Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6392  USDL 00-84


                                        For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902  Friday, March 24, 2000

                                     
                       MASS LAYOFFS IN JANUARY 2000


   In January 2000, there were 1,936 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 223,784.  Both
the number of layoff events and the number of initial claimants for
unemployment insurance were lower than in January of the previous two
years.  (See table 1.)
   
   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 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 layoffs of more than 30 days.  (See table 1.)  See the
Technical Note for more detailed definitions.
   
Industry Distribution
   
   In January 2000, manufacturing industries accounted for 38 percent of
all mass layoff events and 44 percent of all initial claims filed.
Manufacturing industries that had the highest numbers of initial claimants
were transportation equipment (18,923), primarily in motor vehicles and car
bodies; and food and kindred products (10,287), mostly in canned and frozen
fruits and vegetables.  (See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 19 percent of all mass layoff events and 22
percent of initial claimants during the month, largely in business services
(especially help supply services).  Layoffs in help supply services are
more likely than those in most other industries to last less than 30 days.
Construction accounted for 15 percent of all layoffs and 10 percent of
initial claimants during the month, mainly in heavy construction.  Retail
trade accounted for 8 percent of all layoff events and initial claims
during the month, mostly in general merchandise stores.
   
   Compared with January 1999, the largest over-the-year decreases in
initial claims occurred in agricultural services (-5,102) and in special
trade contractor construction (-4,433).  The largest increases in initial
claims occurred in transportation equipment (+8,954), in business services
(+6,183), and in motion pictures (+5,783).
   
                                  - 2 -

Geographic Distribution
   
   In January, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher
in the Midwest (73,864) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  Layoffs
in transportation equipment, industrial machinery and equipment, and lumber
and wood products accounted for 32 percent of the claims in the Midwest.
The fewest number of mass-layoff initial claims continued to be reported in
the Northeast region (39,529).
   
   Over-the-year decreases in mass layoff-related initial claims were
reported in the South (-3,908) and West (-2,895).  Among the divisions,
lower levels of initial claims over the year were reported mainly in the
West South Central and in the Pacific.  Four of the nine divisions reported
over-the-year declines; modest increases occurred mainly in the Middle
Atlantic and East North Central divisions.
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia reporting data for
January, California had the largest number of initial claims filed in mass
layoff events (54,083), primarily in business services and motion pictures,
followed by Pennsylvania (20,192), Ohio (16,264), Illinois (14,210),
Michigan (13,643), and Wisconsin (13,409).  These six states accounted for
56 percent of all layoff events and 59 percent of all initial claims for
unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   From January 1999 to January 2000, Washington reported the largest over-
the-year decrease in initial claims (-5,298), mostly in business services.
Virginia had the largest over-the-year increase in initial claims (+4,245).
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, January 1998 to January 2000

  
                                                                       Extended mass layoffs 
                                                                     lasting more than 30 days
               Date                                                                                    
                                      Total mass layoffs                                    Event
                                                                                          realization
                                                                                            rate(1)
                                                  Initial                    Initial          
                                     Events      claimants       Events     claimants
                1998

 January ..........................   2,360       255,203     
 February .........................     970        81,455     
 March ............................     762        78,210     

 First Quarter ....................   4,092       414,868         1,320       247,315          32.3     

 April ............................   1,253       132,476     
 May ..............................   1,180       107,952     
 June .............................   1,208       183,590     

 Second Quarter ...................   3,641       424,018         1,563       402,276          42.9     

 July .............................   2,220       286,055     
 August ...........................     617        53,665     
 September ........................     637        79,629     

 Third Quarter ....................   3,474       419,349         1,234    (r)256,803          35.5     

 October ..........................   1,553       160,830     
 November .........................   1,368       144,343     
 December .........................   1,776       207,661     

 Fourth Quarter ...................   4,697       512,834         1,736    (r)326,122          37.0     

                1999

 January ..........................   2,421       226,995     
 February .........................   1,067        89,800     
 March ............................     880        91,890     

 First Quarter ....................   4,368       408,685         1,509    (r)252,060          34.5     

 April ............................   1,270       136,885     
 May ..............................   1,032       102,738     
 June .............................   1,140       130,951     

 Second Quarter ...................   3,442       370,574         1,445    (r)242,197          42.0     

 July  ............................   1,741       221,334     
 August ...........................     698        75,691     
 September ........................     717        75,288     

 Third Quarter ....................   3,156       372,313      (r)1,099    (r)189,366       (r)34.8

 October ..........................   1,098       118,938     
 November  ........................   1,336       139,508     
 December .........................   1,509       162,381     

 Fourth Quarter ...................   3,943       420,827      (p)1,571    (p)212,196       (p)39.8

                2000

 January(p) .......................   1,936       223,784     


    1  The event realization rate is the percentage of events lasting more than 30 days.                 
    p  = preliminary.
    r  = revised.
Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                                                                       Initial claimants for
                                                                Mass layoff events                    unemployment insurance
                           Industry

                                                       January  November  December  January   January  November  December  January
                                                         1999     1999      1999     2000(p)    1999     1999      1999     2000(p)

      Total(1) .......................................  2,421     1,336     1,509     1,936   226,995   139,508   162,381   223,784     

 Total, private ......................................  2,322     1,299     1,458     1,880   218,906   135,031   157,932   218,694     

   Agriculture .......................................    180       328       120        72    12,232    25,546     8,730     5,401     
   Nonagriculture ....................................  2,059       958     1,314     1,771   195,284   107,599   146,160   208,064     
     Manufacturing ...................................    842       348       444       738    92,298    45,029    59,141    97,382     
       Durable goods .................................    469       183       237       420    50,874    26,418    35,086    63,521     
         Lumber and wood products ....................     50        43        37        56     5,709     4,429     3,170     9,228     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................     27         4         9        37     3,084       306     1,076     4,536     
         Stone, clay, and glass products .............     50        13        32        39     4,021     1,220     3,817     3,378     
         Primary metal industries ....................     33        12        15        23     3,263     1,039     2,183     2,870     
         Fabricated metal products ...................     75        20        16        54     6,985     1,965     1,290     4,993     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........     57        35        34        45     8,151     6,419     6,581     8,281     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...     62        20        24        53     6,846     6,766     6,477     7,804     
         Transportation equipment ....................     80        24        44        75     9,969     3,155     7,642    18,923     
         Instruments and related products ............     17         6         8        17     1,347       607       759     1,272     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......     18         6        18        21     1,499       512     2,091     2,236     

       Nondurable goods ..............................    373       165       207       318    41,424    18,611    24,055    33,861     
         Food and kindred products ...................    128        65        70        99    13,338     7,384     8,105    10,287     
         Tobacco products ............................      -         -         3     ( 2 )         -         -       367     ( 2 )
         Textile mill products .......................     37        27        18        46     6,498     4,216     2,741     7,157     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........     84        35        42        83     8,201     3,583     4,193     8,057     
         Paper and allied products ...................     21     ( 2 )         5        19     2,850     ( 2 )       422     1,814     
         Printing and publishing .....................     23     ( 2 )         8        12     2,472     ( 2 )       672       829     
         Chemicals and allied products ...............     12         9         4         7     1,405       691       227       752     
         Petroleum and coal products .................      5         6        12     ( 2 )       371       571     1,208     ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..     42        11        36        33     4,374       943     4,145     3,066     
         Leather and leather products ................     21     ( 2 )         9        13     1,915     ( 2 )     1,975     1,315     

     Nonmanufacturing ................................  1,217       610       870     1,033   102,986    62,570    87,019   110,682     
       Mining ........................................     43         6        19        25     4,020       476     2,231     2,034     
       Construction ..................................    365       171       269       283    27,241    15,498    23,467    22,277     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........    100        37        77       129     8,133     3,405    11,644    11,228     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................    242       107       200       205    23,163    10,305    20,806    24,357     
          Wholesale trade ............................     42        22        35        41     3,905     2,013     4,503     5,775     
          Retail trade ...............................    200        85       165       164    19,258     8,292    16,303    18,582     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........     32        24        24        26     2,875     1,798     1,804     2,193     
       Services ......................................    435       265       281       365    37,554    31,088    27,067    48,593     

   Not identified ....................................     83        13        24        37    11,390     1,886     3,042     5,229     

 Government ..........................................     99        37        51        56     8,089     4,477     4,449     5,090     
   Federal ...........................................     25         5         5        16     2,615       496       688     1,561     
   State .............................................     25        16        18         8     2,104     1,910     1,761       633     
   Local .............................................     49        16        28        32     3,370     2,071     2,000     2,896     


   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
                               January   November   December  January     January   November   December   January
                                 1999      1999       1999     2000(p)      1999      1999       1999      2000(p)

         United States(1) ....  2,421     1,336      1,509      1,936     226,995    139,508   162,381    223,784

 Northeast ...................    381       128        197        398      36,296     12,914    21,597     39,529

     New England .............     74        25         41         79       7,971      2,122     4,598      8,497
     Middle Atlantic .........    307       103        156        319      28,325     10,792    16,999     31,032

 South .......................    436       178        245        369      47,846     21,945    26,449     43,938

     South Atlantic ..........    226        82        119        185      25,571     10,017    12,019     25,391
     East South Central ......     65        25         36         70       6,807      2,075     3,652      8,156
     West South Central ......    145        71         90        114      15,468      9,853    10,778     10,391

 Midwest .....................    720       282        531        602      73,505     34,196    67,805     73,864

     East North Central ......    566       210        385        471      58,106     25,302    47,465     60,276
     West North Central ......    154        72        146        131      15,399      8,894    20,340     13,588

 West ........................    884       748        536        567      69,348     70,453    46,530     66,453

     Mountain ................     54        57         70         75       4,678      6,279     6,733      6,378
     Pacific .................    830       691        466        492      64,670     64,174    39,797     60,075


      1 See footnote 1, table 2.
      p = preliminary.
      NOTE:  The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 
 various census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 
 New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, 
 and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
 Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South 
 Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas, 
 Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, 
 and Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North
 Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New 
 Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Table 4. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance

                                                                               Initial claimants for
                                         Mass layoff events                   unemployment insurance
                                                                      
               State
                               January   November  December  January   January   November  December  January
                                 1999      1999      1999    2000(p)     1999      1999      1999    2000(p)

    Total(1) .................  2,421     1,336     1,509     1,936    226,995   139,508   162,381   223,784     

 Alabama .....................      6         5         7         9        451       400       768       929     
 Alaska ......................      9         5     ( 2 )         3        787       392     ( 2 )       212     
 Arizona .....................     10         6         4        11      1,095       510       279       743     
 Arkansas ....................     16        12        17        10      1,807     3,362     2,187       874     
 California ..................    721       638       410       426     53,485    59,425    33,517    54,083     
 Colorado ....................      9        13        10         8        927     1,175       943       755     
 Connecticut .................      7     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        10        682     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     1,031     
 Delaware ....................      3     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         3        224     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     1,710     
 District of Columbia ........      4         -         5         3        282         -       590       253     
 Florida .....................     58        15        34        42      4,521       991     2,504     3,193     
 Georgia .....................     22        15        18         9      2,054     1,728     1,378       871     
 Hawaii ......................     11     ( 2 )         3        12        829     ( 2 )       342     1,086     
 Idaho .......................     15        12        13        10      1,270     1,475     1,202       904     

 Illinois ....................     93        47        98        70     11,518     5,407    12,107    14,210     
 Indiana .....................     32        22        37        31      3,547     5,120     7,911     2,750     
 Iowa ........................     49        15        37        46      5,789     1,911     4,931     5,832     
 Kansas ......................     12         6        10        14      1,232       658     1,023       989     
 Kentucky ....................     35         5        10        23      4,332       503       936     2,725     
 Louisiana ...................     26         5        12        21      1,818       363       801     1,558     
 Maine .......................     14     ( 2 )         7         6      1,643     ( 2 )       494       969     
 Maryland ....................     17         3         5        17      1,265       247       507     1,156     
 Massachusetts ...............     26        16        20        36      3,314     1,400     2,169     3,789     
 Michigan ....................    181        40       132       128     15,749     3,660    17,255    13,643     
 Minnesota ...................     22        31        41        21      2,370     3,367     5,209     2,399     
 Mississippi .................      3         7     ( 2 )        10        310       452     ( 2 )     1,659     
 Missouri ....................     65        19        55        37      5,537     2,610     8,654     3,281     

 Montana .....................      -         4     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          -       594     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
 Nebraska ....................      4     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        12        314     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       988     
 Nevada ......................      9        15        31        35        576     2,062     3,267     3,263     
 New Hampshire ...............     10     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         7      1,029     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       790     
 New Jersey ..................     51        19        33        73      5,445     2,181     3,063     7,270     
 New Mexico ..................      9     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         7        659     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       441     
 New York ....................     57        12        33        37      4,932       971     2,750     3,570     
 North Carolina ..............     16         8        14        14      3,573     1,839     1,466     2,818     
 North Dakota ................  ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )      ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )
 Ohio ........................    136        34        57       119     13,726     3,023     4,852    16,264     
 Oklahoma ....................     15         7        10         7      2,855       603     1,736       536     
 Oregon ......................     35        28        33        39      3,393     2,425     4,052     3,816     
 Pennsylvania ................    199        72        90       209     17,948     7,640    11,186    20,192     

 Rhode Island ................     16     ( 2 )         9        18      1,244     ( 2 )     1,413     1,728     
 South Carolina ..............     61        32        20        38      8,218     4,234     1,944     5,526     
 South Dakota ................  ( 2 )         -         -         -      ( 2 )         -         -         -
 Tennessee ...................     21         8        17        28      1,714       720     1,691     2,843     
 Texas .......................     88        47        51        76      8,988     5,525     6,054     7,423     
 Utah ........................  ( 2 )         5         8         3      ( 2 )       342       745       205     
 Vermont .....................  ( 2 )         3         3     ( 2 )      ( 2 )       260       223     ( 2 )
 Virginia ....................     43         6        22        55      5,323       787     3,585     9,568     
 Washington ..................     54        19        18        12      6,176     1,867     1,674       878     
 West Virginia ...............  ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -         4      ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -       296     
 Wisconsin ...................    124        67        61       123     13,566     8,092     5,340    13,409     
 Wyoming .....................      -         -         -         -          -         -         -         -

 Puerto Rico .................     17         5        11        14      1,706       340     1,132     1,055     


      1  See footnote 1, table 2.
      2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
      p  = preliminary.
      NOTE:  Dash represents zero.