Technical information:   (202) 606-6396      USDL 96-440


Media contact:                 606-5902      For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
                                             Wednesday, October 23, 1996


                MASS LAYOFFS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1996


   The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that,
in April through June of 1996, there were 1,247 mass layoff actions by
employers, resulting in the separation of 226,449 workers from their jobs.
A year earlier, employers reported 1,670 layoff events and 385,644 laid-off
workers in the second quarter of 1995.  "Seasonal work" was the major
reason cited for the second quarter 1996 layoffs accounting for 37 percent
of the events and 41 percent of the separations.  "Slack work,"
"reorganization within the company," and "contract completion" were the
next most often-cited reasons and together accounted for 36 percent of the
events and 33 percent of the separations.  Closure of worksites occurred in
26 percent of all events and directly affected over 68,000 workers.
   
   The Mass Layoff Statistics program covers layoffs of at least 31 days
duration that involve 50 or more individuals from a single establishment
filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a consecutive 5-
week period.  Data for the second quarter of 1996 are preliminary and
subject to revision.  This release also includes revised data for the
previous four quarters.  Data are not seasonally adjusted, but earlier
surveys suggest that there is a seasonal pattern to these data.  Thus,
comparisons of the same quarter in different years can be used as an
indicator of trend, rather than comparisons of consecutive quarters.  When
sufficient years of data have been collected, BLS will examine the
feasibility of seasonally adjusting the mass layoff series.  Additional
information about the program is provided in the technical note that
follows the analysis.
   
Industry Distribution of Layoffs
   
   Layoffs in agriculture accounted for 8 percent of all events and 10
percent of all separations and occurred primarily in crop production and
farm labor contractors.  (See table 1.)  Manufacturing accounted for nearly
one-third of the events and one-fourth of all separations.  Layoffs in
durable goods industries were concentrated in transportation equipment,
industrial machinery, and electronic equipment.  In nondurable goods
industries, layoffs in food processing and apparel continued to dominate.
(See table 2.)

                                  - 2 -                   
     
     Table A.  Selected measures of mass layoff activity
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Period              |Layoff events|Separations |Initial claimants
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           1995              |              |            |
     April-Juner.............|      1,670   |  385,644   | 319,302
     July-Septemberr.........|        902   |  173,827   | 144,578
     October-Decemberr.......|      1,716   |  320,750   | 294,957
           1996              |              |            |
     January-Marchr..........|      1,350   |  249,783   | 213,253
     April-Junep.............|      1,247   |  226,449   | 139,390
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p=preliminary                               r=revised

   Nearly one-fourth of all separations and layoff events occurred in
services (largely in social services and help supply agencies).  Layoffs in
government accounted for an additional 10 percent of all separations,
mostly due to local government layoffs in elementary and secondary
education as the school year ended.
   
   Layoffs from business establishments in industries identified as
"defense related" totaled 4,057 workers in the second quarter.
   
Reasons for Layoff
   
   Over 40 percent of the separations in the second quarter were due to
"seasonal work."  These layoffs were most numerous among workers in
elementary and secondary schools, school bus drivers, farm labor
contractors, and child day care services.
   
   Excluding seasonal layoffs, "slack work" was the next most cited reason
for layoff and was most frequent in electrical equipment and apparel
manufacturing.  The largest number of separations due to internal company
restructuring ("business ownership change," "bankruptcy," "financial
difficulty," and "reorganization") occurred in business services, general
merchandise stores, and commercial banks.  (See table 3.)
   
Size of Layoff
   
   Layoff events during  the second quarter were concentrated in the lower
end of the size spectrum, with two-thirds of the layoff events and one-
third of all separations involving fewer than 150 workers.  (See table B.)
A year earlier, 39 percent of the separations were in layoffs of 500 or
more workers.  The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per
layoff event) ranged from 73 separations in membership organizations, such
as civic and social organizations, to 493 in air transportation.

                                  - 3 -   

Table B.  Distribution of layoff events by size of layoff, April-June 1996
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
              |   Layoff events     |     Separations
    Size      |-----------------------------------------------------------
              |Number   |  Percent  | Number    |   Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Total.......|1,247    |   100.0   | 226,449   |    100.0
              |         |           |           |
50-99.........|..534    |    42.8   |  39,190   |     17.3
100-149.......|..281    |    22.5   |  33,461   |     14.8
150-199.......|..117    |     9.4   |  19,617   |      8.7
200-299.......|..133    |    10.7   |  30,662   |     13.5
300-499.......|..118    |     9.5   |  43,113   |     19.0
500-999.......|.. 46    |     3.7   |  30,381   |     13.4
1,000 or more.|.. 18    |     1.4   |  30,025   |     13.3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Initial Claimant Characteristics

   A total of 139,390 initial claims for unemployment insurance were
related to mass layoffs in the second quarter of 1996, down sharply from
319,302 in the second quarter of 1995.  Of these claimants, 18 percent were
black, 51 percent were women, 16 percent were Hispanic, and 13 percent were
55 years of age or older. (See table 4.)  More than two out of five
claimants were between the ages of 30 to 44.  Among the civilian labor
force for the same period, 11 percent were black, 46 percent were women, 9
percent were Hispanic, and 12 percent were 55 years of age or older.
   
Geographic Distribution
   
   The largest number of worker separations occurred in California
(42,232), Texas (22,350), Florida (20,049), Ohio (15,416), Pennsylvania
(13,161), and Illinois (12,339).  These six states accounted for over half
of total separations (55 percent) and events (53 percent) during the second
quarter of 1996.  (See table 5.)  After excluding the substantial impact of
seasonal layoffs, California (26,647) still reported the most laid-off
workers.
   
   Over the year, 39 states and the District of Columbia reported that the
number of laid-off workers declined.  California reported the largest
decrease (35,270 workers), and Arizona reported the largest increase (4,146
workers).
   
Recall Expectations
   
   Almost two-thirds of the employers reporting a layoff in the second
quarter indicated that they anticipated some type of employer recall.  (See
table C.)  However, after excluding layoff events due to "seasonal work" 

                                  - 4 -

Table C.  Summary of employer expectations of a recall from
layoff, April-June 1996
--------------------------------------------------------------
        Nature of recall             |    Percentage of events
--------------------------------------------------------------
                                     |
Anticipate a recall..................|          62.6
                                     |
             Timeframe               |
                                     |
Within 6 months......................|          84.9
...Within 3 months...................|          52.4
                                     |
               Size                  |
                                     |
At least half........................|           1.8
...All workers.......................|          64.5
--------------------------------------------------------------


and "vacation period" (in which 95 percent of the employers expected a 
recall), employers' recall expectations dropped to about 40 percent.  
Among all employers expecting a recall, a substantial proportion of 
employers expected to recall over one-half of the separated
employees and to do so in the relatively near term.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------
 |                New Series on Mass Layoffs                     |
 |  The Bureau of Labor Statistics will begin issuing a new      |
 |monthly series on mass layoffs in November 1996.  The new      |
 |series will cover mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning |
 |in a given month, regardless of the duration.  Information on  |
 |the length of the layoff will be obtained later for the        |
 |quarterly series, which includes only mass layoffs lasting     |
 |more than 30 days and more information on the establishment    |
 |classification and location and on the demographics of the     |
 |laid-off workers.  The new monthly series will give users an   |
 |initial idea of the pattern of mass layoffs prior to the more  |
 |detailed quarterly release.                                    |
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                  - 5 -
   
Technical Note


   The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program
which 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.  Establishments which have at
least 50 initial claims filed against them during a consecutive 5-week
period are contacted by the state agency to determine whether these
separations are of at least 31 days duration, and, if so, information is
obtained on the total number of persons separated and the reasons for these
separations.  Establishments are identified according to industry
classification and location, and unemployment insurance claimants are
identified by such demographic factors as age, race, sex, ethnic group, and
place of residence.  The program yields information on an individual's
entire spell of unemployment, to the point when regular unemployment
insurance benefits are exhausted.
   
   The MLS program was resumed in April 1995; it had been terminated in
November 1992 due to lack of funding.  However, due to changes in concepts
and definitions, data from the resumed program are not comparable to
earlier data.
   
   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
   
   Defense-related industries.  Industries that have been identified as
vulnerable to Department of Defense budget reductions and the elimination
of defense weapons systems.  "Ordnance and accessories," "aircraft and
parts," "shipbuilding and repairing," "guided missiles and space vehicles,"
"tanks and tank components," and "search and navigation equipment"
industries have been identified as defense-related industries based on
analysis that at least 50 percent of industry output was consumed by the
U.S. Department of Defense.
   
   Establishment.  A unit at a single physical location at which
predominantly one type of economic activity is conducted.
   
   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.
   
   Layoff.  The separation of persons from an employer as part of a mass
layoff event.  (See below.) Such layoffs involve both persons subject to
recall and those who are terminated by the establishment.
   
   Layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment insurance
benefits from an establishment during a 5-week period, with at least 50
workers separated for more than 30 days.
   
   Worksite closure.  The full closure of either multi-unit or single-unit
establishments or the partial closure of a multi-unit establishment where
entire worksites affected by layoffs are closed or planned to be closed.
Table 1. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
first and second quarters, 1996
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                           Initial      
                                                                    Layoff                                claimants     
                                            Establishments          events           Separations             for        
                                                                                                         unemployment   
                Industry                                                                                  insurance     
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                              I        II         I        II        I         II        I         II   
                                            1996r     1996p     1996r     1996p    1996r     1996p     1996r     1996p  
                                                                                                                        
       Total(1).........................    1,344     1,239     1,350     1,247   249,783   226,449   213,253   139,390 
                                                                                                                        
  Total, private........................    1,316     1,135     1,322     1,142   244,146   203,361   208,354   127,483 
                                                                                                                        
Agriculture.............................      112        92       113        96    19,355    23,313    17,384    10,262 
Nonagriculture..........................    1,193     1,034     1,198     1,037   222,924   178,595   189,167   116,299 
  Manufacturing.........................      552       369       555       370    96,627    57,529    88,699    42,485 
    Durable goods.......................      284       181       286       182    50,098    28,965    47,786    21,633 
    Nondurable goods....................      268       188       269       188    45,719    28,564    40,913    20,852 
                                                                                                                        
  Nonmanufacturing......................      641       665       643       667   126,297   121,066   100,468    73,814 
    Mining..............................       19         4        19         4     2,359       586     1,669       609 
    Construction........................      177        81       177        81    21,387    11,445    19,059     7,417 
    Transportation and public utilities.       60        85        60        85    12,109    17,414     9,556    11,298 
    Wholesale and retail trade..........      204       160       206       160    50,630    26,204    40,687    17,468 
      Wholesale trade...................       36        28        36        28     5,191     3,813     4,679     2,362 
      Retail trade......................      168       132       170       132    45,439    22,391    36,008    15,106 
    Finance, insurance, and real estate.       29        35        29        35     5,539     7,125     4,940     4,229 
    Services............................      152       300       152       302    34,273    58,292    24,557    32,793 
                                                                                                                        
Not identified..........................       11         9        11         9     1,867     1,453     1,803       922 
                                                                                                                        
  Government............................       28       104        28       105     5,637    23,088     4,899    11,907 
    Federal.............................       11        14        11        14     3,546     2,425     2,371     2,205 
    State...............................        6        21         6        21       797     3,016       760     2,724 
    Local...............................       11        69        11        70     1,294    17,647     1,768     6,978 

  1 Data on layoffs were reported by employers in the District of
Columbia and all states, except Michigan and Mississippi.
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.
Table 2. Manufacturing: Mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
first and second quarters, 1996
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                           Initial      
                                                                                                          claimants     
                                            Establishments      Layoff events        Separations             for        
                                                                                                         unemployment   
                Industry                                                                                  insurance     
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                              I        II         I        II        I         II        I         II   
                                            1996r     1996p     1996r     1996p    1996r     1996p     1996r     1996p  
                                                                                                                        
  Total manufacturing(1)................      552       369       555       370    96,627    57,529    88,699    42,485 
                                                                                                                        
Durable goods...........................      284       181       286       182    50,908    28,965    47,786    21,633 
  Lumber and wood products..............       37         6        37         6     6,348       576     6,533       414 
  Furniture and fixtures................       17        15        17        15     2,334     2,389     2,237     1,119 
  Stone, clay, and glass products.......       26         9        26         9     3,218     1,334     3,334       846 
  Primary metal industries..............       18        15        18        15     2,811     1,848     2,804     1,594 
  Fabricated metal products.............       31        24        31        25     3,613     3,356     4,672     2,649 
  Industrial machinery and equipment....       32        28        33        28    10,015     6,074     4,176     4,976 
  Electronic and other electrical                                                                                       
   equipment............................       52        38        52        38     7,971     5,540     8,115     4,879 
  Transportation equipment..............       51        30        52        30    11,372     6,219    13,378     3,732 
  Instruments and related products......       11        10        11        10     1,367     1,183     1,507       991 
  Miscellaneous manufacturing industries        9         6         9         6     1,859       446     1,030       433 
                                                                                                                        
Nondurable goods........................      268       188       269       188    45,719    28,564    40,913    20,852 
  Food and kindred products.............      100        60       100        60    16,601    11,163    14,561     7,609 
  Tobacco products......................        6     (2)           6     (2)       1,223     (2)         914     (2)   
  Textile mill products.................       18        16        18        16     4,521     2,643     4,055     2,198 
  Apparel and other textile products....       68        43        68        43    11,549     6,035    10,275     4,166 
  Paper and allied products.............       17        13        17        13     1,544     2,016     2,395     1,615 
  Printing and publishing...............       20        18        21        18     4,663     1,777     3,583     1,531 
  Chemicals and allied products.........       11         9        11         9     2,000     1,205     1,480       848 
  Petroleum and coal products...........        5     (2)           5     (2)       1,058     (2)       1,013     (2)   
  Rubber and miscellaneous plastics                                                                                     
   products.............................       14        12        14        12     1,371     1,112     1,409     1,047 
  Leather and leather products..........        9        10         9        10     1,189     1,237     1,228       925 

  1 See footnote 1, table 1.
  2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.
Table 3. Reason for separation: Mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, first and second quarters, 1996
                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                
                                              Layoff events            Separations        Initial claimants for 
                                                                                          unemployment insurance
         Reason for separation                                                                                  
                                                                                                                
                                              I           II          I           II          I           II    
                                            1996r       1996p       1996r       1996p       1996r       1996p   
                                                                                                                
  Total, all reasons(1).................     1,350       1,247     249,783     226,449     213,253     139,390  
                                                                                                                
Automation..............................         5           3         922       1,334         726       1,215  
Bankruptcy..............................        49          22       7,568       5,151       5,864       2,175  
Business ownership change...............        56          29      15,185       6,840      11,526       3,177  
Contract cancellation...................        24          18       4,523       3,473       2,690       2,166  
Contract completed......................       104         137      20,512      26,989      18,649      17,504  
Domestic relocation.....................        17          13       2,879       1,435       2,120       1,195  
Financial difficulty....................        49          52      10,245       9,739       9,243       6,848  
Import competition......................        20          14       4,347       2,683       2,713       1,505  
Labor dispute...........................         9           4       2,515       2,630       2,878         650  
Material shortage.......................         6           6         871         428         613         524  
Natural disaster........................         5           3       1,216       1,177         747         234  
                                                                                                                
Overseas relocation.....................         5           7         681       1,010         825         583  
Plant or machine repairs................         4           5         618         470         590         363  
Product line discontinued...............        11           7       1,506       1,193       1,175         903  
Reorganization within company...........       169         138      37,357      25,687      28,178      17,086  
Seasonal work...........................       399         462      77,235      93,448      57,971      48,051  
Slack work..............................       233         176      33,085      21,012      40,613      19,650  
Vacation period.........................         3          48         268       6,196         228       4,263  
Weather-related.........................        50        -          5,213        -          5,250        -     
Other...................................        79          50      13,926       9,319      11,187       5,580  
Not reported............................        53          53       9,111       6,235       9,467       5,718  

  1 See footnote 1, table 1.
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 4. State and selected claimant characteristics: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment
insurance, first and second quarters, 1996
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                Percent of total                       
                           Layoff       Total initial                                                                  
                           events         claimants                                                                    
                                                             Black          Hispanic         Women       Persons age 55
        State                                                                Origin                         and over   
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                       
                         I       II       I       II       I       II      I       II      I       II      I       II  
                       1996r   1996p    1996r    1996p   1996r   1996p   1996r   1996p   1996r   1996p   1996r   1996p 
                                                                                                                       
    Total(1).........   1,350   1,247  213,253  139,390   13.6    18.3    17.9    16.0    42.4    51.4    12.2    13.3 
                                                                                                                       
Alabama..............       7      17      812    1,362   38.9    57.0      .4     1.2    53.4    58.7    10.5    10.6 
Alaska...............       4       6      375      820     .8     2.0     1.6     9.4    14.1    38.4     6.4    12.0 
Arizona..............      13      40    2,658    4,984     .5     1.3    79.6    68.1    22.6    36.8    11.1     9.7 
Arkansas.............       6      12      746      860   31.0    40.9     -        .2    39.3    73.7     9.8    13.3 
California...........     274     207   51,590   25,107    6.5     8.5    46.5    39.6    44.2    45.3    11.2    11.5 
Colorado.............      16      14    2,108    1,478    5.3     5.9    18.3    19.0    34.6    60.2    13.9    10.2 
Connecticut..........      10       7    1,876      882   20.3    11.7     4.7     3.9    55.5    79.1    15.1    15.3 
Delaware.............   (2)     (2)      (2)      (2)     20.3    31.9     1.7     6.0    71.2    94.0    11.9    28.4 
District of Columbia.    -       -        -        -       -       -       -       -       -       -       -       -   
Florida..............      47     103    7,433    8,700   19.2    27.9    23.4    22.0    43.8    50.5    16.8    16.8 
Georgia..............      23      35    2,619    3,912   52.4    59.5      .6     1.1    54.0    75.4    11.4    10.9 
Hawaii...............      10       4    1,065      277    1.6     -        .8     1.4    31.3    42.6    19.8    22.7 
Idaho................      12       9    1,310      542     .5     -      19.9     5.7    35.3    57.7    11.6    10.1 
                                                                                                                       
Illinois.............     113      79   16,533    9,269   19.0    22.9     9.5     6.5    34.5    44.7    12.9    13.2 
Indiana..............      42      14    5,143    1,427    7.2    10.9     4.9     2.9    33.5    40.6     8.8    12.5 
Iowa.................       5       3      860    1,218     .3     4.6     -      21.9    62.4    36.0    13.5     6.5 
Kansas...............      14       9    1,424      770   16.9    21.2     8.8     4.3    51.5    57.0    11.0     9.2 
Kentucky.............   (2)         3    (2)        209    7.7    22.5     -       -      44.2    57.4    32.7     5.7 
Louisiana............      13      19    1,989    1,432   44.4    62.9     3.2      .6    27.9    60.6     8.8    10.0 
Maine................      11       9    1,783    1,407     .3     -        .1      .1    50.9    54.5     9.6    11.4 
Maryland.............      35      12    4,063    1,139   31.7    45.9     1.2     1.8    45.3    65.7    15.1    13.5 
Massachusetts........      24      50    4,530    5,665    7.2    12.1     9.3     7.2    52.4    59.0    14.3    20.8 
Michigan.............      35   (1)      4,237    (1)     11.6    (1)      3.0    (1)     40.6    (1)     11.2    (1)  
Minnesota............      21      21    3,109    2,146    1.2     5.7     2.1     5.0    29.4    47.5    11.1    12.6 
Mississippi..........      12   (1)      1,305    (1)     43.2    (1)       .1    (1)     49.7    (1)      9.9    (1)  
Missouri.............      42      40    4,671    4,915   12.4    31.5      .5      .7    47.4    73.0    11.6    17.3 
                                                                                                                       
Montana..............       4       8      288      537     .3      .4     4.2     1.5    13.2    58.5    12.8    19.7 
Nebraska.............   (2)     (2)      (2)      (2)      -       -       -       7.5    18.8    24.5    18.8     -   
Nevada...............       8       5    1,018      443    2.8    22.3    12.3    12.9    26.1    36.8    10.8     9.0 
New Hampshire........   (2)     (2)      (2)      (2)      -       3.3     -       -      32.6    13.3    21.2     1.7 
New Jersey...........      62      49    9,144    5,172   21.0    20.5    18.2    18.0    45.7    63.1    18.5    23.2 
New Mexico...........    -      (2)       -       (2)      -        .9     -      24.6     -      81.3     -       8.0 
New York.............      32      24    3,784    2,607    9.0    12.9     6.9     4.8    42.0    60.8    13.6    14.7 
North Carolina.......      35      22    5,248    2,610   51.0    59.6     1.0      .8    61.9    61.3    15.1    12.6 
North Dakota.........    -       -        -        -       -       -       -       -       -       -       -       -   
Ohio.................      85      76   16,769    8,018   11.6    16.4     1.7     2.4    37.6    53.9     9.9    10.1 
Oklahoma.............   (2)     (2)      (2)      (2)     15.5     7.9     2.6     1.4    56.0    46.8     4.1    11.5 
Oregon...............       6       4      497      369    2.2     6.5    19.5     1.6    32.2    57.2    11.3    10.6 
Pennsylvania.........     112     127   18,649   15,057    6.7    10.1     1.6     1.6    35.2    52.3    15.5    16.7 
                                                                                                                       
Rhode Island.........   (2)         5    (2)        540    7.6     5.4    15.2    12.4    36.3    30.7    12.9    17.8 
South Carolina.......      23      27    5,339    3,317   43.5    57.4      .3      .2    57.4    64.1     2.1     2.8 
South Dakota.........   (2)      -       (2)       -       -       -       2.7     -      68.1     -      16.2     -   
Tennessee............      23      22    3,271    2,100   16.4    21.9      .5     1.0    57.7    57.9    13.1    16.7 
Texas................      60      72    9,252    9,694   13.1    12.4    39.5    30.8    49.8    34.4     9.5    11.4 
Utah.................   (2)     (2)      (2)      (2)      1.4     -      11.6     5.3    20.3    35.1     3.6     3.5 
Vermont..............    -          9     -         911    -       -       -        .2     -      42.8     -       6.8 
Virginia.............      16      18    2,921    2,517   30.3    27.3      .2      .2    36.2    52.3     9.4    10.1 
Washington...........      14      17    1,666    1,884    2.7     3.6     7.9     9.2    41.2    46.4    12.2     9.0 
West Virginia........       9       6      787      491    2.9     5.3     -       -      35.2    39.7     9.8    13.4 
Wisconsin............      59      34   11,151    3,953    4.2    15.2     2.4     4.3    41.3    48.9    12.8    14.0 
Wyoming..............    -       -        -        -       -       -       -       -       -       -       -       -   
                                                                                                                       
Puerto Rico..........       7       8      982    1,059   (3)     (3)     (3)     (3)     54.5    33.3     6.0    11.7 

  1  See footnote 1, table 1.
  2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
  3  Data are not available.
  r  = revised.
  p  = preliminary.
  NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 5. State distribution: Mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, first
and second quarters, 1996
                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                     
                           Establishments          Layoff events            Separations        Initial claimants for 
                                                                                               unemployment insurance
        State                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                     
                           I           II          I           II          I           II          I           II    
                         1996r       1996p       1996r       1996p       1996r       1996p       1996r       1996p   
                                                                                                                     
    Total(1).........     1,344       1,239       1,350       1,247     249,783     226,449     213,253     139,390  
                                                                                                                     
Alabama..............         7          17           7          17       1,624       4,805         812       1,362  
Alaska...............         4           6           4           6         994       2,253         375         820  
Arizona..............        13          39          13          40       3,573       9,059       2,658       4,984  
Arkansas.............         6          12           6          12         799       1,213         746         860  
California...........       273         202         274         207      55,982      42,232      51,590      25,107  
Colorado.............        16          14          16          14       5,159       3,533       2,108       1,478  
Connecticut..........        10           7          10           7       2,674       1,086       1,876         882  
Delaware.............     (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)    
District of Columbia.      -           -           -           -           -           -           -           -     
Florida..............        47         103          47         103      14,018      20,049       7,433       8,700  
Georgia..............        23          35          23          35       3,187       7,335       2,619       3,912  
Hawaii...............        10           4          10           4       1,053         451       1,065         277  
Idaho................        12           9          12           9       1,859       1,230       1,310         542  
                                                                                                                     
Illinois.............       113          78         113          79      15,767      12,339      16,533       9,269  
Indiana..............        41          14          42          14       5,040       1,427       5,143       1,427  
Iowa.................         5           3           5           3         815       1,597         860       1,218  
Kansas...............        14           9          14           9       1,843         788       1,424         770  
Kentucky.............     (2)             3       (2)             3       (2)           681       (2)           209  
Louisiana............        13          19          13          19       1,474       3,824       1,989       1,432  
Maine................        11           9          11           9       4,620       2,015       1,783       1,407  
Maryland.............        33          12          35          12       2,477       1,194       4,063       1,139  
Massachusetts........        24          50          24          50       4,584       6,574       4,530       5,665  
Michigan.............        35       (1)            35       (1)         4,461       (1)         4,237       (1)    
Minnesota............        21          21          21          21       3,214       3,288       3,109       2,146  
Mississippi..........        12       (1)            12       (1)         1,782       (1)         1,305       (1)    
Missouri.............        42          40          42          40       5,198       5,367       4,671       4,915  
                                                                                                                     
Montana..............         4           8           4           8         289       1,020         288         537  
Nebraska.............     (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)    
Nevada...............         8           5           8           5         956         580       1,018         443  
New Hampshire........     (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)    
New Jersey...........        62          49          62          49      11,730       8,402       9,144       5,172  
New Mexico...........      -          (2)          -          (2)          -          (2)          -          (2)    
New York.............        32          24          32          24       5,768       4,673       3,784       2,607  
North Carolina.......        35          22          35          22       8,484       4,527       5,248       2,610  
North Dakota.........      -           -           -           -           -           -           -           -     
Ohio.................        85          76          85          76      19,165      15,416      16,769       8,018  
Oklahoma.............     (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)    
Oregon...............         6           4           6           4       1,134         523         497         369  
Pennsylvania.........       112         127         112         127      15,281      13,161      18,649      15,057  
                                                                                                                     
Rhode Island.........     (2)             5       (2)             5       (2)           618       (2)           540  
South Carolina.......        23          27          23          27       5,502       4,410       5,339       3,317  
South Dakota.........     (2)          -          (2)          -          (2)          -          (2)          -     
Tennessee............        23          22          23          22       3,903       3,311       3,271       2,100  
Texas................        58          71          60          72      16,837      22,350       9,252       9,694  
Utah.................     (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)         (2)    
Vermont..............      -              9        -              9        -          3,205        -            911  
Virginia.............        16          18          16          18       2,024       2,749       2,921       2,517  
Washington...........        14          17          14          17       1,866       2,257       1,666       1,884  
West Virginia........         9           6           9           6       1,015         491         787         491  
Wisconsin............        59          34          59          34      12,149       4,845      11,151       3,953  
Wyoming..............      -           -           -           -           -           -           -           -     
                                                                                                                     
Puerto Rico..........         7           8           7           8         662       1,059         982       1,059  

  1 See footnote 1, table 1.
  2 Data do not meet BLS or State agency disclosure standards.
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE: Dash represents zero.