Technical information:  (202) 691-6392    USDL 04-459
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                          For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902    Wednesday, March 24, 2004

                                     
                       MASS LAYOFFS IN FEBRUARY 2004

   
   In February 2004, there were 941 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 84,201.  (See
table 1.)  The number of events was the lowest for any February since 1997,
and the number of initial claims was the lowest for any February since 1998.  
Both the number of events and initial claims were sharply lower than a year 
ago, and the over-the-year declines were the largest for a February since 
the program began in April 1995.

Industry Distribution
   
   Temporary help services, with 6,953 initial claimants, and motion picture 
and video production, with 3,967 initial claimants, together accounted for 
13 percent of all initial claims in February.  (See table A.)  The 10 indus-
tries reporting the highest number of mass-layoff initial claims accounted 
for 27,989 initial claims in February, 33 percent of the total.
   
   The manufacturing sector had 26 percent of all mass layoff events and
27 percent of all initial claims filed in February, both being the smallest
shares for any February on record.  A year ago, manufacturing reported 32
percent of events and 39 percent of initial claims.  Within manufacturing,
the number of claimants was highest in food processing (6,517, mainly in
fruit and vegetable canning), followed by transportation equipment (2,671)
and electrical equipment and appliances (2,109).  (See table 2.)
   
   The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 15 percent
of events and 13 percent of initial claims filed in February, with layoffs
mostly in temporary help services.  Eleven percent of all layoff events and
initial claims filed during the month were in retail trade, especially in
discount department stores, which recorded a series peak for February.  Con-
struction accounted for an additional 14 percent of events and 10 percent of 
initial claims during the month, primarily among specialty trade contractors.
   
   Government establishments accounted for 4 percent of events and initial
claims filed during the month, particularly in educational services.  Govern-
ment accounted for its largest share of events and initial claims for any 
February on record.
   
   Compared with February 2003, the largest decreases in initial claims
were reported in transportation equipment manufacturing (-7,864), admini-
strative and support services (-4,648), and machinery manufacturing (-3,404).  
The largest over-the-year increases in initial claims were reported in mo-
tion picture and sound recording (+1,632) and in general merchandise stores 
(+1,434).

                                  - 2 - 

Table A.  Industries with the largest mass-layoff initial claims in February 
2004p
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        |              |     February peak
                Industry                |Initial claims|----------------------
                                        |              | Year | Initial claims
----------------------------------------|--------------|------|---------------
Temporary help services.................|     6,953    | 2001 |     18,893
Motion picture and video production.....|     3,967    | 2002 |      5,844
School and employee bus transportation..|     2,997    | 2004 |      2,997
Payroll services........................|     2,675    | 2000 |      6,590
Discount department stores..............|     2,669    | 2004 |      2,669
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders.|     2,313    | 2000 |     12,516
Department stores, except discount......|     1,814    | 2001 |      2,994
Supermarkets and other grocery stores...|     1,646    | 2002 |      1,982
Food service contractors................|     1,500    | 2003 |      1,700
Professional employer organizations.....|     1,455    | 2001 |      3,241
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p=preliminary.

Geographic Distribution

   Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in February 
due to mass layoffs was reported in the West, 34,453.  (See table 3.)  Ad-
ministrative and support services and motion picture and sound recording in-
dustries accounted for 24 percent of all initial claims in that region during 
the month.  The Midwest region was next, with 19,183 initial claims, followed 
by the South, with 17,770, and the Northeast, with 12,795.
   
   The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs declined over the year
in all four of the regions, with the largest decrease in the South (-15,107).  
Eight of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year decreases in the 
number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest de-
creases in the Middle Atlantic (-11,059) and Pacific (-10,543) divisions.  
The New England division reported the only increase in mass-layoff initial 
claims (+563).
   
                                  - 3 -

   Among the states, California recorded the largest number of initial
claims filed in mass layoff events in February, 29,865, mostly in motion
picture and sound recording industries and administrative and support ser-
vices.  Ohio reported 4,142 initial claims, followed by Illinois (4,108)
and Texas (4,062).  These four states accounted for 54 percent of all lay-
off events and 50 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance.  
(See table 4.)
   
   California reported the largest over-the-year decrease in the number 
of initial claims (-8,869), followed by Pennsylvania (-8,383) and Texas 
(-6,272).  The largest over-the-year increase occurred in Tennessee (+927).

Note
   
   The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or
more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of 
the layoffs.  Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later 
and issued in a quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting 
more than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs").  The quar-
terly 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.
   
                       _____________________________
   

   The report on Mass Layoffs in March 2004 is scheduled to be released 
on Thursday, April 22, 2004.


  --------------------------------------------------------------------
 |    NOTE:  Due to budget constraints in the Mass Layoff Statistics  |
 | (MLS) program, beginning with data for the first quarter of 2004,  |
 | the scope of quarterly extended mass layoffs and plant closings,   |
 | regularly reported in the release, Extended Mass Layoffs in (Quar- |
 | ter), has been redefined to cover only the private nonfarm economy.|
 | Quarterly information on layoff events in agriculture and govern-  |
 | ment will no longer be collected.  However, the monthly reporting  |
 | of the MLS program in the release, Mass Layoffs in (Month), which  |
 | is based only on administrative data, will be unaffected and will  |
 | continue to cover the total economy.                               |
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
   
 
 
 
                                   - 4 -                                           

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 establish-
ments 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 long-
er, 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 ter-
minated 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 indi-
viduals 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 2002 to February 2004
                                                                            
                                                                                     Private nonfarm

                            Total mass layoffs                                    Extended mass layoffs            Realization
             Date                                        Mass layoffs           lasting more than 30 days            rates(1)      
                       
                                       Initial                    Initial                        Initial                   Initial
                           Events     claimants       Events     claimants         Events       claimants       Events    claimants

             2002      

January ...............     2,146      263,777         2,028      252,245
February ..............     1,382      138,808         1,253      129,849
March .................     1,460      161,316         1,335      151,305

First Quarter .........     4,988      563,901         4,616      533,399          1,611         292,998         34.9         54.9

April .................     1,506      165,814         1,378      153,216
May ...................     1,723      179,799         1,571      166,801
June ..................     1,584      162,189         1,266      136,424

Second Quarter ........     4,813      507,802         4,215      456,441          1,624         299,598         38.5         65.6

July ..................     2,042      245,294         1,819      226,892
August ................     1,248      128,103         1,151      119,874
September .............     1,062      124,522           957      114,736

Third Quarter .........     4,352      497,919         3,927      461,502          1,186         254,955         30.2         55.2

October ...............     1,497      171,100         1,270      149,327
November ..............     2,153      240,171         1,860      216,237
December ..............     2,474      264,158         2,324      252,807

Fourth Quarter ........     6,124      675,429         5,454      618,371          1,916         370,592         35.1         59.9

             2003      

January ...............     2,315      225,430         2,130      210,918
February ..............     1,363      124,965         1,222      116,264
March .................     1,207      113,026         1,099      104,468

First Quarter .........     4,885      463,421         4,451      431,650          1,502         297,524         33.7         68.9

April .................     1,581      161,412         1,470      152,937
May ...................     1,703      174,204         1,538      160,729
June ..................     1,691      157,552         1,336      127,743

Second Quarter ........     4,975      493,168         4,344      441,409          1,799         346,549         41.4         78.5

July ..................     2,087      226,435         1,815      206,901
August ................     1,258      133,839         1,163      124,131
September .............       868       82,647           756       73,914

Third Quarter .........     4,213      442,921         3,734      404,946          1,190         225,609         31.9         55.7

October ...............     1,523      158,240         1,265      137,706
November ..............     1,438      138,543         1,234      123,524
December ..............     1,929      192,633         1,793      182,750

Fourth Quarter ........     4,890      489,416         4,292      443,980   (2)(p) 1,592  (2)(p) 229,014         37.1         51.6

             2004      

January (p) ...........     2,428      239,454         2,226      220,687
February (p) ..........       941       84,201           832       76,577


    1 The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff events lasting more than
30 days. The initial claimant realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial
claimants associated with layoffs lasting more than 30 days. 
    2 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more data on these layoffs become
available. Experience suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by
less than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent.
    p = preliminary.
    
      
 
 

Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                                 
                                                                                                    Initial claimants for          
                                                             Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance         
                     Industry                    

                                                   February December  January  February   February    December   January    February
                                                     2003     2003     2004p     2004p      2003        2003      2004p       2004p 


      Total(1) ..................................    1,363    1,929    2,428      941      124,965    192,633    239,454     84,201

Total, private ..................................    1,322    1,846    2,339      905      121,890    185,928    228,578     81,093

  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....      100       53      113       73        5,626      3,178      7,891      4,516

 Total, private nonfarm .........................    1,222    1,793    2,226      832      116,264    182,750    220,687     76,577
  Mining ........................................        8       21       17        4          788      1,937      1,329        505
  Utilities .....................................    ( 2 )        3        3    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        160        345      ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................      195      335      324      131       13,399     25,684     23,405      8,586
  Manufacturing .................................      435      648      848      240       48,161     77,915     89,551     23,043
      Food ......................................       59       89      108       62        5,475      9,285     11,083      6,517
      Beverage and tobacco products .............        9        5        9        6          458        781        834        557
      Textile mills .............................       16       31       48        4        1,958      4,299      6,376        310
      Textile product mills .....................        7       14       19        7          571      2,102      1,933        560
      Apparel ...................................       20       32       44        5        1,525      3,232      5,836        389
      Leather and allied products ...............    ( 2 )        7       11    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        842      1,195      ( 2 )
      Wood products .............................       29       55       46       18        2,351      5,000      5,651      1,438
      Paper .....................................       15       12       20        4        1,436        934      1,847        391
      Printing and related support activities ...       13        7       24       10          793        627      2,147        828
      Petroleum and coal products ...............    ( 2 )       10        5    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        863        362      ( 2 )

      Chemicals .................................        9        9       23        4        1,185        735      2,384        324
      Plastics and rubber products ..............       16       40       50       10        1,136      3,579      4,821        917
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............       18       49       42        5        1,652      4,079      3,813        312
      Primary metals ............................       17       33       44        9        1,678      3,421      4,579        913
      Fabricated metal products .................       34       39       72       18        2,622      4,045      6,960      1,720
      Machinery .................................       22       24       39       12        4,207      3,629      3,017        803
      Computer and electronic products ..........       41       19       44       12        3,690      1,408      3,561        815
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......       19       20       23       11        3,159      4,726      2,263      2,109
      Transportation equipment ..................       53      122      114       23       10,535     21,061     15,107      2,671
      Furniture and related products ............       24       14       36        9        2,702      1,607      3,541        679
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............        9       17       27        8          613      1,660      2,241        553

  Wholesale trade ...............................       19       27       27       13        1,321      2,443      2,391        956
  Retail trade ..................................      110       98      188      102       10,015      9,203     22,145      9,383
  Transportation and warehousing ................       34      131      128       35        4,650     15,528     14,038      4,658
  Information ...................................       61       40       67       19        5,689      3,839      9,394      4,716
  Finance and insurance .........................       24       27       41       25        1,778      1,764      3,547      1,562
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............       10        4       15    ( 2 )          795        562      1,202      ( 2 )
  Professional and technical services ...........       33       57       47       30        4,224      6,095      4,288      4,247
  Management of companies and enterprises .......        5        3        3        6          431        296        895        587
  Administrative and waste services .............      177      200      285      139       15,942     17,256     27,855     11,065
  Educational services ..........................    ( 2 )        6        8    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        327        553      ( 2 )
  Health care and social assistance .............       22       27       35       16        1,619      2,075      2,991        954
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........       15       20       41       11        1,447      1,795      3,149        677
  Accommodation and food services ...............       52      131      113       46        4,746     14,701      9,614      4,455
  Other services, except public administration ..       11       12       26        8          629        955      2,992        629

  Unclassified ..................................        6        3       10        2          361        215      1,003        191

Government ......................................       41       83       89       36        3,075      6,705     10,876      3,108
  Federal .......................................        7       13       26        6          421      1,419      2,725        504
  State .........................................       14       10       13       13        1,054        830      1,405      1,121
  Local .........................................       20       60       50       17        1,600      4,456      6,746      1,483


    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. 
     
 
 
 

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

                             February   December    January    February    February    December     January     February
                               2003       2003       2004p      2004p        2003        2003        2004p       2004p 

      United States(1) ....    1,363      1,929      2,428        941       124,965     192,633     239,454      84,201

Northeast .................      225        350        498        117        23,291      34,437      50,650      12,795

  New England .............       26         66         64         26         2,758       6,904       5,689       3,321
  Middle Atlantic .........      199        284        434         91        20,533      27,533      44,961       9,474

South .....................      307        335        501        191        32,877      32,467      53,115      17,770

  South Atlantic ..........      142        192        244         87        15,410      17,903      25,490       8,799
  East South Central ......       45         59        153         32         5,249       6,510      17,176       3,602
  West South Central ......      120         84        104         72        12,218       8,054      10,449       5,369

Midwest ...................      235        780        688        211        23,244      87,806      68,404      19,183

  East North Central ......      181        596        574        172        16,279      64,802      58,674      15,385
  West North Central ......       54        184        114         39         6,965      23,004       9,730       3,798

West ......................      596        464        741        422        45,553      37,923      67,285      34,453

  Mountain ................       28         63         63         28         2,880       7,025       6,292       2,323
  Pacific .................      568        401        678        394        42,673      30,898      60,993      32,130


    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         

                           February    December     January     February    February    December     January    February
                             2003        2003        2004p       2004p        2003        2003        2004p       2004p 

   Total(1) .............    1,363       1,929       2,428         941       124,965     192,633     239,454      84,201

Alabama .................        9          27         112       ( 2 )         1,547       3,728      13,754       ( 2 )
Alaska ..................    ( 2 )           3           6       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         213         429       ( 2 )
Arizona .................        7           8           7           3           537         551         645         214
Arkansas ................        4           6       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           288         656       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
California ..............      524         346         576         365        38,734      25,953      51,395      29,865
Colorado ................        6          11          11           5           535       1,107       1,043         523
Connecticut .............        3          13           7           5           190       1,166         669         351
Delaware ................    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
District of Columbia ....        -           4       ( 2 )           -             -         287       ( 2 )           -
Florida .................       59          63          60          46         4,459       4,826       4,044       3,480
Georgia .................       23          31          92          17         3,627       3,354      10,525       2,448
Hawaii ..................        3           6           4       ( 2 )           186         506         296       ( 2 )
Idaho ...................        4          12          16       ( 2 )           996       1,647       1,125       ( 2 )

Illinois ................       44         123          88          47         4,956      15,006       9,610       4,108
Indiana .................       28         108          58          24         2,267      15,330       5,499       2,195
Iowa ....................       15          46          29           7         1,191       5,305       2,267         698
Kansas ..................        5          29          14           6         2,056       3,518         954         517
Kentucky ................       14           9          10          10         2,174         995       1,030         950
Louisiana ...............       16          15          14          13         1,043         991         908         757
Maine ...................    ( 2 )           5          14           5         ( 2 )         424       1,463         347
Maryland ................        6          15          19       ( 2 )           562       1,119       2,009       ( 2 )
Massachusetts ...........       18          24          30           5         1,620       2,568       2,375         352
Michigan ................       21         135         171          23         1,719      12,275      16,615       2,150
Minnesota ...............        8          51          30           6           614       6,342       2,688         460
Mississippi .............       10           8           6       ( 2 )           732         450         384       ( 2 )
Missouri ................       15          45          26          16         1,922       6,180       2,422       1,479

Montana .................    ( 2 )           7           4           3         ( 2 )         918         270         336
Nebraska ................        6          10          11           3           830       1,411         984         548
Nevada ..................        8          20          14           9           659       2,351       2,225         594
New Hampshire ...........        -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3             -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         480
New Jersey ..............       31          76          73          25         3,772       6,895       7,191       2,749
New Mexico ..............    ( 2 )           3           6       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         278         328       ( 2 )
New York ................       42          88         194          26         5,265       9,448      24,376       3,612
North Carolina ..........       17          23          18          10         1,385       1,857       1,829         912
North Dakota ............        3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -           229       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -
Ohio ....................       46         117         141          46         4,097      10,693      15,169       4,142
Oklahoma ................        7          12          13           5           553       1,278       1,517         413
Oregon ..................       24          26          70          13         2,036       2,498       6,681         986
Pennsylvania ............      126         120         167          40        11,496      11,190      13,394       3,113

Rhode Island ............    ( 2 )          12           5           7         ( 2 )       1,775         332       1,716
South Carolina ..........       20          17          26           3         2,159       2,713       3,563         325
South Dakota ............    ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )
Tennessee ...............       12          15          25          19           796       1,337       2,008       1,723
Texas ...................       93          51          74          52        10,334       5,129       7,571       4,062
Utah ....................        -       ( 2 )           5           4             -       ( 2 )         656         295
Vermont .................    ( 2 )          10           5       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         794         573       ( 2 )
Virginia ................       13          34          24           8         1,263       3,372       3,061         574
Washington ..............       15          20          22          13         1,511       1,728       2,192       1,023
West Virginia ...........    ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )         176       ( 2 )           -
Wisconsin ...............       42         113         116          32         3,240      11,498      11,781       2,790
Wyoming .................    ( 2 )           -           -           -         ( 2 )           -           -           -

Puerto Rico .............       10           6           5           9         1,336         486         511         891


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.