Technical information:  (202) 691-6392       USDL 03-506
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                             For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902       Thursday, September 25, 2003

                                     
                        MASS LAYOFFS IN AUGUST 2003
                                     

   Employers initiated 1,258 mass layoff actions in August 2003, 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 133,839.  (See
table 1.)  Compared with August 2002, both the number of layoff events and
the number of initial claims increased, marking the first over-the-year
increase in mass-layoff initial claims since May 2002.  From January
through August 2003, the total number of events, at 13,205, was higher than
for the same period a year ago, while the number of initial claims, at
1,316,863, was lower.

   The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or
more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of the
layoffs.  Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later and
issued in a quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting more
than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs").  The quarterly
release provides more information on the industry classification and
location of the 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

   Temporary help services, with 9,787 claims, accounted for over 7 percent 
of all initial claims in August.  (See table A.)  Five of the 10 industries 
reporting the highest number of mass-layoff initial claims recorded their 
peak level for August this year.
   
   The manufacturing sector accounted for 32 percent of all mass layoff
events and 39 percent of all initial claims filed in August, little changed
from a year ago (34 and 38 percent, respectively).  Within manufacturing,
the number of claimants was highest in transportation equipment (9,476,
mainly automotive-related), followed by textile mills (7,154), machinery
(6,606), and food manufacturing (5,803).  (See table 2.)
   
   The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 13 percent
of events and 12 percent of initial claims filed in August, with layoffs
mostly in temporary help services.  Retail trade accounted for 8 percent of
events and 7 percent of initial claims during the month, mainly in general
merchandise stores.  Four percent of the events and 7 percent of the initial 
claims were from the information sector, largely from motion picture and 
sound recording.  Transportation and warehousing accounted for 7 percent of 
all layoff events and initial claims filed during August, primarily from 
school and employee bus transportation.  Layoffs in construction accounted 
for an additional 9 percent of events and 6 percent of initial claims, mostly 
from specialty trade contractors.
   
                                  - 2 -

   Government establishments accounted for 5 percent of events and 6 percent 
of initial claims filed during the month, particularly in local executive, 
legislative, and general government agencies.  The 7,573 initial claims in 
this sector were the most for any August since the program began in 1995.
   
   Compared with August 2002, the largest increases in initial claims were
reported in textile mills (+5,977) and motion picture and sound recording
(+5,409).  The largest over-the-year decrease in initial claims was reported 
in computer and electronic products (-3,527).
   
Table A.  Industries with largest mass layoff initial claims in August 2003p
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         | Initial |       August peak
                Industry                 | claims  |-------------------------
                                         |         | Year  |  Initial claims
-----------------------------------------|---------|-------|-----------------   
Temporary help services .................|  9,787  |  1999 |     11,533
Motion picture and video production......|  6,812  |  2003 |      6,812
School and employee bus transportation...|  6,538  |  2003 |      6,538
Broadwoven fabric mills..................|  5,803  |  2003 |      5,803
Automobile manufacturing.................|  3,216  |  2001 |      8,166
Professional employer organizations......|  2,303  |  2002 |      2,855
Discount department stores...............|  2,193  |  2002 |      2,271
Elementary and secondary schools.........|  2,020  |  2003 |      2,020
Department stores, except discount.......|  1,844  |  1996 |      2,151
Farm machinery and equipment.............|  1,661  |  2003 |      1,661
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    p=preliminary.


Geographic Distribution

   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in August
due to mass layoffs was reported in the West, 47,022.  (See table 3.)
Administrative and support services and motion picture and sound recording
accounted for 35 percent of all initial claims in that region during the
month.  The South followed, with 34,673 initial claims, then the Midwest,
with 30,872, and the Northeast, with 21,272.
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs rose over the year in
three of the four regions, with the largest increase in the West (+3,877).
The Northeast had the only over-the-year decrease (-3,906).  Five 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 (+4,499) and East South Central (+4,459).  The West
South Central division had the largest decrease (-5,861).
   
   California recorded the largest number of initial claims filed in mass
layoff events this August, 37,814, mostly in administrative and support
services and in motion picture and sound recording.  New York reported
10,633 initial claims, followed by Illinois (7,996), North Carolina (6,680), 
Texas (6,571), and Ohio (6,389).  These six states accounted for 55 percent 
of all layoff events and 57 percent of initial claims for unemployment in-
surance.  (See table 4.)
   
                                  - 3 -
   
   North Carolina reported the largest over-the-year increase in the
number of initial claims (+3,576), followed by California (+3,224) and
Alabama (+3,049).  The largest over-the-year decrease occurred in Texas 
(-5,089).

   From January through August, California reported 322,669 initial claims, 
25 percent of the national total.  The states with the next highest numbers 
of initial claims were Pennsylvania (80,979), Ohio (75,412), New York (71,248), 
and Texas (65,529).
   
                      ______________________________
   

   The report on Mass Layoffs in September 2003 is schedule to be released
on Thursday, October 23, 2003.



Technical Note
 
 
 
 The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program that
uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing, and
tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each state's
unemployment insurance database.  Each month, states report on
establishments which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them
during a consecutive 5-week period.  These establishments then are
contacted by the state agency to determine whether these separations lasted
31 days or longer, and, if so, other information concerning the layoff is
collected.  States report on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a
quarterly basis.
 
 A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment
insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that
month.  All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the
first day of the month falls on Saturday.  In this case, the week is
included in the prior month's tabulations.  This means that some months
will contain 4 weeks and others 5 weeks, and the number of weeks in a given
month may be different from year to year.  Therefore, analysis of over-the-
month and over-the-year change should take this calendar effect into
consideration.
 
 The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been
terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding.  Prior to April 1995,
monthly layoff statistics were not available.
 
 Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; 
TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
 
Definitions
 
 Initial claimant.  A person who files any notice of unemployment to
initiate a request either for a determination of entitlement to and
eligibility for compensation, or for a subsequent period of unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.
 
 Mass layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week period,
regardless of duration.



Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, July 2001 to August 2003
                            
                                                            Extended mass layoffs 
                                Total mass layoffs        lasting more than 30 days        Realization rates(1)
             Date           

                                           Initial                        Initial                      Initial
                                Events    claimants       Events         claimants         Events     claimants
                            
             2001           

July .......................     2,117     273,807
August .....................     1,490     166,148
September ..................     1,327     160,402

Third Quarter ..............     4,934     600,357         1,815          371,541           36.8         61.9

October ....................     1,831     215,483
November ...................     2,721     295,956
December ...................     2,440     268,893

Fourth Quarter .............     6,992     780,332         2,697          502,502           38.6         64.4

             2002           

January ....................     2,146     263,777
February ...................     1,382     138,808
March ......................     1,460     161,316

First Quarter ..............     4,988     563,901         1,750          316,489           35.1         56.1

April ......................     1,506     165,814
May ........................     1,723     179,799
June .......................     1,584     162,189

Second Quarter .............     4,813     507,802         1,905          353,017           39.6         69.5

July .......................     2,042     245,294
August .....................     1,248     128,103
September ..................     1,062     124,522

Third Quarter ..............     4,352     497,919         1,383          284,511           31.8         57.1

October ....................     1,497     171,100
November ...................  (r)2,153  (r)240,171
December ...................     2,474     264,158

Fourth Quarter .............  (r)6,124  (r)675,429         2,257          421,025           36.9         62.3

             2003           

January ....................     2,315     225,430
February ...................     1,363  (r)124,965
March ......................     1,207     113,026

First Quarter ..............     4,885  (r)463,421         1,700          329,153           34.8         71.0

April ......................     1,581     161,412
May ........................     1,703     174,204
June .......................     1,691     157,552

Second Quarter .............     4,975     493,168   (2)(p)1,894   (2)(p) 285,884        (p)38.1      (p)58.0

July (p) ...................     2,087     226,435
August (p) .................     1,258     133,839


    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 avaliable.
Recent experience suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by less
than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent. 
    p = preliminary.
    r = revised. 
   
   
   

Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                 
                                                                                                    Initial claimants for          
                                                             Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance         
                     Industry                    

                                                    August    June     July     August     August      June       July       August 
                                                     2002     2003     2003p    2003p       2002       2003       2003p      2003p 


     Total (1) ..................................    1,248    1,691    2,087    1,258      128,103    157,552    226,435    133,839

Total, private ..................................    1,190    1,397    1,932    1,201      122,129    132,185    215,170    126,266

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....       39       61      117       38        2,255      4,442      8,269      2,135
  Mining ........................................       10        4        7        4          701        591        505        283
  Utilities .....................................    ( 2 )        3        -    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        315          -      ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................       98       95       88      114        8,241      6,238      5,970      7,862
  Manufacturing .................................      427      389      946      405       48,668     40,845    136,410     52,620
      Food ......................................       47       59       74       42        5,150      5,829      6,460      5,803
      Beverage and tobacco products .............        5    ( 2 )        8    ( 2 )          405      ( 2 )        614      ( 2 )
      Textile mills .............................       12       18       27       21        1,177      1,970      2,828      7,154
      Textile product mills .....................    ( 2 )       10       12        8        ( 2 )      1,581      1,048        739
      Apparel ...................................       24       19       36       25        3,127      1,584      3,093      2,255
      Leather and allied products ...............    ( 2 )        6    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        692      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
      Wood products .............................       11        9       31       21        1,198        711      3,976      1,773
      Paper .....................................        8        9       16       13          741      1,202      1,035      1,083
      Printing and related support activities ...        5       14       12        4          558      1,053        723        231
      Petroleum and coal products ...............        -    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        -            -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )          -

      Chemicals .................................    ( 2 )        9       15        7        ( 2 )        878      1,332        549
      Plastics and rubber products ..............       16       19       90       24        1,368      3,233     11,122      2,203
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............       12       10       30        6        1,334        828      3,954        463
      Primary metals ............................       25       29       66       23        2,856      2,226      8,676      1,988
      Fabricated metal products .................       33       23       59       32        3,136      1,728      6,235      2,806
      Machinery .................................       50       30       65       39        9,197      3,062      8,669      6,606
      Computer and electronic products ..........       74       35       60       34        6,202      3,464      5,534      2,675
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......       23       13       33       21        3,082      2,088      5,445      2,564
      Transportation equipment ..................       50       51      265       50        6,606      6,367     60,173      9,476
      Furniture and related products ............       11       15       20       21          888      1,363      2,391      2,513
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............       13        6       19       11          931        572      1,648      1,351

  Wholesale trade ...............................       23       25       36       18        2,357      1,597      2,776      1,322
  Retail trade ..................................      112      100      108       99       11,410      9,640      9,065      9,980
  Transportation and warehousing ................       68      135       84       86        8,140     15,035      7,489      9,025
  Information ...................................       45       54       44       51        4,006      5,954      3,700      9,114
  Finance and insurance .........................       26       23       35       41        2,161      1,730      2,569      3,113
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............       11        7       11        4          647        485        751        349
  Professional and technical services ...........       47       36       53       41        6,455      3,357      4,970      3,775
  Management of companies and enterprises .......        -        4        4    ( 2 )            -        725        438      ( 2 )
  Administrative and waste services .............      179      175      212      168       18,192     15,596     18,427     16,242
  Educational services ..........................    ( 2 )       12       25        7        ( 2 )        961      1,714        592
  Health care and social assistance .............       27      123       59       32        1,738     10,226      4,048      2,427
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........       17       25       27       19        1,422      1,383      2,559      1,386
  Accommodation and food services ...............       38       83       50       45        2,702      9,975      3,764      3,228
  Other services, except public administration ..       13       41       19       22        1,745      2,937      1,115      2,234

  Unclassified ..................................        3        2        7        4          737        153        631        259

Government ......................................       58      294      155       57        5,974     25,367     11,265      7,573
  Federal .......................................       15        9       10       10        2,056        841        899      1,287
  State .........................................       12       22       24       16        1,596      1,699      1,527      1,766
  Local .........................................       31      263      121       31        2,322     22,827      8,839      4,520


    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:  Industry data reflect the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), 2002. Dash represents zero. 



Table 3. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division
                           
                                                                                      Initial claimants for            
                                          Mass layoff events                          unemployment insurance           
 Census region and division

                              August      June       July       August      August       June        July        August 
                               2002       2003       2003p      2003p        2002        2003        2003p       2003p 

      United States (1) ...    1,248      1,691      2,087      1,258       128,103     157,552     226,435     133,839

Northeast .................      195        275        336        220        25,178      29,032      30,187      21,272

  New England .............       27         55         69         25         3,897       5,732       6,148       2,151
  Middle Atlantic .........      168        220        267        195        21,281      23,300      24,039      19,121

South .....................      308        461        440        330        31,764      41,019      48,895      34,673

  South Atlantic ..........      159        243        200        164        13,884      18,913      22,033      18,195
  East South Central ......       30         78        128         68         3,574       9,495      14,232       8,033
  West South Central ......      119        140        112         98        14,306      12,611      12,630       8,445

Midwest ...................      251        310        697        239        28,016      33,819     101,533      30,872

  East North Central ......      186        238        589        199        21,208      24,398      79,361      25,707
  West North Central ......       65         72        108         40         6,808       9,421      22,172       5,165

West ......................      494        645        614        469        43,145      53,682      45,820      47,022

  Mountain ................       39         68         53         42         3,956       5,827       4,179       4,080
  Pacific .................      455        577        561        427        39,189      47,855      41,641      42,942


    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         

                            August       June        July        August      August       June        July        August 
                             2002        2003        2003p       2003p        2002        2003        2003p       2003p 

   Total (1) ............    1,248       1,691       2,087       1,258       128,103     157,552     226,435     133,839

Alabama .................        5          21          45          24           691       3,882       5,466       3,740
Alaska ..................    ( 2 )           4           -       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         439           -       ( 2 )
Arizona .................        7          17          20          10           485       1,282       1,634         703
Arkansas ................    ( 2 )           9           8       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         653         621       ( 2 )
California ..............      415         526         517         383        34,590      42,918      37,033      37,814
Colorado ................        7          11           7       ( 2 )           573         884         478       ( 2 )
Connecticut .............        4           9          12           3           588       1,296         833         237
Delaware ................        -           4           3           3             -         266       1,430         598
District of Columbia ....        -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Florida .................       72         117          76          80         5,154       8,488       5,356       5,554
Georgia .................       17          43          53          20         1,734       3,641       7,835       2,077
Hawaii ..................    ( 2 )           7       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         525       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Idaho ...................       10           8           9          11         1,708         629         957       1,500

Illinois ................       51          44          85          50         6,185       4,231      11,117       7,996
Indiana .................       23          36          86          29         2,954       3,912      18,688       3,478
Iowa ....................       10          10          24          10           939       1,186       4,674       1,650
Kansas ..................       11          11          14           6         1,378       2,198       1,800         775
Kentucky ................       14          28          57          21         2,032       3,087       7,110       2,377
Louisiana ...............       19          28          20          17         1,513       2,308       2,299       1,215
Maine ...................        -           6           3       ( 2 )             -         388         178       ( 2 )
Maryland ................        8          11          16           5           898         950       1,149         422
Massachusetts ...........       17          32          43          15         2,132       3,230       3,947       1,388
Michigan ................       26          39         190          11         2,535       3,541      21,647       2,369
Minnesota ...............       11          20          18           6         1,243       1,898       2,127         505
Mississippi .............        3           7           8           8           176         547         460         571
Missouri ................       28          25          40          15         2,884       3,730      12,137       1,521

Montana .................        -           8           3           4             -         528         172         599
Nebraska ................        4           4           9           -           287         267       1,231           -
Nevada ..................       11          14          10          11           891       1,597         694         915
New Hampshire ...........        3       ( 2 )           8           3           618       ( 2 )         944         195
New Jersey ..............       33          69          59          33         3,371       9,441       5,354       2,708
New Mexico ..............        3           6       ( 2 )           3           190         605       ( 2 )         127
New York ................       86          46          92          94        11,213       4,194       8,253      10,633
North Carolina ..........       27          24          11          32         3,104       1,918       1,298       6,680
North Dakota ............    ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Ohio ....................       47          72         133          54         5,602       8,361      17,086       6,389
Oklahoma ................        5          13           9           6         1,008       1,188       1,947         603
Oregon ..................       24          20          24          27         2,603       2,022       2,891       2,447
Pennsylvania ............       49         105         116          68         6,697       9,665      10,432       5,780

Rhode Island ............    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )         246       ( 2 )
South Carolina ..........       19          12          17          10         1,238       1,039       1,815         870
South Dakota ............        -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Tennessee ...............        8          22          18          15           675       1,979       1,196       1,345
Texas ...................       93          90          75          74        11,660       8,462       7,763       6,571
Utah ....................    ( 2 )           4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         302       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Vermont .................    ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )
Virginia ................       15          27          21          13         1,693       2,189       2,981       1,887
Washington ..............       14          20          18          14         1,856       1,951       1,579       1,714
West Virginia ...........    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Wisconsin ...............       39          47          95          55         3,932       4,353      10,823       5,475
Wyoming .................        -           -           -           -             -           -           -           -

Puerto Rico .............       10           8          13          10           772         702       1,116       1,035


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.