Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202)  691-6392  USDL 00-283


                                         For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902  Wednesday, October 4, 2000

                                     
                        MASS LAYOFFS IN AUGUST 2000


   In August 2000, there were 751 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 97,215.
(See table 1.)  From January through August 2000, the total number of
layoff events (9,554) was lower than in January-August 1999, while the
total number of initial claims (1,081,738) was about the same.
   
   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 establish-
ment 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 August 2000, manufacturing industries accounted for 34 percent of
all mass layoff events and 36 percent of all initial claims filed.  The
highest number of initial claimants was in transportation equipment
(6,038), primarily in motor vehicles and car bodies and in motor vehicle
parts and accessories.  Other manufacturing industries with high numbers of
initial claimants were industrial machinery and equipment (4,726), mostly
in refrigeration and heating equipment; electronic and other electrical
equipment (3,284); and food and kindred products (3,264).  (See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 24 percent of all layoffs and 31 percent of
initial claimants during the month, mainly in business services (especially
help supply services) and engineering and management services.  Layoffs in
the help supply services industry are more likely than in most other
industries to last less than 30 days.
   
   Thirteen percent of all layoff events and 9 percent of initial
claimants during the month were from retail trade, mostly in department
stores and in furniture stores.  Transportation and public utilities
accounted for 8 percent of all mass layoff events and of all initial
claimants during the month, largely in communications and local and
interurban passenger transit.  An additional 7 percent of all events and
4 percent of all initial claimants were from construction, mostly in heavy
construction, except building.

                                  - 2 -

   Compared with August 1999, the largest over-the-year increases in
initial claims occurred in engineering and management services (+5,597),
motion pictures (+3,671), and communications (+3,141).  The largest
decrease in initial claims occurred in business services (-2,509).
   
Geographic Distribution

   In August, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher
in the West (38,004) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  Layoffs in
business services, motion pictures, and food and kindred products accounted
for 46 percent of the claims in the West.  The fewest number of mass-layoff
initial claims were reported in the Midwest region (18,187).
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California had the
largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events (30,706),
primarily in business services and motion pictures, followed by Illinois
(6,582), Massachusetts (6,527), and Pennsylvania (5,175).  These four
states accounted for 44 percent of all layoff events and 50 percent of all
initial claims for unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   From August 1999 to August 2000, Massachusetts reported the largest
over-the-year increase in initial claims (+5,869).  Among the 15 states
that reported over-the-year decreases in initial claims, New York had the
largest decrease (-2,148), mostly in local and interurban transit.
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 1998 to August 2000

  
                                                               Extended mass layoffs 
                                                             lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                                 
                                    Total mass layoffs                                  Event
                                                                                     realization
                                                                                       rate(1)
                                               Initial                    Initial          
                                  Events      claimants      Events      claimants



              1998

 July ..........................   2,220        286,055     
 August ........................     617         53,665     
 September .....................     637         79,629     

 Third Quarter .................   3,474        419,349      1,234        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      1,734        325,990        36.9     

              1999

 January .......................   2,421        226,995     
 February ......................   1,067         89,800     
 March .........................     880         91,890     

 First Quarter .................   4,368        408,685      1,509        252,122        34.5     

 April .........................   1,270        136,885     
 May ...........................   1,032        102,738     
 June ..........................   1,140        130,951     

 Second Quarter ................   3,442        370,574      1,444        242,464        42.0     

 July ..........................   1,741        221,334     
 August ........................     698         75,691     
 September .....................     717         75,288     

 Third Quarter .................   3,156        372,313      1,097        189,948        34.8     

 October .......................   1,098        118,938     
 November ......................   1,336        139,508     
 December ......................   1,509        162,381     

 Fourth Quarter ................   3,943        420,827      1,625        287,078        41.2     

              2000

 January .......................   1,934        223,322     
 February ......................   1,045        103,898     
 March .........................     986        106,748     

 First Quarter .................   3,965        433,968      1,332        219,603        33.6     

 April .........................     924        101,359     
 May ...........................     984         92,193     
 June ..........................   1,597        192,025     

 Second Quarter ................   3,505        385,577   (p)1,187     (p)162,726     (p)33.9

 July(p) .......................   1,333        164,978     
 August(p) .....................     751         97,215     


1 The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days.
p = preliminary.
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
                                                          1999     2000   2000(p)    2000(p)      1999    2000    2000(p)  2000(p)

      Total(1) ........................................    698    1,597    1,333       751       75,691  192,025  164,978  97,215     

 Total, private .......................................    675    1,435    1,252       717       73,042  175,973  158,672  93,717     

   Agriculture ........................................     36      161       91        38        2,668   15,057    6,038   2,898     
   Nonagriculture .....................................    624    1,235    1,136       668       69,178  157,034  149,693  89,554     
     Manufacturing ....................................    245      398      652       252       27,061   60,269   99,807  35,370     
       Durable goods ..................................    130      235      425       147       15,721   41,753   71,405  22,823     
         Lumber and wood products .....................      9       21       32        17          684    2,063    3,487   1,882     
         Furniture and fixtures .......................      4       19       25        12          443    2,808    3,955   1,853     
         Stone, clay, and glass products ..............      3       11       10     ( 2 )          231    1,320    1,158   ( 2 )
         Primary metal industries .....................      9       12       35        16          857    1,277    4,230   3,118     
         Fabricated metal products ....................     12       36       70        11        1,075    4,659    8,797   1,098     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ...........     27       30       63        29        5,330    5,918    9,232   4,726     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ....     21       29       38        20        2,690    3,451    5,839   3,284     
         Transportation equipment .....................     29       66      133        32        3,161   19,529   33,094   6,038     
         Instruments and related products .............     10        7        8         5          817      433      663     380     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries .......      6        4       11     ( 2 )          433      295      950   ( 2 )

       Nondurable goods ...............................    115      163      227       105       11,340   18,516   28,402  12,547     
         Food and kindred products ....................     43       53       74        28        4,461    6,563    7,584   3,264     
         Tobacco products .............................  ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )         -        ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )       -
         Textile mill products ........................     18       10       22        17        2,250      953    2,970   2,656     
         Apparel and other textile products ...........     27       29       44        20        2,046    2,966    5,711   1,719     
         Paper and allied products ....................      8       11    ( 2 )        13          800      946    ( 2 )   2,019     
         Printing and publishing ......................      7       15        9     ( 2 )          693    1,301      631   ( 2 )
         Chemicals and allied products ................      3        4    ( 2 )         5          444      371    ( 2 )     358     
         Petroleum and coal products ..................      -    ( 2 )        -     ( 2 )            -    ( 2 )        -   ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ...      6       31       51        14          428    4,504    8,597   1,822     
         Leather and leather products .................  ( 2 )        5       10         4        ( 2 )      395      822     419     

     Nonmanufacturing .................................    379      837      484       416       42,117   96,765   49,886  54,184     
       Mining .........................................      9        4    ( 2 )         3        2,122      363    ( 2 )     311     
       Construction ...................................     31       64       52        52        2,139    4,919    4,040   4,361     
       Transportation and public utilities ............     46      129       79        57        4,319   14,925    8,538   7,311     
       Wholesale and retail trade .....................    103      180      103       109        9,957   20,838    9,488  10,594     
          Wholesale trade .............................     21       33       30        14        1,641    2,694    3,055   1,562     
          Retail trade ................................     82      147       73        95        8,316   18,144    6,433   9,032     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ............     22       24    ( 2 )        17        1,504    1,710    ( 2 )   1,649     
       Services .......................................    168      436      235       178       22,076   54,010   26,158  29,958     

   Not identified .....................................     15       39       25        11        1,196    3,882    2,941   1,265     

 Government ...........................................     23      162       81        34        2,649   16,052    6,306   3,498     
   Federal ............................................      9       31       16        14          928    3,834    1,851   1,646     
   State ..............................................      3       18       13         7          276    1,435    1,063     916     
   Local ..............................................     11      113       52        13        1,445   10,783    3,392     936     


   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

                                  August      June      July       August        August     June       July      August
                                   1999       2000     2000(p)     2000(p)        1999      2000      2000(p)    2000(p)

         United States(1) .....     698      1,597      1,333        751         75,691    192,025    164,978     97,215     

 Northeast ....................     114        216        176        112          9,930     22,824     18,226     18,394     

     New England ..............      11         40         36         13          1,045      3,797      3,953      7,882     
     Middle Atlantic ..........     103        176        140         99          8,885     19,027     14,273     10,512     

 South ........................     178        360        312        199         15,658     34,187     39,032     22,630     

     South Atlantic ...........      91        196        166        110          8,669     17,754     22,269     12,435     
     East South Central .......      24         52         66         29          1,676      4,846      6,881      4,192     
     West South Central .......      63        112         80         60          5,313     11,587      9,882      6,003     

 Midwest ......................     115        386        481        139         15,947     59,287     71,049     18,187     

     East North Central .......      85        307        399        112         11,708     48,307     60,565     15,263     
     West North Central .......      30         79         82         27          4,239     10,980     10,484      2,924     

 West .........................     291        635        364        301         34,156     75,727     36,671     38,004     

     Mountain .................      16         58         36         44          1,259      5,919      4,374      5,623     
     Pacific ..................     275        577        328        257         32,897     69,808     32,297     32,381     


      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
                                   1999      2000    2000(p)    2000(p)        1999      2000    2000(p)   2000(p)

    Total(1) ..................     698     1,597     1,333       751         75,691   192,025   164,978    97,215     

 Alabama ......................      10        16         4         7            750     1,308       305     1,981     
 Alaska .......................       -         5         -         -              -       708         -         -
 Arizona ......................       4        20         9         4            289     2,029       912       406     
 Arkansas .....................       4         8        10         5            589       890     1,158       356     
 California ...................     253       532       287       244         30,870    64,697    27,435    30,706     
 Colorado .....................       -         4         3         3              -       445       234       333     
 Connecticut ..................   ( 2 )         7         5     ( 2 )          ( 2 )       738       490     ( 2 )
 Delaware .....................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
 District of Columbia .........   ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -          ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
 Florida ......................      36       105        68        38          2,440     6,580     4,711     3,073     
 Georgia ......................      11        26         8        13          1,318     2,998       574     1,616     
 Hawaii .......................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
 Idaho ........................       5        10         7        15            428       919       824     2,404     

 Illinois .....................      21        50        54        33          3,440     8,900     5,981     6,582     
 Indiana ......................      10        25        50        14          1,110     4,813     9,562     1,359     
 Iowa .........................       8        18        23         4          1,204     4,187     3,004       431     
 Kansas .......................       3         8        10     ( 2 )            431     1,052       836     ( 2 )
 Kentucky .....................       7        14        40        12            465     1,337     4,888     1,450     
 Louisiana ....................       7        32        13        13            358     2,940     1,236       844     
 Maine ........................   ( 2 )         3         6     ( 2 )          ( 2 )       161       457     ( 2 )
 Maryland .....................   ( 2 )         8         7     ( 2 )          ( 2 )       639       896     ( 2 )
 Massachusetts ................       6        21        15         5            658     2,227     1,472     6,527     
 Michigan .....................      17       148       138        12          2,869    26,171    17,197     1,235     
 Minnesota ....................   ( 2 )        12        12         8          ( 2 )     1,053     1,663       812     
 Mississippi ..................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )        10         5          ( 2 )     ( 2 )       757       301     
 Missouri .....................      17        37        33        13          1,936     4,299     4,614     1,442     

 Montana ......................       -     ( 2 )         4         3              -     ( 2 )       915       625     
 Nebraska .....................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -          ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
 Nevada .......................       6        13        10        16            475     1,795     1,290     1,533     
 New Hampshire ................       -         3         5     ( 2 )              -       199       768     ( 2 )
 New Jersey ...................      12        50        28        25          1,038     6,431     2,950     3,562     
 New Mexico ...................   ( 2 )         7     ( 2 )         -          ( 2 )       438     ( 2 )         -
 New York .....................      43        16        45        22          3,923     1,517     4,373     1,775     
 North Carolina ...............      11        12        10        26          1,077     1,054     1,933     2,383     
 North Dakota .................       -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -              -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
 Ohio .........................      16        35       104        28          1,896     4,076    20,416     2,992     
 Oklahoma .....................   ( 2 )         4         5         3          ( 2 )       286       848       209     
 Oregon .......................      13        20        30         7          1,320     2,423     4,063     1,252     
 Pennsylvania .................      48       110        67        52          3,924    11,079     6,950     5,175     

 Rhode Island .................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         3          ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       336     
 South Carolina ...............      17        24        36        16          1,814     2,467     6,517     2,242     
 South Dakota .................       -     ( 2 )         -         -              -     ( 2 )         -         -
 Tennessee ....................       6        20        12         5            403     1,912       931       460     
 Texas ........................      51        68        52        39          4,310     7,471     6,640     4,594     
 Utah .........................       -         3     ( 2 )         3              -       242     ( 2 )       322     
 Vermont ......................       -         4         4     ( 2 )              -       287       688     ( 2 )
 Virginia .....................      11        17        33        11          1,507     1,518     6,974     2,604     
 Washington ...................       7        19         9         5            562     1,904       649       322     
 West Virginia ................       -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         4              -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       272     
 Wisconsin ....................      21        49        53        25          2,393     4,347     7,409     3,095     
 Wyoming ......................       -         -         -         -              -         -         -         -

 Puerto Rico ..................      11         9        17        10          1,009     1,461     1,909       879     

    1  See footnote 1, table 2.                                              
    2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
    p  = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.