Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202)  606-6396  USDL 99-236


                                         For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 606-5902  Tuesday, August 31, 1999

                                     
                         MASS LAYOFFS IN JUNE 1999

     
   In June 1999, there were 1,141 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 131,062.  Both
the number of layoff events and the number of initial claimants for
unemployment insurance were lower in June 1999 than in June 1998, when
there were strike-related plant shutdowns in the transportation equipment
and electronic equipment industries.  (See table 1.)
   
   The monthly series in this release covers 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 June 1999, manufacturing industries accounted for 23 percent of all
mass layoff events and 24 percent of all initial claims filed.
Manufacturing industries that had the highest numbers of initial claimants
were food products (5,597), primarily in frozen fruits and vegetables;
transportation equipment (5,109), mostly in motor vehicles and car bodies
and in motor vehicle parts and accessories; and industrial machinery and
equipment (3,768), particularly in refrigeration and heating equipment.
(See table 2.)
   
   In nonmanufacturing industries, services accounted for 30 percent of
all mass layoff events and 29 percent of all initial claims filed.  The
layoffs were predominantly in social services (mostly in child day care
services) and business services (particularly in help supply services).
Layoffs in the help supply services industry are more likely than those in
most other industries to last less than 30 days.  Transportation and public
utilities accounted for 9 percent of layoff events and 12 percent of
initial claimants during the month, largely in local and interurban
transit.  Agriculture accounted for 9 percent of all layoff events and
initial claimants during the month, concentrated primarily in agricultural
services.
   
   Compared with June 1998, the largest decreases in initial claims
occurred in transportation equipment (-57,398).  The largest over-the-year
increases in initial claims occurred in business services (+5,803) and
agricultural services (+4,833).

                                  - 2 -

Geographic Distribution
   
   In June, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher in
the West (50,702) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  The motion
picture, business services, and agricultural services industries
contributed to the layoffs in the West.  The lowest number of mass layoff
initial claims was reported in the Northeast region (18,687).
   
   The largest over-the-year decrease in mass layoff-related initial
claims (-45,300) occurred in the Midwest, followed by the South (-12,357).
Lower levels of initial claims this year were reported mainly in the East
North Central and Middle Atlantic divisions, with sharply fewer layoffs in
transportation equipment.
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia reporting data for
June, California had the largest number of initial claims filed in mass
layoff events (40,163), primarily in motion pictures and agricultural
services, followed by Pennsylvania (11,150), Illinois (7,547), Michigan
(7,302), and Missouri (6,984).  These five states accounted for 50 percent
of all layoff events and 56 percent of all initial claimants for
unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   From June 1998 to June 1999, Michigan reported the largest over-the-
year decline in initial claims (-30,988), mostly in transportation
equipment, followed by New York (-7,949).  California had the largest over-
the-year increase in initial claims (+13,558), mostly in agricultural
services.
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: 202-606-STAT; TDD
phone: 202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-326-2577.
 
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, April 1997 to June 1999

  
                                                                    Extended mass layoffs 
                                                                  lasting more than 30 days
               Date                                                                                    
                                     Total mass layoffs                                      Event
                                                                                          realization
                                                                                            rate(1)
                                                Initial                     Initial          
                                   Events      claimants       Events      claimants
               1997

 April ..........................   1,269       152,168     
 May ............................   1,152       101,476     
 June ...........................   1,238       121,256     

 Second Quarter .................   3,659       374,900         1,587       292,673          43.4     

 July ...........................   1,899       237,410     
 August .........................     973        99,513     
 September ......................     548        59,062     

 Third Quarter ..................   3,420       395,985         1,082       209,019          31.6     

 October ........................   1,414       139,297     
 November .......................   1,156       100,051     
 December .......................   1,634       172,029     

 Fourth Quarter .................   4,204       411,377         1,697       316,035          40.4     

               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       402,259          42.9     

 July ...........................   2,220       286,055     
 August .........................     617        53,665     
 September ......................     637        79,629     

 Third Quarter ..................   3,474       419,349         1,234       256,790          35.5     

 October ........................   1,557       256,658     
 November .......................   1,372       162,537     
 December .......................   1,644       193,072     

 Fourth Quarter .................   4,573       612,267         1,736       327,039          38.0     

               1999

 January ........................   2,415       296,404     
 February(r).....................   1,076       117,223     
 March ..........................     850        90,958     

 First Quarter ..................(r)4,341    (r)504,585         1,484       200,677          34.2     

 April ..........................   1,250       161,269     
 May ............................   1,033       102,815     
 June............................   1,141       131,062     


   1  The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days.
   r  = revised.
Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
June 1998 and June 1999
                                                                                Initial claimants for
                                                      Mass layoff events        unemployment insurance
                           Industry
                                                      June          June         June          June
                                                      1998          1999         1998          1999

      Total(1) ....................................   1,208         1,141       183,590       131,062     

 Total, private ...................................   1,085         1,036       174,251       122,304     

   Agriculture ....................................      67           103         4,351        11,848     
   Nonagriculture .................................     996           908       164,709       107,233     
     Manufacturing ................................     407           266       100,239        32,054     
       Durable goods ..............................     244           128        85,477        17,842     
         Lumber and wood products .................      10             9           796           867     
         Furniture and fixtures ...................      15             9         3,690         1,349     
         Stone, clay, and glass products ..........      10             4         1,132           194     
         Primary metal industries .................      10             8           899         1,217     
         Fabricated metal products ................      23            18         2,920         1,737     
         Industrial machinery and equipment .......      28            19         2,702         3,768     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment       35            17         9,174         2,314     
         Transportation equipment .................      94            28        62,507         5,109     
         Instruments and related products .........       8             6           884           453     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ...      11            10           773           834     

       Nondurable goods ...........................     163           138        14,762        14,212     
         Food and kindred products ................      48            51         4,314         5,597     
         Tobacco products .........................       -         ( 2 )             -         ( 2 )
         Textile mill products ....................      15            13         1,537         1,737     
         Apparel and other textile products .......      38            28         3,143         2,629     
         Paper and allied products ................       5         ( 2 )           388         ( 2 )
         Printing and publishing ..................      13            14         1,006         1,249     
         Chemicals and allied products ............       4             4           256           344     
         Petroleum and coal products ..............   ( 2 )             -         ( 2 )             -
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products      36            20         3,718         2,111     
         Leather and leather products .............   ( 2 )         ( 2 )         ( 2 )         ( 2 )

     Nonmanufacturing .............................     589           642        64,470        75,179     
       Mining .....................................       4             9           272           693     
       Construction ...............................      46            57         3,289         4,707     
       Transportation and public utilities ........     104           100        14,545        16,258     
       Wholesale and retail trade .................     116           114        17,515        13,597     
          Wholesale trade .........................      21            19         5,185         2,070     
          Retail trade ............................      95            95        12,330        11,527     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ........       8            18           763         1,337     
       Services ...................................     311           344        28,086        38,372     

   Not identified .................................      22            25         5,191         3,223     

 Government .......................................     123           105         9,339         8,758     
   Federal ........................................       8             7           668           816     
   State ..........................................      15            15         1,259         1,266     
   Local ..........................................     100            83         7,412         6,676     


     1  Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
     2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
     NOTE:  Dash represents zero.
Table 3. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and
division, June 1998 and June 1999

                                      Mass layoff events          Initial claimants for
                                                                  unemployment insurance
    Census region and division
                                    June            June           June            June
                                    1998            1999           1998            1999


         United States ...........  1,208           1,141         183,590         131,062       

 Northeast .......................    195             160          29,939          18,687       

     New England .................     29              25           3,225           3,253       
     Middle Atlantic .............    166             135          26,714          15,434       

 South ...........................    302             280          38,880          26,523       

     South Atlantic ..............    175             153          20,285          12,867       
     East South Central ..........     40              41           4,823           4,464       
     West South Central ..........     87              86          13,772           9,192       

 Midwest .........................    331             269          80,450          35,150       

     East North Central ..........    249             195          67,843          25,087       
     West North Central ..........     82              74          12,607          10,063       

 West ............................    380             432          34,321          50,702       

     Mountain ....................     39              45           3,735           5,001       
     Pacific .....................    341             387          30,586          45,701       


 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,
June 1998 and June 1999

                                                                 Initial claimants for
                                     Mass layoff events         unemployment insurance
                                                                      
                   State
                                    June           June          June           June
                                    1998           1999          1998           1999

    Total(1) ....................   1,208          1,141        183,590        131,062     

 Alabama ........................      13             16          1,857          1,483     
 Alaska .........................       3              5            420            521     
 Arizona ........................      12              8          1,195            852     
 Arkansas .......................       9              6            883            627     
 California .....................     301            333         26,605         40,163     
 Colorado .......................   ( 2 )              3          ( 2 )            323     
 Connecticut ....................       6              5            621            653     
 Delaware .......................   ( 2 )          ( 2 )          ( 2 )          ( 2 )
 District of Columbia ...........       3              3            408            392
 Florida ........................      98             78          6,602          5,156     
 Georgia ........................      19             16          4,025          1,610     
 Hawaii .........................       8             11            577            977     
 Idaho ..........................       7              7            540          1,081     

 Illinois .......................      45             39          6,762          7,547     
 Indiana ........................      24             20          8,322          2,223     
 Iowa ...........................      13              7          1,183            539     
 Kansas .........................       7              7          3,333            680     
 Kentucky .......................       7              7            825            891     
 Louisiana ......................      19             11          3,516          1,100     
 Maine ..........................   ( 2 )          ( 2 )          ( 2 )          ( 2 )
 Maryland .......................       6              6          2,532            387     
 Massachusetts ..................      11             11            822            924     
 Michigan .......................      95             60         38,290          7,302     
 Minnesota ......................      19             17          1,659          1,324     
 Mississippi ....................       6              5            662            575     
 Missouri .......................      36             37          5,922          6,984     

 Montana ........................       3          ( 2 )            198          ( 2 )
 Nebraska .......................       3          ( 2 )            244          ( 2 )
 Nevada .........................       5             12            450          1,496     
 New Hampshire ..................       6          ( 2 )            693          ( 2 )
 New Jersey .....................      49             28          8,791          3,787     
 New Mexico .....................       7              9            620            784     
 New York .......................      25              7          8,446            497     
 North Carolina .................       9              8            667            744     
 North Dakota ...................   ( 2 )              4          ( 2 )            391     
 Ohio ...........................      45             39          4,246          4,130     
 Oklahoma .......................       6              7          2,835          1,522     
 Oregon .........................      18             22          2,111          2,111     
 Pennsylvania ...................      92            100          9,477         11,150     

 Rhode Island ...................       4              7            946          1,084     
 South Carolina .................      19             24          1,745          2,830     
 South Dakota ...................   ( 2 )          ( 2 )          ( 2 )          ( 2 )
 Tennessee ......................      14             13          1,479          1,515     
 Texas ..........................      53             62          6,538          5,943     
 Utah ...........................       4              3            583            271     
 Vermont ........................       -              -              -              -
 Virginia .......................      16             15          2,925          1,546     
 Washington .....................      11             16            873          1,929     
 West Virginia ..................       3          ( 2 )            251          ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ......................      40             37         10,223          3,885     
 Wyoming ........................       -          ( 2 )              -          ( 2 )

 Puerto Rico ....................      12             13          1,279          1,557    


   1  Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
   2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
   NOTE:  Dash represents zero.