Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6392    USDL 00-171

                                          For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902    Tuesday, June 13, 2000

                                     
                        MASS LAYOFFS IN APRIL 2000

   In April 2000, there were 924 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 101,359.  Both
the number of layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
were the lowest for April since data collection for this program
began in April 1995.  (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
establishment and on the demographics of the laid-off workers.  Because
monthly figures include short-term layoffs of 30 days or less, the sum of
the figures for the 3 months in a quarter will be higher than the quarterly
figure for mass layoffs of more than 30 days.  (See table 1.)  See the
Technical Note for more detailed definitions.
   
Industry Distribution
   
   In April 2000, manufacturing industries accounted for 34 percent of all
mass layoff events and 32 percent of all initial claims filed.  Manufacturing
industries that had the highest numbers of initial claimants were food and
kindred products (8,209), primarily in canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
and in canned and frozen specialties; and transportation equipment (4,092),
mostly in motor vehicles and car bodies and in aircraft.  (See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 24 percent of all layoffs and 30 percent of
initial claimants during the month, mainly in business services (especially
help supply services) and motion pictures.  Layoffs in these two industries,
however, are more likely than those in most other industries to last less
than 30 days.  Retail trade accounted for 10 percent of all layoff events and
9 percent of initial claimants during the month, mostly in eating and drinking
places and general merchandise stores.  Transportation and public utilities
accounted for 8 percent of all mass layoff events and 9 percent of initial
claimants during the month, largely in local and interurban passenger transit.
   
   Compared with April 1999, the largest over-the-year decreases in initial
claims occurred in industrial machinery and equipment (-7,790), food and
kindred products (-3,747), and apparel and other textile products (-3,000).
The largest increases in initial claims occurred in motion pictures (+3,044)
and business services (+1,712).

                                  - 2 - 

Geographic Distribution
   
   In April, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher
in the West (40,660) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  Layoffs in
business services, motion pictures, and agricultural services accounted for
52 percent of the claims in the West.  The fewest number of mass-layoff
initial claims continued to be reported in the Northeast region (18,570).
   
   Over-the-year decreases in mass layoff-related initial claims were
reported in all four regions: the Midwest (-12,938), South (-11,083), West
(-6,691), and Northeast (-4,814).  Among the geographic divisions, lower
levels of initial claims over the year were reported mainly in the East
North Central and South Atlantic.  Eight of the nine divisions reported
over-the-year decreases.
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia reporting data for
April, California had the largest number of initial claims filed in mass
layoff events (33,018), primarily in motion pictures, business services,
and agricultural services, followed by Pennsylvania (7,614), Texas (5,465),
and Wisconsin (5,218).  California accounted for 29 percent of all layoff
events and 33 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance.
(See table 4.)
   
   From April 1999 to April 2000, Texas reported the largest over-the-year
decrease in initial claims (-4,720), mostly in oil and gas extraction and
in heavy construction.  Among the 10 states that reported over-the-year
increases in initial claims, Tennessee had the largest (+1,313), mostly in
transportation 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 April 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 ......................   1,368        144,343     
 December ......................   1,776        207,661     

 Fourth Quarter ................   4,697        512,834          1,734(r)     325,990(r)        36.9(r)

              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(r)        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(r)     242,351(r)        42.0     

 July ..........................   1,741        221,334     
 August ........................     698         75,691     
 September .....................     717         75,288     

 Third Quarter .................   3,156        372,313          1,097(r)     189,732(r)        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(r)     286,538(r)        41.2(r)

              2000

 January .......................   1,934        223,322     
 February ......................   1,045        103,898     
 March(p) ......................     986        106,748     

 First Quarter(p)...............   3,965        433,968          1,268        175,233           32.0     

 April(p) ......................     924        101,359  


  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
                                                       April February  March     April      April     February    March      April
                                                        1999   2000   2000(p)   2000(p)      1999       2000     2000(p)    2000(p)

      Total(1) ....................................... 1,270   1,045     986      924      136,885    103,898    106,748    101,359     

 Total, private ...................................... 1,216   1,022     958      894      132,699    101,817    104,069     98,620     

   Agriculture .......................................   116     245     131       58        8,420     20,938     11,530      5,296     
   Nonagriculture .................................... 1,070     769     812      822      120,103     80,212     90,412     91,818     
     Manufacturing ...................................   445     260     327      314       56,080     29,907     37,624     32,656     
       Durable goods .................................   196     125     163      148       27,623     16,945     19,238     15,854     
         Lumber and wood products ....................    14      18      33       18          888      2,198      3,252      1,473     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................     6      10      13        8          671        856      1,060        720     
         Stone, clay, and glass products .............     6       7      10       11          421        382        716        804     
         Primary metal industries ....................    26       8       5       18        2,663        663        708      2,175     
         Fabricated metal products ...................    20      21      21       17        1,775      1,892      2,453      1,743     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........    36      17      26       20        9,489      1,724      3,089      1,699     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...    39      16      17       18        4,952      1,366      1,478      2,393     
         Transportation equipment ....................    34      23      24       27        5,384      7,438      5,293      4,092     
         Instruments and related products ............    10       5       7        5          840        426        426        274     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......     5       -       7        6          540          -        763        481     

       Nondurable goods ..............................   249     135     164      166       28,457     12,962     18,386     16,802     
         Food and kindred products ...................   106      73      73       75       11,956      6,490      8,713      8,209     
         Tobacco products ............................ ( 2 )   ( 2 )       5    ( 2 )        ( 2 )      ( 2 )      1,168      ( 2 )
         Textile mill products .......................    34       9      11       19        4,694      1,502      1,498      2,214     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........    48      21      33       33        5,855      2,342      2,561      2,855     
         Paper and allied products ...................    16       5      12       12        1,381        317        823        821     
         Printing and publishing .....................    18       6       9        8        1,809        490        808        623     
         Chemicals and allied products ...............     7       7       6        3          623        508      1,461        157     
         Petroleum and coal products ................. ( 2 )   ( 2 )   ( 2 )    ( 2 )        ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..     9       8      11        9          878        599      1,076      1,131     
         Leather and leather products ................     7   ( 2 )   ( 2 )        4          711      ( 2 )      ( 2 )        459     

     Nonmanufacturing ................................   625     509     485      508       64,023     50,305     52,788     59,162     
       Mining ........................................    21       8       5    ( 2 )        2,469        726        338      ( 2 )
       Construction ..................................   101     156      86       71        9,076     12,045      6,003      5,878     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........    83      31      44       76        9,682      2,957      5,414      9,103     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................   145     114     138      114       14,259     10,081     14,755     11,652     
          Wholesale trade ............................    34      26      29       25        3,282      2,054      3,346      2,668     
          Retail trade ...............................   111      88     109       89       10,977      8,027     11,409      8,984     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........    33      25      21    ( 2 )        2,444      1,510      2,032      ( 2 )
       Services ......................................   242     175     191      219       26,093     22,986     24,246     30,555     

   Not identified ....................................    30       8      15       14        4,176        667      2,127      1,506     

 Government ..........................................    54      23      28       30        4,186      2,081      2,679      2,739     
   Federal ...........................................    11       4       4        9          967        242        606        676     
   State .............................................    19      12      12        7        1,694      1,120      1,112        894     
   Local .............................................    24       7      12       14        1,525        719        961      1,169     


   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

                                       April     February    March       April        April     February      March       April
                                        1999       2000     2000(p)     2000(p)        1999       2000       2000(p)     2000(p)

         United States(1) ...........  1,270      1,045        986        924        136,885     103,898     106,748     101,359     

 Northeast ..........................    218        100         99        186         23,384       8,920      10,686      18,570     

     New England ....................     43         14         20         43          5,507       1,665       2,834       5,398     
     Middle Atlantic ................    175         86         79        143         17,877       7,255       7,852      13,172     

 South ..............................    245        135        179        187         30,778      12,418      17,976      19,695     

     South Atlantic .................    113         58         91         89         16,071       5,754       9,419       9,492     
     East South Central .............     24         28         27         37          2,260       2,433       2,459       3,371     
     West South Central .............    108         49         61         61         12,447       4,231       6,098       6,832     

 Midwest ............................    271        127        199        201         35,372      12,971      26,477      22,434     

     East North Central .............    215        101        144        161         26,535      10,046      17,973      17,412     
     West North Central .............     56         26         55         40          8,837       2,925       8,504       5,022     

 West ...............................    536        683        509        350         47,351      69,589      51,609      40,660     

     Mountain .......................     62         34         45         47          7,401       3,237       4,052       4,739     
     Pacific ........................    474        649        464        303         39,950      66,352      47,557      35,921     


      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
                                   1999        2000      2000(p)     2000(p)          1999       2000        2000(p)      2000(p)

    Total(1) ...................  1,270       1,045         986         924        136,885      103,898      106,748      101,359     

 Alabama .......................      7           8           3           7            641          777          394          561     
 Alaska ........................      6       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            778        ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 Arizona .......................     19           4          18          14          2,698          381        1,901        1,612     
 Arkansas ......................      6       ( 2 )           4           4            730        ( 2 )          291          622     
 California ....................    416         627         418         269         33,453       60,111       43,357       33,018     
 Colorado ......................      8           3           5           3            670          286          503          312     
 Connecticut ...................      6           -       ( 2 )           3            478            -        ( 2 )          236     
 Delaware ......................  ( 2 )           -           -       ( 2 )          ( 2 )            -            -        ( 2 )
 District of Columbia ..........      -           -       ( 2 )           -              -            -        ( 2 )            -
 Florida .......................     39          15          28          39          3,777        1,038        2,453        3,113     
 Georgia .......................     10          10          14           6          1,387        1,390        1,010          622     
 Hawaii ........................      8       ( 2 )           4           6            615        ( 2 )          341          382     
 Idaho .........................     11          11           9           9          1,783        1,192          524          783     

 Illinois ......................     47          22          37          41          6,599        2,330        5,110        4,729     
 Indiana .......................     15          15           9          14          1,759        1,467          984        1,294     
 Iowa ..........................     14           6           6          10          2,545          555          696          946     
 Kansas ........................      7           4           5           4          1,147          301        2,720          592     
 Kentucky ......................      9          10          13          14            969          836        1,280        1,190     
 Louisiana .....................     11           5          12           8            872          242          774          488     
 Maine .........................      5       ( 2 )           4           4            587        ( 2 )          954          339     
 Maryland ......................      5           4           3           3            345          254          199          251     
 Massachusetts .................     23           7           6          17          2,920          580          903        2,424     
 Michigan ......................     35          20          24          18          3,371        1,805        3,690        1,526     
 Minnesota .....................      9       ( 2 )          13           8          1,442        ( 2 )        1,394        1,313     
 Mississippi ...................      7           6           6           5            599          468          431          256     
 Missouri ......................     23          14          28          18          3,481        1,888        3,459        2,171     

 Montana .......................      -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3              -        ( 2 )        ( 2 )          289     
 Nebraska ......................  ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           -          ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )            -
 Nevada ........................     19          10          11          12          1,853          923          974        1,322     
 New Hampshire .................  ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           4          ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )          335     
 New Jersey ....................     45          25          22          46          4,816        2,489        1,955        4,869     
 New Mexico ....................  ( 2 )       ( 2 )           -           4          ( 2 )        ( 2 )            -          297     
 New York ......................     25           9           5          10          2,676          671          351          689     
 North Carolina ................     10          10          13          12          1,922          882        1,889        1,046     
 North Dakota ..................  ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           -          ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )            -
 Ohio ..........................     47          18          28          40          5,691        1,604        3,104        4,645     
 Oklahoma ......................      7           6           5       ( 2 )            660          652          801        ( 2 )
 Oregon ........................     15          12          29          18          1,309        1,029        2,908        1,751     
 Pennsylvania ..................    105          52          52          87         10,385        4,095        5,546        7,614     

 Rhode Island ..................      7           5           4           9          1,331          928          341        1,417     
 South Carolina ................     34           8          20          16          5,937        1,203        1,992        2,239     
 South Dakota ..................  ( 2 )           -           -           -          ( 2 )            -            -            -
 Tennessee .....................  ( 2 )           4           5          11          ( 2 )          352          354        1,364     
 Texas .........................     84          37          40          47         10,185        3,216        4,232        5,465     
 Utah ..........................      4           4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )            304          320        ( 2 )        ( 2 )
 Vermont .......................      -           -           3           6              -            -          280          647     
 Virginia ......................     12           7          11          12          1,970          504        1,617        1,175     
 Washington ....................     29           7          12           8          3,795        4,994          889          566     
 West Virginia .................  ( 2 )           4       ( 2 )           -          ( 2 )          483        ( 2 )            -
 Wisconsin .....................     71          26          46          48          9,115        2,840        5,085        5,218     
 Wyoming .......................      -           -           -           -              -            -            -            -

 Puerto Rico ...................     10          13           8          12            803        1,105          668        1,122     


      1  See footnote 1, table 2.                                              
      2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
      p  = preliminary.
      NOTE:  Dash represents zero.