Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6392    USDL 00-352


                                          For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902    Tuesday, December 5, 2000

                                     
                       MASS LAYOFFS IN OCTOBER 2000

   In October 2000, there were 874 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 103,755.
(See table 1.)  The number of layoff events and initial claims for
unemployment insurance were the lowest for the month of October since the
series began in 1995, due, in part, to a calendar effect.  (October 2000
contained 4 weeks that ended in the month compared with 5 weeks in each of
the prior three Octobers.  See Technical Note.)  From January through October
2000, the total number of layoff events (11,364) was slightly lower than in
January-October 1999, while the total number of initial claims (1,292,335)
was somewhat higher.
   
   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 October 2000, manufacturing industries accounted for 37 percent of
all mass layoff events and 47 percent of all initial claims filed.  The
highest number of initial claimants was in transportation equipment (17,704),
primarily in motor vehicles and car bodies.  Other manufacturing industries
with high numbers of initial claimants were food and kindred products (6,729)
and industrial machinery and equipment (6,567).  (See table 2.)
   
   Services accounted for 18 percent of all layoffs and 15 percent of
initial claimants during the month, mainly in business services
(particularly help supply services) and motion pictures.  Layoffs in help
supply services are more likely than those in most other industries to last
less than 30 days.
   
   Seventeen percent of all layoff events and 13 percent of initial
claimants during the month were from agriculture, mostly in agricultural
services (farm labor contractors).  Retail trade accounted for 8 percent
of all mass layoff events and 6 percent of all initial claimants during the
month, largely in general merchandise stores, eating and drinking places,
and food stores.  An additional 7 percent of all events and 5 percent of
all initial claimants were from construction, mostly in heavy construction.
   
   Compared with October 1999, the largest over-the-year decreases in
initial claims occurred in industrial machinery and equipment (-6,418),
motion pictures (-2,789), apparel and other textile products (-2,669),
and business services (-2,389).  The largest increase in initial claims
occurred in transportation equipment (+6,498).

                                  - 2 -

Geographic Distribution

   In October, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs was higher
in the West (37,687) than in any other region.  (See table 3.)  Layoffs in
agricultural services, agricultural production crops, and business services
accounted for 46 percent of the claims in the West.  The fewest number of
mass-layoff initial claims was reported in the Northeast region (9,040).
   
   Over-the-year decreases in mass layoff-related initial claims were
reported in 3 of the 4 regions:  West (-10,350), Midwest (-4,270), and
Northeast (-3,455).  Among the nine geographic divisions, six reported
over-the-year decreases in initial claims associated with mass layoff
events, with the largest decrease reported in the Pacific division.
   
   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California had the
largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events (30,578),
primarily in agricultural services and agricultural production crops,
followed by Ohio (9,611) and Texas (8,477).  These three states accounted
for 46 percent of all layoff events and 47 percent of all initial claims
for unemployment insurance.  (See table 4.)
   
   From October 1999 to October 2000, California reported the largest over-
the-year decrease in initial claims (-11,341), mostly in business services
and motion pictures.  Among the 25 states that reported over-the-year
increases in initial claims, Ohio had the largest increase (+2,816).
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, October 1998 to October 2000

  
                                                                Extended mass layoffs 
                                                              lasting more than 30 days
             Date                                                                                 
                                    Total mass layoffs                                        Event
                                                                                           realization
                                                                                              rate(1)
                                               Initial                       Initial          
                                  Events      claimants         Events      claimants



              1998

 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        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)189,973           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)287,421           41.2     

              2000

 January .......................   1,934        223,322     
 February ......................   1,045        103,898     
 March .........................     986        106,748     

 First Quarter .................   3,965        433,968       (r)1,331     (r)220,019           33.6     

 April .........................     924        101,359     
 May ...........................     984         92,193     
 June ..........................   1,597        192,025     

 Second Quarter ................   3,505        385,577       (r)1,272     (r)228,867        (r)36.3

 July ..........................   1,333        164,978     
 August ........................     751         97,215     
 September(p) ..................     936        106,842     

 Third Quarter(p) ..............   3,020        369,035            975        142,269           32.3     

 October(p) ....................     874        103,755  


   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
                                                        October   August   September  October    October  August  September October
                                                          1999     2000     2000(p)   2000(p)     1999     2000    2000(p)  2000(p)

      Total(1) .......................................   1,098      751       936       874     118,938   97,215   106,842  103,755     

 Total, private ......................................   1,047      717       885       826     114,389   93,717   101,134   98,349     

   Agriculture .......................................     237       38       119       145      16,626    2,898     7,747   13,631     
   Nonagriculture ....................................     797      668       754       670      96,803   89,554    92,220   82,285     
     Manufacturing ...................................     374      252       313       321      55,679   35,370    46,605   48,588     
       Durable goods .................................     211      147       178       175      36,245   22,823    33,403   34,544     
         Lumber and wood products ....................      18       17        18        19       1,575    1,882     1,354    1,819     
         Furniture and fixtures ......................      18       12        10        10       2,660    1,853     1,439      944     
         Stone, clay, and glass products .............   ( 2 )    ( 2 )        11     ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )       794    ( 2 )
         Primary metal industries ....................      16       16        20        20       2,216    3,118     2,082    2,857     
         Fabricated metal products ...................      19       11        12        20       1,698    1,098       844    1,737     
         Industrial machinery and equipment ..........      49       29        24        22      12,985    4,726     5,816    6,567     
         Electronic and other electrical equipment ...      26       20        17        14       2,536    3,284     1,470    1,865     
         Transportation equipment ....................      48       32        51        57      11,206    6,038    18,124   17,704     
         Instruments and related products ............   ( 2 )        5         8         6       ( 2 )      380       836      480     
         Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......   ( 2 )    ( 2 )         7     ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )       644    ( 2 )

       Nondurable goods ..............................     163      105       135       146      19,434   12,547    13,202   14,044     
         Food and kindred products ...................      73       28        40        64       8,253    3,264     4,235    6,729     
         Tobacco products ............................       -        -         -         -           -        -         -        -
         Textile mill products .......................      18       17        18        14       3,203    2,656     2,294    1,696     
         Apparel and other textile products ..........      36       20        33        30       4,950    1,719     2,762    2,281     
         Paper and allied products ...................       8       13        19         8         613    2,019     1,899      695     
         Printing and publishing .....................       7    ( 2 )         6     ( 2 )         501    ( 2 )       480    ( 2 )
         Chemicals and allied products ...............       5        5         4         6         442      358       265      438     
         Petroleum and coal products .................       3    ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )         230    ( 2 )         -    ( 2 )
         Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products ..       8       14        12        14         759    1,822       976    1,185     
         Leather and leather products ................       5        4         3     ( 2 )         483      419       291    ( 2 )

     Nonmanufacturing ................................     423      416       441       349      41,124   54,184    45,615   33,697     
       Mining ........................................       6        3         -     ( 2 )         632      311         -    ( 2 )
       Construction ..................................      78       52        54        58       6,464    4,361     3,584    4,929     
       Transportation and public utilities ...........      20       57        35        29       2,099    7,311     3,046    3,116     
       Wholesale and retail trade ....................     106      109        98        87       8,780   10,594     9,159    7,815     
          Wholesale trade ............................      22       14        16        17       1,416    1,562     1,773    1,191     
          Retail trade ...............................      84       95        82        70       7,364    9,032     7,386    6,624     
       Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........      19       17        27     ( 2 )       1,534    1,649     1,801    ( 2 )
       Services ......................................     194      178       227       155      21,615   29,958    28,025   15,842     

   Not identified ....................................      13       11        12        11         960    1,265     1,167    2,433     

 Government ..........................................      51       34        51        48       4,549    3,498     5,708    5,406     
   Federal ...........................................      16       14        22        18       1,607    1,646     2,983    2,397     
   State .............................................      20        7        11        12       1,697      916       951    1,355     
   Local .............................................      15       13        18        18       1,245      936     1,774    1,654     


   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

                                  October     August     September    October      October      August     September      October
                                    1999       2000       2000(p)     2000(p)        1999        2000       2000(p)       2000(p)

         United States(1) ......   1,098        751         936         874        118,938      97,215      106,842       103,755     

 Northeast .....................     134        112         106         110         12,495      18,394       13,642         9,040     

     New England ...............      23         13          17          16          2,317       7,882        5,979         1,293     
     Middle Atlantic ...........     111         99          89          94         10,178      10,512        7,663         7,747     

 South .........................     210        199         158         217         24,089      22,630       17,457        26,981     

     South Atlantic ............      89        110          67          91          9,830      12,435        6,375        12,727     
     East South Central ........      25         29          39          42          2,327       4,192        4,655         3,868     
     West South Central ........      96         60          52          84         11,932       6,003        6,427        10,386     

 Midwest .......................     189        139         179         180         34,317      18,187       25,529        30,047     

     East North Central ........     151        112         140         144         27,819      15,263       18,454        24,434     
     West North Central ........      38         27          39          36          6,498       2,924        7,075         5,613     

 West ..........................     565        301         493         367         48,037      38,004       50,214        37,687     

     Mountain ..................      31         44          31          35          2,738       5,623        2,727         4,185     
     Pacific ...................     534        257         462         332         45,299      32,381       47,487        33,502     


      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              

                                 October   August   September   October      October  August  September   October
                                  1999      2000     2000(p)    2000(p)       1999     2000    2000(p)    2000(p)

    Total(1) .................   1,098       751       936        874       118,938   97,215   106,842    103,755     

 Alabama .....................      12         7         8          7         1,302    1,981       596        450     
 Alaska ......................       3         -         3      ( 2 )           198        -       282      ( 2 )
 Arizona .....................       7         4         3          9           546      406       240        959     
 Arkansas ....................      16         5         5          5         1,821      356       548        558     
 California ..................     499       244       430        302        41,919   30,706    43,042     30,578     
 Colorado ....................       4         3     ( 2 )          4           336      333     ( 2 )        380     
 Connecticut .................       3     ( 2 )         -          3           300    ( 2 )         -        247     
 Delaware ....................       -     ( 2 )         -          -             -    ( 2 )         -          -
 District of Columbia ........   ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )      ( 2 )         ( 2 )        -     ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 Florida .....................      34        38        20         32         2,215    3,073     1,662      2,880     
 Georgia .....................      12        13         7         14         1,257    1,616       550      1,233     
 Hawaii ......................       4     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          3           417    ( 2 )     ( 2 )        174     
 Idaho .......................       6        15     ( 2 )          6           588    2,404     ( 2 )        801     

 Illinois ....................      43        33        39         39         9,682    6,582     5,592      5,692     
 Indiana .....................      11        14        10         11           947    1,359     1,411      1,216     
 Iowa ........................       9         4         8          9         3,560      431     1,254        736     
 Kansas ......................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )         3          3         ( 2 )    ( 2 )       197      2,488     
 Kentucky ....................       3        12        17         15           243    1,450     2,988      1,565     
 Louisiana ...................       5        13     ( 2 )         13           477      844     ( 2 )      1,299     
 Maine .......................       5     ( 2 )         4          3           549    ( 2 )     2,119        171     
 Maryland ....................       4     ( 2 )         3          4           250    ( 2 )       263        354     
 Massachusetts ...............      12         5         9          5         1,279    6,527     3,229        507     
 Michigan ....................      30        12        28         23         3,345    1,235     3,804      3,537     
 Minnesota ...................       7         8         7         10           869      812     1,909      1,104     
 Mississippi .................       6         5         8         12           459      301       643        950     
 Missouri ....................      21        13        20         13         1,979    1,442     3,659      1,122     

 Montana .....................   ( 2 )         3         -          -         ( 2 )      625         -          -
 Nebraska ....................       -         -         -      ( 2 )             -        -         -      ( 2 )
 Nevada ......................      10        16        20         13           921    1,533     1,837      1,578     
 New Hampshire ...............   ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )      ( 2 )         ( 2 )    ( 2 )     ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 New Jersey ..................      19        25        10         14         2,075    3,562       931      1,229     
 New Mexico ..................   ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )          3         ( 2 )        -     ( 2 )        467     
 New York ....................      11        22        12         12           974    1,775       918      1,020     
 North Carolina ..............      12        26         8         15         1,457    2,383       833      3,717     
 North Dakota ................       -         -         -          -             -        -         -          -
 Ohio ........................      23        28        33         34         6,795    2,992     4,669      9,611     
 Oklahoma ....................       3         3     ( 2 )      ( 2 )           225      209     ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 Oregon ......................      18         7        19          7         1,818    1,252     3,209        638     
 Pennsylvania ................      81        52        67         68         7,129    5,175     5,814      5,498     

 Rhode Island ................       -         3     ( 2 )      ( 2 )             -      336     ( 2 )      ( 2 )
 South Carolina ..............      14        16        16         11         2,696    2,242     1,712      2,812     
 South Dakota ................       -         -     ( 2 )          -             -        -     ( 2 )          -
 Tennessee ...................       4         5         6          8           323      460       428        903     
 Texas .......................      72        39        44         65         9,409    4,594     5,529      8,477     
 Utah ........................       -         3     ( 2 )          -             -      322     ( 2 )          -
 Vermont .....................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          3         ( 2 )    ( 2 )     ( 2 )        236     
 Virginia ....................      12        11        12         12         1,821    2,604     1,182      1,432     
 Washington ..................      10         5         9         18           947      322       865      1,968     
 West Virginia ...............       -         4         -      ( 2 )             -      272         -      ( 2 )
 Wisconsin ...................      44        25        30         37         7,050    3,095     2,978      4,378     
 Wyoming .....................       -         -         -          -             -        -         -          -

 Puerto Rico .................       8        10        11          9           673      879       863      1,141     



    1 See footnote 1, table 2.                                              
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.  
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.