoff-size spectrum, with 60 percent involving fewer
than 150 workers.  These events, however, accounted for only 28 percent of
all separations.  (See table B.)  Separations involving 500 or more workers
accounted for 30 percent of all separations, down slightly from a year
earlier (33 percent).  Seasonal layoffs in amusement and recreation
services and school bus companies contributed to the higher percentage of
laid-off workers in the larger size categories.  The average size of
layoffs (as measured by separations per layoff event) differed widely by
industry, ranging from an average of 85 separations in building materials
and garden supplies to 443 in educational services.
     
Initial Claimant Characteristics

   A total of 162,726 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were
associated with mass layoffs in the second quarter of 2000.  Of these
claimants, 17 percent were black, 54 percent were women, 23 percent were
Hispanic, and 15 percent were 55 years of age or older.  (See table 3.)
Over 2 out of 5 claimants were 30 to 44 years of age.  Among the civilian
labor force for the same period, 12 percent were black, 47 percent were
women, 11 percent were Hispanic, and 13 percent were 55 years of age or
older.  Thirty-nine percent of the civilian labor force were ages 30 to 44.

Geographic Distribution

   In the second quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass
layoff events was higher in the Midwest (64,903) and West (64,829) than in
the other regions.  (See table 4.)  Contributing to extended mass layoffs
in the Midwest and West were amusement and recreation services, agricultural
services and interurban transit.  The lowest number of worker separations was
reported in the Northeast region (38,845).
   
   Three of the four regions reported over-the-year decreases in separations,
with the largest decline occurring in the West (-34,425), primarily in food
and kindred products and agricultural services.  Within the West region,
lower levels of separations this year were reported mainly by employers in
the Pacific division, with sharply fewer layoffs in food and kindred products,
agricultural services, and transportation equipment.  Separations rose in the
New England (+5,283) and Mountain (+1,119) divisions.
     
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of
worker separations occurred in California (40,978), followed by Illinois
(28,213), Texas (19,195), Florida (13,721), Ohio (11,283) and Pennsylvania
(10,814).  These six states accounted for 54 percent of total layoff events
and 55 percent of all separations during the second quarter of 2000.
(See table 5.)  After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work,
California still reported the most laid-off workers (18,031).
   
   Over the year, the largest decreases in laid-off workers occurred in
California (-23,992) and Virginia (-7,348), primarily in agricultural
services and transportation equipment.  The largest increase occurred in
Colorado (+5,210).

                                  - 4 -   

Table C.  Summary of employer expectations of a recall from layoff,
second quarter 1999-second quarter 2000
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                      |             Percentage of events
                      |----------------------------------------------
 Nature of the recall |    II   |   III  |   IV   |    I   |   II
                      |   1999  |  1999  |  1999  |  2000r |  2000p
----------------------|---------|--------|--------|--------|---------
Anticipate a recall...|   60.2  |   50.5 |   68.6 |   58.0 |   62.0
                      |         |        |        |        |
       Timeframe      |         |        |        |        |
                      |         |        |        |        |
Within 6 months.......|   84.2  |   82.7 |   81.9 |   79.1 |   88.7
  Within 3 months.....|   51.1  |   56.7 |   30.2 |   40.8 |   55.6
                      |         |        |        |        |
        Size          |         |        |        |        |
                      |         |        |        |        |
At least half.........|   91.5  |   88.6 |   88.8 |   88.1 |   92.9
   All workers........|   60.3  |   39.7 |   42.7 |   41.1 |   52.7
---------------------------------------------------------------------
      p=preliminary.                   r=revised.

Recall Expectations

   Sixty-two percent of employers reporting a layoff in the second quarter
of 2000 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, slightly higher
than a year earlier.  (See table C.)  Among establishments expecting a
recall, most employers expected to recall over one-half of the separated
employees and to do so within 6 months.
   
   Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period
(in which 96 percent of the employers expected a recall), employers expected
to recall laid-off workers in 30 percent of the events, somewhat lower than
during the same period a year ago (33 percent).  In layoff events due to
internal company restructuring, employers anticipated a recall in only
6 percent of the events.
Technical Note
  
  The  Mass  Layoff  Statistics (MLS) program is  a  federal-state  program
which  uses  a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing,
and  tracking  the  effects of major job cutbacks,  using  data  from  each
state's  unemployment  insurance database.  Establishments  which  have  at
least  50  initial  claims filed against them during a  consecutive  5-week
period  are  contacted  by  the state agency  to  determine  whether  these
separations  are of at least 31 days duration, and, if so,  information  is
obtained on the total number of persons separated and the reasons for these
separations.    Establishments  are  identified   according   to   industry
classification  and  location,  and unemployment  insurance  claimants  are
identified by such demographic factors as age, race, sex, ethnic group, and
place  of  residence.  The program yields information  on  an  individual's
entire  spell  of  unemployment,  to the point  when  regular  unemployment
insurance benefits are exhausted.

  The  MLS  program  was resumed in April 1995; it had been  terminated  in
November  1992 due to lack of funding.  However, due to changes in concepts
and  definitions,  data  from the resumed program  are  not  comparable  to
earlier data.

  Information   in   this   release  will  be  made  available  to  sensory
impaired  individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message
referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.

Definitions

  Establishment.   A  unit  at   a  single   physical  location   at  which
predominantly one type of economic activity is conducted.

  Extended layoff event.  Fifty  or  more  initial  claims for unemployment
insurance  benefits from an establishment during a 5-week period,  with  at
least 50 workers separated for more than 30 days.

  Initial  claimant.  A person  who  files  any  notice of unemployment  to
initiate  a  request  either  for a determination  of  entitlement  to  and
eligibility  for  compensation, or for a subsequent period of  unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.

  Layoff. The separation of persons  from  an  employer  as part of a  mass
layoff  event.  (See below.) Such layoffs involve both persons  subject  to
recall and those who are terminated by the establishment.

                                  - 2 -

  Mass layoff.  Fifty or more  initial  claims for  unemployment  insurance
benefits  from  an establishment beginning in a given month, regardless  of
duration.

  Worksite  closure.  The  full  closure  of  either multi-unit or  single-
unit  establishments  or the partial closure of a multi-unit  establishment
where  entire  worksites affected by layoffs are closed or  planned  to  be
closed.


Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, selected quarters, 1999 and 2000

                                                             Layoff events             Separations         Initial claimants for
                                                                                                           unemployment insurance
                        Industry
   
                                                            II     I    II       II        I       II       II        I       II
                                                           1999r 2000r 2000p    1999r    2000r    2000p    1999r    2000r    2000p    


         Total( 1 )......................................  1,444 1,332 1,187   294,968  255,298  227,114  242,464  219,603  162,726     

 Total, private .........................................  1,377 1,298 1,128   284,317  246,270  210,494  231,521  214,063  153,286     

   Agriculture  .........................................    175   218   136    36,959   43,439   27,721   25,678   35,799   16,427     
   Nonagriculture .......................................  1,199 1,070   986   247,128  201,427  181,823  205,538  176,534  136,197     
      Manufacturing  ....................................    391   467   318    88,992   86,559   54,574   69,175   82,578   43,117     
         Durable goods  .................................    195   243   167    49,035   43,998   31,500   36,389   43,803   22,407     
            Lumber and wood products ....................      7    20    14       965    3,161    2,206      634    2,683    1,355     
            Furniture and fixtures ......................      6    16     6       776    2,100      944      457    1,668      564     
            Stone, clay, and glass products .............      4    19     7       631    2,391      901      605    1,828      807     
            Primary metal industries ....................     24    13    16     2,690    2,728    2,027    3,655    2,251    1,577     
            Fabricated metal products ...................     26    26    23     3,442    3,182    3,897    3,478    3,036    2,990     
            Industrial machinery and equipment ..........     29    36    32     6,702    5,693    5,827    6,442    5,849    3,961     
            Electronic and other electrical equipment ...     39    36    18     7,556    5,591    2,870    6,432    5,617    2,150     
            Transportation equipment ....................     38    48    37    23,811   14,008    8,823   11,967   17,348    7,403     
            Instruments and related products ............     11    14     7     1,133    3,174    2,918    1,320    1,768      594     
            Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......     11    15     7     1,329    1,970    1,087    1,399    1,755    1,006     

         Nondurable goods  ..............................    196   224   151    39,957   42,561   23,074   32,786   38,775   20,710     
            Food and kindred products ...................     82    94    55    19,286   19,753    8,888   13,523   19,362    8,361     
            Tobacco products ............................      -     7 ( 2 )         -    2,185    ( 2 )        -    1,772    ( 2 )
            Textile mill products .......................     23     9     7     5,010    3,850    1,370    4,494    1,499    1,533     
            Apparel and other textile products ..........     40    56    39     7,495    9,090    5,208    7,378    8,892    4,890     
            Paper and allied products ...................     12    13    12     1,864    1,427    1,965    1,323    1,737    1,115     
            Printing and publishing .....................     13    12    14     1,840    1,674    2,134    2,182    1,494    1,620     
            Chemicals and allied products ...............      8     9     5     1,196    1,365      503    1,062    1,125      586     
            Petroleum and coal products .................  ( 2 )     4 ( 2 )     ( 2 )      546    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      526    ( 2 )
            Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..     12    15    14     2,223    1,483    2,550    1,946    1,380    2,142     
            Leather and leather products ................  ( 2 )     5 ( 2 )     ( 2 )    1,188    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      988    ( 2 )

      Nonmanufacturing  .................................    808   603   668   158,136  114,868  127,249  136,363   93,956   93,080     
         Mining  ........................................     23    19     4     3,807    2,013      556    3,595    1,799      361     
         Construction ...................................    138   186    61    24,537   22,767   10,564   22,886   23,610    9,285     
         Transportation and public utilities ............     89    63   105    19,595   10,137   21,433   18,908   10,413   16,508     
         Wholesale and retail trade .....................    172   149   134    36,021   34,848   28,096   28,554   26,850   21,070     
            Wholesale trade  ............................     35    47    31     4,905    7,753    5,265    3,440    6,059    3,596     
            Retail trade  ...............................    137   102   103    31,116   27,095   22,831   25,114   20,791   17,474     
         Finance, insurance, and real estate ............     28    33    41     4,893   15,867    6,085    4,217    5,096    4,818     
         Services .......................................    358   153   323    69,283   29,236   60,515   58,203   26,188   41,038     

   Not identified  ......................................      3    10     6       230    1,404      950      305    1,730      662     

 Government .............................................     67    34    59    10,651    9,028   16,620   10,943    5,540    9,440     
         Federal ........................................      9    14    12     2,048    6,226    2,900    1,929    2,697    3,045     
         State ..........................................     11     5     7     2,159      509    1,425    1,509      509    1,326     
         Local ..........................................     47    15    40     6,444    2,293   12,295    7,505    2,334    5,069     


   1 For the second quarter 2000, data on layoffs were reported by employers in all states and the District of Columbia.          
   2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
   p = preliminary.
   r = revised. 
   NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 2. Reason for separation: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment 
insurance, selected quarters, 1999 and 2000

 

                                              Layoff events                 Separations            Initial claimants for                                                                           
                                                                                                   unemployment insurance
           Reason for separation                                                               
                                           II       I      II          II        I       II         II        I       II
                                          1999r   2000r   2000p       1999r    2000r    2000p      1999r    2000r    2000p     


    Total, all reasons( 1 ).............  1,444   1,332   1,187     294,968  255,298  227,114    242,464  219,603  162,726      

 Automation ............................  ( 2 )       4   ( 2 )       ( 2 )      762    ( 2 )      ( 2 )      687    ( 2 )
 Bankruptcy ............................     31      32      38       9,148   10,221    7,309      5,104    3,662    4,091      
 Business ownership change .............     49      27      35      12,409    4,128    7,552      8,386    2,886    3,136      
 Contract cancellation .................     24      16      19       3,854    2,593    2,580      3,072    2,246    1,933      
 Contract completed ....................    214     129     121      37,263   21,530   29,590     39,578   24,038   20,999      
 Domestic relocation ...................     16      15      20       2,984    2,167    2,815      2,270    1,947    1,609      
 Energy-related ........................      4       -       -         395        -        -        707        -        -
 Environment-related ...................      4       4       -       1,578      749        -        897      610        -
 Financial difficulty ..................     54      73      71      13,223   13,277   12,213      8,127   11,990    8,509      
 Import competition ....................     22       9      13       5,394    3,584    2,564      3,926    1,420    1,846      
 Labor dispute .........................      5       7       8       7,653    1,163    2,441      1,189      791    1,450      
 Material shortage .....................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )    

 Model changeover ......................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )
 Overseas relocation ...................     14      13       9       2,427    3,902      991      1,827    1,828      843      
 Plant or machine repair ...............  ( 2 )       -       6       ( 2 )        -    1,292      ( 2 )        -    1,162      
 Product line discontinued .............     11       6       9       1,498    1,145    1,021      1,793    1,078      827      
 Reorganization within company .........    114     130      88      28,695   38,566   18,416     25,801   30,286   14,257      
 Seasonal work .........................    536     540     518     116,404  103,034  106,407     84,536   85,856   70,312      
 Slack work ............................    142     167      94      19,132   20,685   11,882     23,993   23,701   14,107      
 Vacation period .......................     83       8      56      13,345    2,530    8,265     13,854    2,972    6,007      
 Weather-related .......................     17      43   ( 2 )       2,414    3,990    ( 2 )      1,476    4,482    ( 2 )
 Other .................................     50      43      32       6,859    9,040    4,203      6,748    7,653    4,912      
 Not reported ..........................     44      61      44       8,700   10,807    5,939      8,066   10,743    5,982      


    1 See footnote 1, table 1. 
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    p = preliminary.
    r = revised.           
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, first and second quarters, 2000
               
                                                                                           Percent of total
                                                Total
                          Layoff events        initial                            Hispanic                            
                                              claimants           Black            origin         Women       Persons age 55
                                                                                                                 and over 
          State
                            I      II          I        II        I     II        I      II       I      II      I      II
                          2000r   2000p      2000r    2000p     2000r  2000p    2000r  2000p    2000r  2000p   2000r  2000p 

     Total( 1 )........   1,332   1,187    219,603  162,726      13.1   16.8     28.1   22.7     40.5   54.4    12.5   15.3     

 Alabama ..............      16      22      1,993    2,291      39.2   53.6       .5     .3     43.1   77.9    11.1   13.4     
 Alaska ...............       3       5        298      767        .3    4.8      7.0    5.6     24.5   63.0    18.1   12.9     
 Arizona ..............      30      34      6,261    5,365       1.0    1.8     83.5   58.1     33.5   49.2    13.2   11.5     
 Arkansas .............       3       9        197      898      44.2   46.1      1.0     .7     68.0   57.3     5.1    7.5     
 California ...........     356     218     57,441   29,019       3.6    7.8     68.0   56.7     41.4   52.5    11.0   12.6     
 Colorado .............       9      11      1,433    1,251       6.6    3.4     22.3   14.5     46.9   61.1    10.1   10.6     
 Connecticut ..........       8      12      1,172    1,300      19.5   13.5      8.7   13.3     39.1   69.6    13.4   16.7     
 Delaware .............       -       -          -        -         -      -        -      -        -      -       -      -
 District of Columbia .   ( 2 )       -      ( 2 )        -      85.3      -        -      -     52.2      -    13.6      -
 Florida ..............      27      78      4,573    8,589      24.8   25.2     24.9   34.4     42.7   48.9    24.5   19.5     
 Georgia ..............       9   ( 2 )      1,158    ( 2 )      63.1   63.5      2.4      -     72.2   94.8    13.8    8.3     
 Hawaii ...............       9       3        918      244        .3     .4      1.7     .4     30.9   36.9    21.6   22.5     
 Idaho ................      11       8      1,083      668        .2     .3     19.4    3.6     34.7   36.5    10.7   13.9     

 Illinois .............      90     101     13,469   15,309      29.5   24.7     13.5    6.8     42.2   57.1    10.6   14.7     
 Indiana ..............      23      17      2,881    1,946       8.4   32.5      3.0    3.1     36.1   67.6    11.8   14.4     
 Iowa .................      27       3      3,415    1,129        .6     .7      1.3    3.2     40.7   26.9    11.0   17.6     
 Kansas ...............       3       8        242      982      11.2   16.7      4.5    5.5     48.8   43.2     5.8   14.1     
 Kentucky .............      16      16      1,830    1,710      12.2   10.6       .4     .4     54.5   45.6     8.7   13.8     
 Louisiana ............      20   ( 2 )      3,164    ( 2 )      33.2   33.7      2.3      -     19.8   16.3     8.8   12.8     
 Maine ................       4       3      1,217      291        .3     .7       .2     .3     55.8   51.2    15.9    5.8     
 Maryland .............       4   ( 2 )        638    ( 2 )      46.6   87.6       .3     .8     22.3   75.2    22.6    2.3     
 Massachusetts ........      35      42      5,255    6,486       4.8   10.3      6.2    9.1     44.9   71.0    16.5   22.9     
 Michigan .............      65      69     11,467    9,267      17.9   14.8      2.7    2.0     33.9   50.1     8.9   12.1     
 Minnesota ............      23      16      3,277    2,073      10.6    4.3       .9    2.8     28.7   40.7    11.5   17.2     
 Mississippi ..........       9       6      1,701      520      42.7   72.1      1.4     .2     37.3   67.9     8.0    5.6     
 Missouri .............      10      11      1,023    1,715      15.0   18.0       .8    1.3     67.0   39.6    19.6   22.0     

 Montana ..............   ( 2 )       4      ( 2 )      324        .8     .3      7.4    2.2     11.6   42.0    17.4   19.1     
 Nebraska .............       4   ( 2 )        474    ( 2 )      19.2   22.1      5.9    5.9     62.4   70.6     9.9    5.9     
 Nevada ...............      10       3        933      309       4.0   36.6     18.4   10.4     25.3   55.7    13.4   12.6     
 New Hampshire ........   ( 2 )       3      ( 2 )      215         -      -       .5    3.7      9.2   64.2    17.5   20.9     
 New Jersey ...........      33      65      4,082    9,122      19.4   19.8     19.8   18.0     48.1   67.1    18.3   29.5     
 New Mexico ...........       6       8        479      738       2.1     .7     62.2   42.8     29.6   61.0     9.0   11.9     
 New York .............      45      33      6,304    3,295      11.3   15.5     12.8   17.5     46.5   58.4    11.5   13.4     
 North Carolina .......      23      22      3,283    2,544      68.5   41.4      2.2    2.9     61.3   54.9    14.8   15.4     
 North Dakota .........   ( 2 )       -      ( 2 )        -       1.4      -      4.7      -     38.0      -     5.7      -
 Ohio .................      83      68      9,794    8,932      14.1   18.1      1.5    1.8     30.7   44.4    10.6   13.1     
 Oklahoma .............       6       3        903      359      13.7   10.9      2.3   18.9     37.1    9.5    20.0    8.6     
 Oregon ...............      22       6      2,923      549       1.3     .9     24.6   10.7     56.0   43.7    16.4   12.2     
 Pennsylvania .........      79      61     19,414   13,229       7.1    6.9      1.3    1.5     35.5   55.6    15.3   17.6     

 Rhode Island .........       3   ( 2 )        728    ( 2 )       4.8      -      3.0      -     82.4   97.1    20.7   31.4     
 South Carolina .......       5      15        599    2,313      39.6   64.8      2.0     .6     69.3   71.9     6.2    1.9     
 South Dakota .........       -   ( 2 )          -    ( 2 )         -     .3        -      -        -   68.2       -   17.4     
 Tennessee ............      30       6      4,909      772      23.5   14.6       .5    1.8     63.8   64.9    19.8   18.7     
 Texas ................      80     115     18,034   19,155      17.9   21.2     45.8   42.2     35.8   48.8    11.9   13.5     
 Utah .................       5       5        375      376       1.3      -     15.2    1.3     21.1   54.5     9.3    6.1     
 Vermont ..............       -       8          -      910         -     .8        -     .2        -   46.3       -   12.4     
 Virginia .............      21      14      3,183    1,339      51.5   42.6       .6     .7     53.4   83.9    12.6   17.4     
 Washington ...........      18      20      7,245    2,630       2.3    4.9      8.5   20.2     24.7   47.3    10.7   14.7     
 West Virginia ........       6       -        668        -        .1      -        -      -     29.8      -    16.2      -
 Wisconsin ............      36      29      8,377    3,025      10.5   21.6      5.1    2.0     50.6   59.2    12.3   16.9     
 Wyoming ..............       -       -          -        -         -      -        -      -        -      -       -      -

 Puerto Rico ..........      16      11      2,484    1,665     ( 3 )  ( 3 )    ( 3 )  ( 3 )     47.3   46.7     5.4    6.8     


     1 See footnote 1, table 1.                                                                     
     2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.                                    
     3 Data are not available.                                                                       
     p = preliminary.
     r = revised.
     NOTE: Dash represents zero.                                                                     
Table 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, selected quarters, 1999 and 2000


                                                                                                       Initial claimants for
                                      Layoff events                       Separations	             unemployment insurance
 Census region and division
                                II          I          II           II         I        II            II          I         II
                               1999r      2000r       2000p        1999r     2000r     2000p         1999r      2000r      2000p    


      United States( 1 )....  1,444      1,332       1,187       294,968   255,298   227,114       242,464    219,603    162,726     

 Northeast .................    201        209         228        36,451    35,563    38,845        40,528     38,378     34,918     

     New England ...........     57         52          69        11,153    13,082    16,436         9,955      8,578      9,272     
     Middle Atlantic .......    144        157         159        25,298    22,481    22,409        30,573     29,800     25,646     

 South .....................    403        276         309        80,440    59,245    58,537        68,751     47,017     40,801     

     South Atlantic ........    183         96         131        42,002    22,569    28,701        28,179     14,286     15,010     
     East South Central ....     61         71          50         8,769     9,799     8,937         8,022     10,433      5,293     
     West South Central ....    159        109         128        29,669    26,877    20,899        32,550     22,298     20,498     

 Midwest ...................    371        366         325        78,823    72,119    64,903        63,499     54,698     44,767     

     East North Central ....    313        297         284        70,269    58,943    56,343        55,724     45,988     38,479     
     West North Central ....     58         69          41         8,554    13,176     8,560         7,775      8,710      6,288     

 West ......................    469        481         325        99,254    88,371    64,829        69,686     79,510     42,240     

     Mountain ..............     89         73          73        17,285    13,287    18,404        11,642     10,685      9,031     
     Pacific ...............    380        408         252        81,969    75,084    46,425        58,044     68,825     33,209     


      1 See footnote 1, table 1.
      p = preliminary.
      r = revised.
      NOTE:  The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 
 various census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 
 New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, 
 and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
 Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South 
 Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas, 
 Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, 
 and Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North
 Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New 
 Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
Table 5. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
selected quarters, 1999 and 2000

                                                                                                 
                                   Layoff events                 Separations               Initial claimants for 
                                                                                           unemployment insurance
           State
                                 II       I      II          II        I       II          II        I       II
                                1999r   2000r   2000p       1999r    2000r    2000p       1999r    2000r    2000p 

     Total( 1 ) ..............  1,444   1,332   1,187     294,968  255,298  227,114     242,464  219,603  162,726     

 Alabama .....................     32      16      22       4,376    1,899    2,764       4,522    1,993    2,291     
 Alaska ......................      6       3       5       1,578      768    1,004         815      298      767     
 Arizona .....................     27      30      34       6,135    7,638    7,421       4,803    6,261    5,365     
 Arkansas ....................      8       3       9       1,547      310    1,259         997      197      898     
 California ..................    305     356     218      64,970   65,947   40,978      45,019   57,441   29,019     
 Colorado ....................      4       9      11         373    1,767    5,583         389    1,433    1,251     
 Connecticut .................     11       8      12       2,541    1,420    3,567       2,109    1,172    1,300     
 Delaware ....................      -       -       -           -        -        -           -        -        -
 District of Columbia ........      -   ( 2 )       -           -    ( 2 )        -           -    ( 2 )        -
 Florida .....................     94      27      78      19,078    7,270   13,721      13,073    4,573    8,589     
 Georgia .....................     15       9   ( 2 )       3,382    1,367    ( 2 )       3,023    1,158    ( 2 )
 Hawaii ......................     15       9       3       1,562      897      244       1,499      918      244     
 Idaho .......................      8      11       8       1,059    1,330      890         804    1,083      668     

 Illinois ....................    107      90     101      31,630   19,084   28,213      21,752   13,469   15,309     
 Indiana .....................     20      23      17       4,366    3,626    4,314       3,440    2,881    1,946     
 Iowa ........................      4      27       3         482    3,415    1,129         698    3,415    1,129     
 Kansas ......................     10       3       8       1,183      247    1,551       1,268      242      982     
 Kentucky ....................      6      16      16         962    2,130    4,131         538    1,830    1,710     
 Louisiana ...................     20      20   ( 2 )       4,368    2,826    ( 2 )       3,833    3,164    ( 2 )
 Maine .......................      7       4       3       1,541    1,769    1,440         863    1,217      291     
 Maryland ....................      7       4   ( 2 )         628      881    ( 2 )         692      638    ( 2 )
 Massachusetts ...............     35      35      42       6,422    7,999    9,939       6,611    5,255    6,486     
 Michigan ....................     66      65      69      12,549   10,982    9,107      12,632   11,467    9,267     
 Minnesota ...................     26      23      16       3,846    6,844    3,140       2,843    3,277    2,073     
 Mississippi .................      6       9       6         917    3,704      948         746    1,701      520     
 Missouri ....................     15      10      11       2,541    1,917    2,501       2,540    1,023    1,715     

 Montana .....................      8   ( 2 )       4         691    ( 2 )      308         642    ( 2 )      324     
 Nebraska ....................      -       4   ( 2 )           -      474    ( 2 )           -      474    ( 2 )
 Nevada ......................     22      10       3       3,616    1,098      354       3,032      933      309     
 New Hampshire ...............  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       3       ( 2 )    ( 2 )      510       ( 2 )    ( 2 )      215     
 New Jersey ..................     41      33      65       6,497    3,412    7,793       5,930    4,082    9,122     
 New Mexico ..................     12       6       8       1,989      565    1,928       1,298      479      738     
 New York ....................     21      45      33       4,502    5,465    3,802       3,503    6,304    3,295     
 North Carolina ..............     23      23      22       6,493    4,771    9,732       3,664    3,283    2,544     
 North Dakota ................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       -       ( 2 )    ( 2 )        -       ( 2 )    ( 2 )        -
 Ohio ........................     77      83      68      12,662   11,748   11,283      11,525    9,794    8,932     
 Oklahoma ....................     11       6       3       1,906      903      359       1,900      903      359     
 Oregon ......................     28      22       6       5,546    2,940      549       3,437    2,923      549     
 Pennsylvania ................     82      79      61      14,299   13,604   10,814      21,140   19,414   13,229     

 Rhode Island ................      3       3   ( 2 )         549    1,609    ( 2 )         254      728    ( 2 )
 South Carolina ..............     24       5      15       2,471      421    2,448       4,625      599    2,313     
 South Dakota ................  ( 2 )       -   ( 2 )       ( 2 )        -    ( 2 )       ( 2 )        -    ( 2 )
 Tennessee ...................     17      30       6       2,514    2,066    1,094       2,216    4,909      772     
 Texas .......................    120      80     115      21,848   22,838   19,195      25,820   18,034   19,155     
 Utah ........................      7       5       5       2,522      760    1,920         609      375      376     
 Vermont .....................      -       -       8           -        -      910           -        -      910     
 Virginia ....................     19      21      14       9,889    6,920    2,541       3,041    3,183    1,339     
 Washington ..................     26      18      20       8,313    4,532    3,650       7,274    7,245    2,630     
 West Virginia ...............  ( 2 )       6      -        ( 2 )      755        -       ( 2 )      668        -
 Wisconsin ...................     43      36      29       9,062   13,503    3,426       6,375    8,377    3,025     
 Wyoming .....................  ( 2 )       -       -       ( 2 )        -        -       ( 2 )        -        -

 Puerto Rico .................     12      16      11       2,771    2,780    2,480       3,029    2,484    1,665     


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.                                 
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    p = preliminary.
    r = revised.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.