Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6392  USDL 00-275


                                        For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902  Thursday, September 28, 2000

                                     
                         MASS LAYOFFS IN JULY 2000


   In July 2000, there were 1,333 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 164,978.  (See
table 1.)  The number of layoffs events and initial claimants for
unemployment insurance were the lowest for the month of July since this
series began in April 1995.  From January through July 2000, the total
number of layoff events (8,803) and the total number of initial claimants
(984,523) were lower than in January-July 1999.
   
   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 lay-
offs of more than 30 days.  (See table 1.)  See the Technical Note for more
detailed definitions.
   
Industry Distribution
   
   In July 2000, manufacturing industries accounted for 49 percent of all
mass layoff events and 60 percent of all initial claims filed.  The highest
number of initial claimants was in transportation equipment (33,094),
primarily in motor vehicles and car bodies and in motor vehicles parts and
accessories.  The large number of layoffs in the industry is a continuation
of the earlier-than-usual plant shutdowns related to the automotive model
changeover that were reported in the June 2000 data.  Other manufacturing
industries with high numbers of initial claimants were industrial machinery
and equipment (9,232), mostly in lawn and garden equipment; and fabricated
metal products (8,797), largely in automotive stampings.  (See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 18 percent of all layoffs and 16 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 most other industries to last less than 30 days.
Six percent of all layoff events and 5 percent of initial claimants during
the month were from transportation and public utilities, mostly in local and
interurban passenger transit (school buses) and trucking and warehousing
(trucking, except local).  Agriculture accounted for 7 percent of all mass
layoff events and 4 percent of initial claimants during the month, largely in
agricultural services such as farm labor contractors.
   
   An additional 6 percent of all events and 4 percent of all initial
claimants were from government, mostly due to local government layoffs in
elementary and secondary education as the school year ended.

                                  - 2 -

   Compared with July 1999, the largest over-the-year decreases in initial
claims occurred in industrial machinery and equipment (-8,705), textile mill
products (-6,729), and rubber and miscellaneous plastics products (-5,048).
The largest increase in initial claims occurred in motion pictures (+5,636).
   
Geographic Distribution

   In July, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher in
the Midwest (71,049) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  Layoffs in
transportation equipment, rubber and miscellaneous plastics products, and
fabricated metal products accounted for 50 percent of the claims in the
Midwest.  The fewest number of mass-layoff initial claims continued to be
reported in the Northeast region (18,226).
   
   Over-the-year decreases in mass layoff-related initial claims were
reported in all four regions:  the Midwest (-30,854), Northeast (-12,841),
South (-10,953), and West (-1,708).  Among the nine geographic divisions,
eight divisions reported over-the-year decreases in initial claims
associated with mass layoff events.  The largest decreases were reported in
the East North Central, West North Central, and Middle Atlantic divisions.
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California had the
largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events (27,435),
primarily in motion pictures, business services, and agricultural services,
followed by Ohio (20,416) and Michigan (17,197).  These three states
accounted for 40 percent of all layoff events and 39 percent of all initial
claims for unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   From July 1999 to July 2000, Michigan reported the largest over-the-
year decrease in initial claims (-18,836), mostly in transportation
equipment.  Among the 11 states that reported over-the-year increases in
initial claims, Ohio had the largest increase (+6,659), 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, July 1998 to July 2000

  
                                                               Extended mass layoffs 
                                                             lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                                 
                                    Total mass layoffs                                  Event
                                                                                     realization
                                                                                       rate(1)
                                              Initial                    Initial          
                                 Events      claimants      Events      claimants



              1998

 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       325,990          36.9     

              1999

 January ......................  2,421       226,995     
 February .....................  1,067        89,800     
 March ........................    880        91,890     

 First Quarter ................  4,368       408,685         1,509       252,122          34.5     

 April ........................  1,270       136,885     
 May ..........................  1,032       102,738     
 June .........................  1,140       130,951     

 Second Quarter ...............  3,442       370,574         1,444    (r)242,464          42.0     

 July .........................  1,741       221,334     
 August .......................    698        75,691     
 September ....................    717        75,288     

 Third Quarter ................  3,156       372,313         1,097    (r)189,948          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)287,078          41.2     

              2000

 January ......................  1,934       223,322     
 February .....................  1,045       103,898     
 March ........................    986       106,748     

 First Quarter ................  3,965       433,968      (r)1,332    (r)219,603       (r)33.6

 April ........................    924       101,359     
 May ..........................    984        92,193     
 June(p).......................  1,597       192,025     

 Second Quarter(p) ............  3,505       385,577         1,187       162,726          33.9     

 July(p) ......................  1,333       164,978

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

                                                         July    May    June    July          July      May      June      July
                                                         1999    2000  2000(p) 2000(p)        1999      2000    2000(p)   2000(p)

      Total(1) .......................................  1,741     984   1,597   1,333        221,334   92,193   192,025   164,978     

 Total, private ......................................  1,632     928   1,435   1,252        211,923   86,882   175,973   158,672     

   Agriculture .......................................    129      83     161      91          9,921    5,356    15,057     6,038     
   Nonagriculture ....................................  1,458     825   1,235   1,136        195,208   78,439   157,034   149,693     
     Manufacturing ...................................    794     253     398     652        135,496   25,160    60,269    99,807     
       Durable goods .................................    474     124     235     425         89,782   14,006    41,753    71,405     
         Lumber and wood products ....................     25      18      21      32          2,652    1,668     2,063     3,487     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................     36      10      19      25          5,546      966     2,808     3,955     
         Stone, clay, and glass products .............     16       4      11      10          3,640      546     1,320     1,158     
         Primary metal industries ....................     40       9      12      35          4,986      656     1,277     4,230     
         Fabricated metal products ...................     78      11      36      70         10,872    1,338     4,659     8,797     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........     80      16      30      63         17,937    1,285     5,918     9,232     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...     48      16      29      38          5,733    2,767     3,451     5,839     
         Transportation equipment ....................    123      25      66     133         36,323    3,148    19,529    33,094     
         Instruments and related products ............     10       6       7       8            649      541       433       663     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......     18       9       4      11          1,444    1,091       295       950     

       Nondurable goods ..............................    320     129     163     227         45,714   11,154    18,516    28,402     
         Food and kindred products ...................     78      58      53      74          7,645    5,009     6,563     7,584     
         Tobacco products ............................  ( 2 )       -   ( 2 )   ( 2 )          ( 2 )        -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
         Textile mill products .......................     55       6      10      22          9,699      536       953     2,970     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........     72      35      29      44          9,125    2,929     2,966     5,711     
         Paper and allied products ...................      6       9      11   ( 2 )            599    1,001       946     ( 2 )
         Printing and publishing .....................      9       9      15       9          1,084      754     1,301       631     
         Chemicals and allied products ...............     14   ( 2 )       4   ( 2 )          1,911    ( 2 )       371     ( 2 )
         Petroleum and coal products .................  ( 2 )       -   ( 2 )       -          ( 2 )        -     ( 2 )         -
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..     68       8      31      51         13,645      628     4,504     8,597     
         Leather and leather products ................     14   ( 2 )       5      10          1,426    ( 2 )       395       822     

     Nonmanufacturing ................................    664     572     837     484         59,712   53,279    96,765    49,886     
       Mining ........................................      8       5       4   ( 2 )          2,150      409       363     ( 2 )
       Construction ..................................     75      77      64      52          6,510    6,394     4,919     4,040     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........    103      33     129      79         10,570    4,185    14,925     8,538     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................    137     146     180     103         12,441   14,841    20,838     9,488     
          Wholesale trade ............................     38      28      33      30          3,605    2,311     2,694     3,055     
          Retail trade ...............................     99     118     147      73          8,836   12,530    18,144     6,433     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........     34      30      24   ( 2 )          2,890    2,211     1,710     ( 2 )
       Services ......................................    307     281     436     235         25,151   25,239    54,010    26,158     

   Not identified ....................................     45      20      39      25          6,794    3,087     3,882     2,941     

 Government ..........................................    109      56     162      81          9,411    5,311    16,052     6,306     
   Federal ...........................................     22      15      31      16          2,713    1,977     3,834     1,851     
   State .............................................     18       8      18      13          1,676      930     1,435     1,063     
   Local .............................................     69      33     113      52          5,022    2,404    10,783     3,392     


   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

                                 July       May     June       July           July        May       June       July
                                 1999       2000   2000(p)    2000(p)         1999        2000     2000(p)    2000(p)
							      
         United States(1) .....  1,741      984     1,597      1,333         221,334     92,193    192,025    164,978     
							     
 Northeast ....................    300      140       216        176          31,067     13,426     22,824     18,226     
							     
     New England ..............     60       25        40         36           6,103      2,297      3,797      3,953     
     Middle Atlantic ..........    240      115       176        140          24,964     11,129     19,027     14,273     
							     
 South ........................    395      234       360        312          49,985     25,693     34,187     39,032     
							     
     South Atlantic ...........    200       85       196        166          27,628      9,702     17,754     22,269     
     East South Central .......     59       49        52         66           7,132      6,205      4,846      6,881     
     West South Central .......    136      100       112         80          15,225      9,786     11,587      9,882     
							     
 Midwest ......................    558      187       386        481         101,903     20,784     59,287     71,049     
							     
     East North Central .......    454      133       307        399          80,500     14,752     48,307     60,565     
     West North Central .......    104       54        79         82          21,403      6,032     10,980     10,484     

 West .........................    488      423       635        364          38,379     32,290     75,727     36,671     
							     
     Mountain .................     66       31        58         36           7,734      3,211      5,919      4,374     
     Pacific ..................    422      392       577        328          30,645     29,079     69,808     32,297     
									        
									        
      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              

                                 July       May      June        July           July        May       June        July
                                 1999       2000    2000(p)     2000(p)         1999        2000     2000(p)     2000(p)

    Total(1) ..................  1,741       984     1,597       1,333         221,334     92,193    192,025     164,978     

 Alabama ......................      9        20        16           4             788      2,065      1,308         305     
 Alaska .......................  ( 2 )         -         5           -           ( 2 )          -        708           -
 Arizona ......................     21         6        20           9           3,277        917      2,029         912     
 Arkansas .....................     11         6         8          10           1,442        613        890       1,158     
 California ...................    377       358       532         287          26,197     26,068     64,697      27,435     
 Colorado .....................      6         7         4           3             687        669        445         234     
 Connecticut ..................      7         5         7           5             544        473        738         490     
 Delaware .....................  ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )           ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 District of Columbia .........      -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )               -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 Florida ......................     64        38       105          68           4,845      3,508      6,580       4,711     
 Georgia ......................     23         9        26           8           1,845        951      2,998         574     
 Hawaii .......................      5     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )             351      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 Idaho ........................     12         7        10           7           1,660        639        919         824     

 Illinois .....................     54        35        50          54          12,548      4,061      8,900       5,981     
 Indiana ......................     54        11        25          50           9,492      1,947      4,813       9,562     
 Iowa .........................     30         8        18          23           7,447        864      4,187       3,004     
 Kansas .......................     14         7         8          10           2,108        570      1,052         836     
 Kentucky .....................     24        11        14          40           3,118      2,587      1,337       4,888     
 Louisiana ....................     18        23        32          13           1,576      1,807      2,940       1,236     
 Maine ........................      7         4         3           6             749        290        161         457     
 Maryland .....................      5         3         8           7             396        291        639         896     
 Massachusetts ................     25        10        21          15           2,496      1,078      2,227       1,472     
 Michigan .....................    198        39       148         138          36,033      4,038     26,171      17,197     
 Minnesota ....................     12         5        12          12           2,507        490      1,053       1,663     
 Mississippi ..................      8        11     ( 2 )          10             761        779      ( 2 )         757     
 Missouri .....................     42        29        37          33           8,764      3,665      4,299       4,614     

 Montana ......................      3         3     ( 2 )           4             239        381      ( 2 )         915     
 Nebraska .....................  ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )           ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 Nevada .......................     17         7        13          10           1,389        523      1,795       1,290     
 New Hampshire ................      9     ( 2 )         3           5           1,137      ( 2 )        199         768     
 New Jersey ...................     48        30        50          28           5,776      3,325      6,431       2,950     
 New Mexico ...................  ( 2 )     ( 2 )         7       ( 2 )           ( 2 )      ( 2 )        438       ( 2 )
 New York .....................     83        13        16          45           7,954      1,167      1,517       4,373     
 North Carolina ...............      6        12        12          10           2,035      2,467      1,054       1,933     
 North Dakota .................  ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )           ( 2 )      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 Ohio .........................     82        20        35         104          13,757      1,770      4,076      20,416     
 Oklahoma .....................     12         4         4           5           1,151        500        286         848     
 Oregon .......................     22        24        20          30           2,442      2,232      2,423       4,063     
 Pennsylvania .................    109        72       110          67          11,234      6,637     11,079       6,950     

 Rhode Island .................     11     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )           1,083      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 South Carolina ...............     61         6        24          36          10,770        631      2,467       6,517     
 South Dakota .................  ( 2 )         3     ( 2 )           -           ( 2 )        318      ( 2 )           -
 Tennessee ....................     18         7        20          12           2,465        774      1,912         931     
 Texas ........................     95        67        68          52          11,056      6,866      7,471       6,640     
 Utah .........................      5         -         3       ( 2 )             381          -        242       ( 2 )
 Vermont ......................  ( 2 )         3         4           4           ( 2 )        277        287         688     
 Virginia .....................     39        13        17          33           5,599      1,627      1,518       6,974     
 Washington ...................     17         8        19           9           1,443        623      1,904         649     
 West Virginia ................      -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )               -      ( 2 )      ( 2 )       ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ....................     66        28        49          53           8,670      2,936      4,347       7,409     
 Wyoming ......................      -         -         -           -               -          -          -           -

 Puerto Rico ..................     15         9         9          17           1,767        636      1,461       1,909  

    1  See footnote 1, table 2.                                              
    2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
    p  = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.