Technical information:     (202) 691-6392         USDL 01-156
http://www.bls.gov/mlshome.htm
                                                  For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                   691-5902         Thursday, May 31, 2001


                        MASS LAYOFFS IN APRIL 2001


   In April 2001, there were 1,445 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 175,064.  (See
table 1.)  In January 2001 through April 2001, the total number of events,
at 5,995, and initial claims, at 719,781, were higher than in January-April
2000 (4,889 and 535,327, respectively).
   
   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 lay-
offs.  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 demo-
graphics 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 defi-
nitions.
   
Industry Distribution
   
   In April 2001, manufacturing industries accounted for 42 percent of all
mass layoff events and 44 percent of all initial claims filed.  A year
earlier, layoffs in manufacturing accounted for 34 percent of events and
32 percent of initial claims.  Manufacturing industries with the highest
number of initial claimants were transportation equipment (12,583, mostly
in motor vehicles and car bodies), electronic and other electrical equip-
ment (11,552, largely in semiconductors), and industrial machinery and equip-
ment (11,312, primarily in farm machinery and equipment).  (See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 25 percent of events and 28 percent of initial
claims filed during the month.  Layoffs in services were highly concentrated
in business services (particularly in help supply services, which accounted
for 12 percent of the total number of initial claimants) and motion pictures.
Historically, these industries are more likely than most other industries to
lay off workers for fewer than 30 days.
   
   Ten percent of all layoff events and 9 percent of initial claims during
the month were in retail trade, mostly in general merchandise stores
(department stores) and in eating and drinking places.  Transportation and
public utilities accounted for 8 percent of events and 7 percent of initial
claims for the month, largely in local and interurban passenger transit
(school buses).  Four percent of events and 3 percent of initial claims
were in agriculture, primarily in agricultural services (farm labor
contractors).

                                  - 2 -

   Compared with April 2000, the largest increases in initial claims were
reported in business services (+15,699), followed by industrial machinery
and equipment (+9,613) and electronic and other electrical equipment
(+9,159).  The largest over-the-year decreases in initial claims occurred
in the wholesale trade of nondurable goods (-1,198) and in motion pictures
(-1,131).
   
Geographic Distribution
   
   In April, the West region reported the highest number of initial claims
due to mass layoffs (64,715), largely in business services and in motion
pictures.  (See table 3.)  These industries accounted for 40 percent of all
claimants in the West.  The Northeast region (25,656) continued to report
the lowest number of mass layoff-related initial claims.
   
   The Midwest reported the largest over-the-year increase in initial
claims (+29,743), followed by the West (+24,055), the South (+12,821), and
the Northeast (+7,086).  Each of the nine geographic divisions also
reported over-the-year increases in the number of initial claimants from
mass layoff actions, with the largest increase reported in the East North
Central (primarily in transportation equipment).
   
   Among the 49 states and the District of Columbia that reported data this
month, California reported the largest number of initial claims filed in
mass layoff events (51,022), mostly in business services and motion pictures,
followed by Ohio (12,674) and Pennsylvania (11,635).  These three states ac-
counted for 42 percent of all layoff events and 43 percent of all initial
claims for unemployment insurance.  (Montana did not report data because of
technical difficulties.)  (See table 4.)
   
   From April 2000 to April 2001, 39 states reported over-the-year increases
in initial claims.  California reported the largest increase ininitial claims
(+18,004), followed by Ohio (+8,029).  Ten states reported over-the-year
decreases in initial claims activity, led by New Jersey (-1,079).
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 1999 to April 2001

  
                                                          Extended mass layoffs 
                                                        lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                               
                              Total mass layoffs                                          Realization rates(1)
                                                                                           
                                                                                                
                                         Initial                          Initial                     Initial 
                              Events    claimants        Events          claimants        Events     claimants        


             1999

 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         65.4     

 July .......................  1,741      221,334     
 August .....................    698       75,691     
 September ..................    717       75,288     

 Third Quarter ..............  3,156      372,313         1,097           189,973          34.8         51.0     

 October ....................  1,098      118,938     
 November ...................  1,336      139,508     
 December ...................  1,509      162,381     

 Fourth Quarter .............  3,943      420,827         1,625           287,685          41.2         68.4     

             2000

 January ....................  1,934      223,322     
 February ...................  1,045      103,898     
 March ......................    986      106,748     

 First Quarter ..............  3,965      433,968         1,331        (r)221,534          33.6      (r)51.0

 April ......................    924      101,359     
 May ........................    984       92,193     
 June .......................  1,597      192,025     

 Second Quarter .............  3,505      385,577         1,272        (r)231,253          36.3      (r)60.0

 July .......................  1,333      164,978     
 August .....................    751       97,215     
 September ..................    936      106,842     

 Third Quarter ..............  3,020      369,035         1,014        (r)188,371          33.6      (r)51.0

 October ....................    874      103,755     
 November ...................  1,697      216,514     
 December ...................  2,677      326,743     

 Fourth Quarter .............  5,248      647,012      (r)2,005        (r)375,774       (r)38.2      (r)58.1

             2001

 January ....................  1,522      200,343     
 February....................  1,501      172,908     
 March (p)...................  1,527      171,466     

 First Quarter(p) ...........  4,550      544,717   (2)(p)1,664     (2)(p)244,000       (p)36.6      (p)44.8

 April(3)(p) ................  1,445      175,064     


    1 The event realization rate is the percentage of total mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days.  The
initial claimant realization rate is the percentage of total mass-layoff initial claimants associated with
layoffs lasting more than 30 days.
    2 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will increase as more data on these layoffs become available.
Recent experience suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by 
less than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40
percent.
    3 Data exclude Montana.
    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


                                                         April   February  March    April      April    February   March     April
                                                          2000     2001   2001(p)  2001(p)      2000      2001    2001(p)   2001(p)

      Total(1) ........................................    924    1,501    1,527    1,445     101,359   172,908   171,466   175,064     

 Total, private .......................................    894    1,474    1,493    1,413      98,620   170,185   168,095   171,494     

   Agriculture ........................................     58      190      120       62       5,296    13,998     9,868     6,043     
   Nonagriculture .....................................    822    1,269    1,358    1,348      91,818   154,424   156,466   164,871     
     Manufacturing ....................................    314      575      659      600      32,656    79,294    86,789    77,353     
       Durable goods ..................................    148      353      418      396      15,854    53,691    60,439    53,990     
         Lumber and wood products .....................     18       35       40       27       1,473     3,598     3,577     2,663     
         Furniture and fixtures .......................      8       24       26       18         720     2,358     2,610     2,044     
         Stone, clay, and glass products ..............     11        9       15       17         804       933       985     1,666     
         Primary metal industries .....................     18       43       49       39       2,175     5,109     7,502     5,770     
         Fabricated metal products ....................     17       54       47       45       1,743     5,416     4,958     4,391     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ...........     20       45       69       78       1,699     6,967     8,838    11,312     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ....     18       65       86       89       2,393     7,315    14,473    11,552     
         Transportation equipment .....................     27       66       62       63       4,092    21,138    15,216    12,583     
         Instruments and related products .............      5        6       14       16         274       483     1,414     1,407     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries .......      6        6       10        4         481       374       866       602     

       Nondurable goods ...............................    166      222      241      204      16,802    25,603    26,350    23,363     
         Food and kindred products ....................     75       78       80       66       8,209    10,034     7,565     7,320     
         Tobacco products .............................  ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        -       ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
         Textile mill products ........................     19       33       34       28       2,214     4,422     4,732     4,887     
         Apparel and other textile products ...........     33       29       35       33       2,855     2,730     4,706     2,972     
         Paper and allied products ....................     12       19       13       24         821     2,120     1,721     2,847     
         Printing and publishing ......................      8       14       14       11         623     1,386       949       921     
         Chemicals and allied products ................      3        9        7       12         157       779       732       910     
         Petroleum and coal products ..................  ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )       ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ...      9       33       48       24       1,131     3,250     4,629     2,907     
         Leather and leather products .................      4        3        6    ( 2 )         459       269       616     ( 2 )

     Nonmanufacturing .................................    508      694      699      748      59,162    75,130    69,677    87,518     
       Mining .........................................  ( 2 )        7    ( 2 )        4       ( 2 )     1,761     ( 2 )       266     
       Construction ...................................     71      134      140       70       5,878     9,991    10,499     6,002     
       Transportation and public utilities ............     76       52       76      111       9,103     4,720     7,446    11,950     
       Wholesale and retail trade .....................    114      164      173      172      11,652    16,690    18,917    18,026     
          Wholesale trade .............................     25       31       26       24       2,668     2,841     2,214     2,156     
          Retail trade ................................     89      133      147      148       8,984    13,849    16,703    15,870     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ............  ( 2 )       24    ( 2 )       25       ( 2 )     1,812     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
       Services .......................................    219      313      280      366      30,555    40,156    30,360    49,180     

   Not identified .....................................     14       15       15        3       1,506     1,763     1,761       580     

 Government ...........................................     30       27       34       32       2,739     2,723     3,371     3,570     
   Federal ............................................      9        7        7        9         676       665     1,136     1,069     
   State ..............................................      7        8       17        5         894       737     1,508       778     
   Local ..............................................     14       12       10       18       1,169     1,321       727     1,723     


   1 For April 2001, data were reported by the District of Columbia                          
 and all states, except Montana.                                                              
   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


                                  April     February    March       April          April     February     March       April
                                   2000       2001     2001(p)     2001(p)         2000        2001      2001(p)     2001(p)

         United States(1) .....     924      1,501      1,527       1,445        101,359     172,908     171,466     175,064     

 Northeast ....................     186        176        194         244         18,570      18,161      20,783      25,656     

     New England ..............      43         43         33          69          5,398       5,630       3,200       7,487     
     Middle Atlantic ..........     143        133        161         175         13,172      12,531      17,583      18,169     

 South ........................     187        271        317         305         19,695      36,098      39,088      32,516     

     South Atlantic ...........      89        131        148         131          9,492      17,355      16,715      15,156     
     East South Central .......      37         56         67          71          3,371       7,280       8,295       6,678     
     West South Central .......      61         84        102         103          6,832      11,463      14,078      10,682     

 Midwest ......................     201        320        368         361         22,434      45,891      48,470      52,177     

     East North Central .......     161        260        292         288         17,412      39,121      39,620      41,160     
     West North Central .......      40         60         76          73          5,022       6,770       8,850      11,017     

 West .........................     350        734        648         535         40,660      72,758      63,125      64,715     

     Mountain .................      47         51         64          61          4,739       5,124       6,422       6,592     
     Pacific ..................     303        683        584         474         35,921      67,634      56,703      58,123     


      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       

                                 April     February     March       April        April      February     March        April
                                  2000       2001      2001(p)     2001(p)        2000        2001      2001(p)      2001(p)

    Total(1) .................     924      1,501       1,527       1,445       101,359     172,908     171,466      175,064     

 Alabama .....................       7         15          10           9           561       2,072       1,075        1,020     
 Alaska ......................   ( 2 )      ( 2 )           -           4         ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -          404     
 Arizona .....................      14          7          20          21         1,612         553       2,136        2,848     
 Arkansas ....................       4          5           3           9           622         403         316        1,104     
 California ..................     269        635         522         413        33,018      62,791      48,576       51,022     
 Colorado ....................       3          4           5          13           312         321         460        1,234     
 Connecticut .................       3          5           3           6           236         758         172          511     
 Delaware ....................   ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -         ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            -
 District of Columbia ........       -      ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -             -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            -
 Florida .....................      39         47          59          43         3,113       3,954       5,160        3,553     
 Georgia .....................       6         17           8          14           622       1,673         646        1,207     
 Hawaii ......................       6      ( 2 )           3           5           382       ( 2 )         253          421     
 Idaho .......................       9         12          13          10           783       1,681       1,396          802     

 Illinois ....................      41         51          54          54         4,729       8,469       7,940        9,785     
 Indiana .....................      14         26          30          26         1,294       3,749       6,469        2,995     
 Iowa ........................      10         12          16          25           946       1,096       2,561        5,971     
 Kansas ......................       4          8           7           4           592         904         600          374     
 Kentucky ....................      14         23          34          31         1,190       3,587       5,303        3,388     
 Louisiana ...................       8         11          13           8           488         782       1,176          411     
 Maine .......................       4      ( 2 )           3           8           339       ( 2 )         392          633     
 Maryland ....................       3      ( 2 )           4       ( 2 )           251       ( 2 )         307        ( 2 )
 Massachusetts ...............      17         18          14          28         2,424       1,540       1,430        2,731     
 Michigan ....................      18         75          72          47         1,526      14,090       9,375        6,200     
 Minnesota ...................       8         13          19          19         1,313       2,362       2,325        2,124     
 Mississippi .................       5          6           8          15           256         457         773        1,087     
 Missouri ....................      18         23          31          19         2,171       2,054       3,086        2,109     

 Montana .....................       3      ( 2 )           3       ( 1 )           289       ( 2 )         215        ( 1 )
 Nebraska ....................       -      ( 2 )           -           3             -       ( 2 )           -          240     
 Nevada ......................      12         23          17           9         1,322       2,016       1,647        1,097     
 New Hampshire ...............       4          4           4          10           335         543         339        1,370     
 New Jersey ..................      46         24          21          38         4,869       2,349       2,086        3,790     
 New Mexico ..................       4          3       ( 2 )           4           297         229       ( 2 )          304     
 New York ....................      10         23          18          21           689       1,921       1,756        2,744     
 North Carolina ..............      12         22          19          25         1,046       2,357       2,104        3,086     
 North Dakota ................       -          -           -       ( 2 )             -           -           -        ( 2 )
 Ohio ........................      40         53          70          78         4,645       5,063       9,151       12,674     
 Oklahoma ....................   ( 2 )         10          10           7         ( 2 )       3,204       1,108        1,116     
 Oregon ......................      18         23          36          32         1,751       2,543       5,454        4,310     
 Pennsylvania ................      87         86         122         116         7,614       8,261      13,741       11,635     

 Rhode Island ................       9         11           5          12         1,417       2,185         536        1,726     
 South Carolina ..............      16         20          32          33         2,239       3,322       5,870        5,562     
 South Dakota ................       -          3           3       ( 2 )             -         235         278        ( 2 )
 Tennessee ...................      11         12          15          16         1,364       1,164       1,144        1,183     
 Texas .......................      47         58          76          79         5,465       7,074      11,478        8,051     
 Utah ........................   ( 2 )      ( 2 )           4           4         ( 2 )       ( 2 )         409          307     
 Vermont .....................       6          3           4           5           647         294         331          516     
 Virginia ....................      12         18          20          12         1,175       2,949       2,068        1,442     
 Washington ..................       8         22          23          20           566       2,041       2,420        1,966     
 West Virginia ...............       -      ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )             -       ( 2 )         275        ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ...................      48         55          66          83         5,218       7,750       6,685        9,506     
 Wyoming .....................       -          -       ( 2 )           -             -           -       ( 2 )            -

 Puerto Rico .................      12          8           7          15         1,122         490         806        1,670     


    1 See footnote 1, table 2.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
      NOTE:  Dash represents zero.