Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6392    USDL 00-188


                                          For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902    Friday, June 30, 2000

                                     
                         MASS LAYOFFS IN MAY 2000

   In May 2000, there were 984 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 92,193.  Both the
number of layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
were the lowest for May since 1996.  The total of layoff events from
January through May 2000, at 5,873, and the total number of initial
claimants, at 627,520, were lower than in January-May 1999 (6,670 and
648,308, respectively).  (See table 1.)
   
   The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or
more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of the
layoffs.  Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later and
issued in a quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting more
than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs") and provides more
information on the industry classification and location of the 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 May 2000, services industries accounted for 29 percent of all mass
layoff events and 27 percent of all initial claims filed, mainly in
business services (especially help supply services).  Layoffs in this
industry, however, are more likely than those in most other industries to
last less than 30 days.  (See table 2.)
   
   Manufacturing accounted for 26 percent of all layoff events and 27 percent
of initial claimants during the month.  Manufacturing industries that had the
highest numbers of initial claimants were food and kindred products (5,009),
primarily in frozen fruits, vegetables and specialties; transportation equip-
ment (3,148), mostly in motor homes; and apparel and other textile products
(2,929), largely in women's and misses' outerwear.  Retail trade accounted
for 12 percent of all layoff events and 14 percent of initial claimants during
the month, mostly in eating and drinking places.  Agriculture accounted for
8 percent of all mass layoff events and 6 percent of initial claimants during
the month, largely in agricultural services such as farm labor contractors.
   
   Compared with May 1999, the largest over-the-year decreases in initial
claims occurred in motion pictures (-7,349), industrial machinery and
equipment (-4,154), and general merchandise stores (-2,380).  The largest
increases in initial claims occurred in lumber and wood products (+1,589)
and heavy construction (+1,267).

                                  - 2 -

Geographic Distribution
   
   In May, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher in
the West (32,290) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  Layoffs in
business services, agricultural services, and food and kindred products
accounted for 33 percent of the claims in the West.  The fewest number of
mass-layoff initial claims continued to be reported in the Northeast region
(13,426).
   
   Over-the-year decreases in mass layoff-related initial claims were
reported in the West (-8,575) and Midwest regions (-6,409).  The South
and Northeast showed modest over-the-year increases (+1,176 and +3,263,
respectively).  Among the geographic divisions, lower levels of initial
claims over the year were reported mainly in the Pacific and East North
Central, and higher levels were reported in the Middle Atlantic and East
South Central divisions.                                  

   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia reporting data for May,
California had the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff
events (26,068), primarily in business services and agricultural services,
followed by Texas (6,866) and Pennsylvania (6,637).  California accounted
for 36 percent of all layoff events and 28 percent of all initial claims
for unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   From May 1999 to May 2000, California reported the largest over-the-year
decrease in initial claims (-6,952), mostly in motion pictures.  Among the
21 states that reported over-the-year increases in initial claims, Kentucky
had the largest (+2,253), mostly in electronic and other electric
equipment.
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, April 1998 to May 2000

  
                                                                 Extended mass layoffs 
                                                               lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                                 
                                      Total mass layoffs                                        Event
                                                                                             realization
                                                                                               rate(1)
                                                 Initial                       Initial          
                                    Events      claimants         Events      claimants



              1998

 April .........................     1,253        132,476     
 May ...........................     1,180        107,952     
 June ..........................     1,208        183,590     

 Second Quarter ................     3,641        424,018          1,563        402,276           42.9     

 July ..........................     2,220        286,055     
 August ........................       617         53,665     
 September .....................       637         79,629     

 Third Quarter .................     3,474        419,349          1,234        256,803           35.5     

 October .......................     1,553        160,830     
 November ......................  (r)1,367     (r)144,274     
 December ......................     1,776        207,661     

 Fourth Quarter ................  (r)4,696     (r)512,765          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        242,351           42.0     

 July ..........................     1,741        221,334     
 August ........................       698         75,691     
 September .....................       717         75,288     

 Third Quarter .................     3,156        372,313          1,097        189,732           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        286,538           41.2     

              2000

 January .......................     1,934        223,322     
 February ......................     1,045        103,898     
 March .........................       986        106,748     

 First Quarter .................     3,965        433,968       (p)1,268     (p)175,233         (p)32.0

 April(p) .....................        924        101,359     
 May(p) .......................        984         92,193     


   1  The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days.
   p = preliminary.
   r = revised.


Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
                                           		                                           Initial claimants for
                                                                Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance
                           Industry

                                                        May      March    April     May         May       March    April      May
                                                        1999      2000   2000(p)  2000(p)       1999       2000   2000(p)   2000(p)

      Total(1) ....................................... 1,032      986      924      984       102,738   106,748   101,359    92,193     

 Total, private ......................................   977      958      894      928        98,030   104,069    98,620    86,882     

   Agriculture .......................................    82      131       58       83         4,954    11,530     5,296     5,356     
   Nonagriculture ....................................   885      812      822      825        92,236    90,412    91,818    78,439     
     Manufacturing ...................................   298      327      314      253        32,406    37,624    32,656    25,160     
       Durable goods .................................   145      163      148      124        18,374    19,238    15,854    14,006     
         Lumber and wood products .................... ( 2 )       33       18       18         ( 2 )     3,252     1,473     1,668     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................    12       13        8       10         1,324     1,060       720       966     
         Stone, clay, and glass products ............. ( 2 )       10       11        4         ( 2 )       716       804       546     
         Primary metal industries ....................    14        5       18        9         1,052       708     2,175       656     
         Fabricated metal products ...................    16       21       17       11         1,580     2,453     1,743     1,338     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........    25       26       20       16         5,439     3,089     1,699     1,285     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...    27       17       18       16         2,874     1,478     2,393     2,767     
         Transportation equipment ....................    26       24       27       25         3,786     5,293     4,092     3,148     
         Instruments and related products ............    10        7        5        6           716       426       274       541     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......     7        7        6        9           776       763       481     1,091     

       Nondurable goods ..............................   153      164      166      129        14,032    18,386    16,802    11,154     
         Food and kindred products ...................    62       73       75       58         6,513     8,713     8,209     5,009     
         Tobacco products ............................     -        5    ( 2 )        -             -     1,168     ( 2 )         -
         Textile mill products .......................    13       11       19        6         1,209     1,498     2,214       536     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........    36       33       33       35         2,967     2,561     2,855     2,929     
         Paper and allied products ...................    14       12       12        9         1,109       823       821     1,001     
         Printing and publishing .....................     8        9        8        9           619       808       623       754     
         Chemicals and allied products ...............     5        6        3    ( 2 )           493     1,461       157     ( 2 )
         Petroleum and coal products .................     -    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        -             -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..    10       11        9        8           789     1,076     1,131       628     
         Leather and leather products ................     5    ( 2 )        4    ( 2 )           333     ( 2 )       459     ( 2 )

     Nonmanufacturing ................................   587      485      508      572        59,830    52,788    59,162    53,279     
       Mining ........................................     9        5    ( 2 )        5           774       338     ( 2 )       409     
       Construction ..................................    85       86       71       77         6,288     6,003     5,878     6,394     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........    33       44       76       33         3,841     5,414     9,103     4,185     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................   166      138      114      146        14,904    14,755    11,652    14,841     
          Wholesale trade ............................    22       29       25       28         1,404     3,346     2,668     2,311     
          Retail trade ...............................   144      109       89      118        13,500    11,409     8,984    12,530     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........    17       21    ( 2 )       30         1,179     2,032     ( 2 )     2,211     
       Services ......................................   277      191      219      281        32,844    24,246    30,555    25,239     

   Not identified ....................................    10       15       14       20           840     2,127     1,506     3,087     

 Government ..........................................    55       28       30       56         4,708     2,679     2,739     5,311     
   Federal ...........................................    10        4        9       15         1,452       606       676     1,977     
   State .............................................    12       12        7        8           967     1,112       894       930     
   Local .............................................    33       12       14       33         2,289       961     1,169     2,404     


   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

                                   May      March      April        May            May         March      April        May
                                   1999      2000     2000(p)     2000(p)          1999         2000     2000(p)     2000(p)

         United States(1) ......  1,032      986        924         984          102,738     106,748     101,359      92,193     

 Northeast .....................    124       99        186         140           10,163      10,686      18,570      13,426     

     New England ...............     25       20         43          25            2,038       2,834       5,398       2,297     
     Middle Atlantic ...........     99       79        143         115            8,125       7,852      13,172      11,129     

 South .........................    271      179        187         234           24,517      17,976      19,695      25,693     

     South Atlantic ............    132       91         89          85           11,119       9,419       9,492       9,702     
     East South Central ........     41       27         37          49            4,046       2,459       3,371       6,205     
     West South Central ........     98       61         61         100            9,352       6,098       6,832       9,786     

 Midwest .......................    206      199        201         187           27,193      26,477      22,434      20,784     

     East North Central ........    154      144        161         133           19,581      17,973      17,412      14,752     
     West North Central ........     52       55         40          54            7,612       8,504       5,022       6,032     

 West ..........................    431      509        350         423           40,865      51,609      40,660      32,290     

     Mountain ..................     42       45         47          31            4,336       4,052       4,739       3,211     
     Pacific ...................    389      464        303         392           36,529      47,557      35,921      29,079     


     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              
                               May       March      April        May          May        March       April         May
                               1999       2000     2000(p)     2000(p)        1999        2000      2000(p)      2000(p)

    Total(1) ................ 1,032       986        924         984        102,738     106,748     101,359       92,193     

 Alabama ....................    16         3          7          20          1,904         394         561        2,065     
 Alaska .....................     4     ( 2 )      ( 2 )           -            296       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            -
 Arizona ....................    15        18         14           6          1,549       1,901       1,612          917     
 Arkansas ...................     7         4          4           6            630         291         622          613     
 California .................   348       418        269         358         33,020      43,357      33,018       26,068     
 Colorado ...................     8         5          3           7          1,328         503         312          669     
 Connecticut ................ ( 2 )     ( 2 )          3           5          ( 2 )       ( 2 )         236          473     
 Delaware ...................     -         -      ( 2 )       ( 2 )              -           -       ( 2 )        ( 2 )                                             
 District of Columbia .......     3     ( 2 )          -       ( 2 )            267       ( 2 )           -        ( 2 )
 Florida ....................    67        28         39          38          4,792       2,453       3,113        3,508     
 Georgia ....................    14        14          6           9          1,404       1,010         622          951     
 Hawaii .....................     6         4          6       ( 2 )            443         341         382        ( 2 )
 Idaho ......................     5         9          9           7            393         524         783          639     

 Illinois ...................    44        37         41          35          7,903       5,110       4,729        4,061     
 Indiana ....................     8         9         14          11            899         984       1,294        1,947     
 Iowa .......................    11         6         10           8          1,189         696         946          864     
 Kansas .....................     6         5          4           7            486       2,720         592          570     
 Kentucky ...................     4        13         14          11            334       1,280       1,190        2,587     
 Louisiana ..................    14        12          8          23          1,174         774         488        1,807     
 Maine ......................     5         4          4           4            332         954         339          290     
 Maryland ...................     6         3          3           3            426         199         251          291     
 Massachusetts ..............    17         6         17          10          1,498         903       2,424        1,078     
 Michigan ...................    40        24         18          39          4,067       3,690       1,526        4,038     
 Minnesota ..................     6        13          8           5            691       1,394       1,313          490     
 Mississippi ................     5         6          5          11            334         431         256          779     
 Missouri ...................    24        28         18          29          4,490       3,459       2,171        3,665     

 Montana .................... ( 2 )     ( 2 )          3           3          ( 2 )       ( 2 )         289          381     
 Nebraska ................... ( 2 )     ( 2 )          -       ( 2 )          ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -        ( 2 )
 Nevada .....................     6        11         12           7            480         974       1,322          523     
 New Hampshire .............. ( 2 )     ( 2 )          4       ( 2 )          ( 2 )       ( 2 )         335        ( 2 )
 New Jersey .................    14        22         46          30          1,368       1,955       4,869        3,325     
 New Mexico .................     4         -          4       ( 2 )            267           -         297        ( 2 )
 New York ...................     5         5         10          13            467         351         689        1,167     
 North Carolina .............     8        13         12          12            965       1,889       1,046        2,467     
 North Dakota ............... ( 2 )     ( 2 )          -       ( 2 )          ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -        ( 2 )
 Ohio .......................    32        28         40          20          3,857       3,104       4,645        1,770     
 Oklahoma ...................     7         5      ( 2 )           4            616         801       ( 2 )          500     
 Oregon .....................    18        29         18          24          1,814       2,908       1,751        2,232     
 Pennsylvania ...............    80        52         87          72          6,290       5,546       7,614        6,637     

 Rhode Island ...............     -         4          9       ( 2 )              -         341       1,417        ( 2 )
 South Carolina .............    22        20         16           6          2,146       1,992       2,239          631     
 South Dakota ...............     3         -          -           3            320          -           -           318     
 Tennessee ..................    16         5         11           7          1,474         354       1,364          774     
 Texas ......................    70        40         47          67          6,932       4,232       5,465        6,866     
 Utah ....................... ( 2 )     ( 2 )      ( 2 )           -          ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            -
 Vermont ....................     -         3          6           3              -         280         647          277     
 Virginia ...................    12        11         12          13          1,119       1,617       1,175        1,627     
 Washington .................    13        12          8           8            956         889         566          623     
 West Virginia ..............     -     ( 2 )          -       ( 2 )              -       ( 2 )           -        ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ..................    30        46         48          28          2,855       5,085       5,218        2,936     
 Wyoming ....................     -         -          -           -              -           -           -            -

 Puerto Rico ................     7         8         12           9            797         668       1,122          636     


    1  See footnote 1, table 2.                                              
    2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
    p  = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.