Technical information:  (202) 691-6392     USDL 05-1515
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                           For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Thursday, August 11, 2005
                                     
                                     
            EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2005
   
   In the second quarter of 2005, 1,056 mass layoff actions were taken
by employers that resulted in the separation of 211,009 workers from
their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary figures re-
leased by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Both the total number of layoff events and the number of separations
were sharply lower than in April-June 2004.  Both figures were at their
lowest levels for any second quarter since 2000.  (See table A.)  The
declines over the year were most notable in administrative and support
services, transit and ground passenger transportation, and food manu-
facturing.  Extended mass layoffs that involve the movement of work with-
in the same company or to a different company, domestically or outside
the U.S., occurred in 11 percent of the nonseasonal layoff events and
worker separations.  (See table B.)  Among employers who anticipated
recalling laid-off workers, 49 percent expected to extend the offer to
all laid-off workers.  This is a lower proportion than a year earlier.
   
   The completion of seasonal work accounted for 41 percent of all events
and resulted in 111,931 separations during the period--the highest share
and second highest level of private nonfarm seasonal separations for any
second quarter since the program began in the second quarter of 1995.  Lay-
offs due to internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership
change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) represented 14 percent of
events and resulted in 25,927 separations, the lowest level for any second
quarter.  Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 10 percent of all events
and affected 20,565 workers, the fewest number of separations due to perma-
nent closures for any second quarter.
   
   In the second quarter of 2005, the national unemployment rate was 5.0 per-
cent, not seasonally adjusted; a year earlier it was 5.5 percent.  Private
nonfarm payroll employment, not seasonally adjusted, increased by 1.8 percent
or about 2 million jobs from April-June 2004 to April-June 2005.
   
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
   
   Extended mass layoff separations occurred in 300 of the 1,105 detailed
industries for which data are available for the second quarter of 2005.
This is the fewest number of industries to have at least one extended mass
layoff event in a second quarter.
   
   Manufacturing industries accounted for 22 percent of private nonfarm
layoff events and 18 percent of separations during April-June 2005.  (See
table 1.)  The 37,075 worker separations in manufacturing were the fewest
for manufacturing for any second quarter.  In the second quarter of 2005,
separations in this sector were concentrated in transportation equipment
manufacturing (9,534), followed by food manufacturing (6,964).

                               - 2 -

Table A.  Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Period          | Layoff events|  Separations | Initial claimants
-------------------------|--------------|--------------|-------------------
          2001           |              |              |
January-March............|     1,546    |    304,171   |      306,535
April-June...............|     1,828    |    430,499   |      358,611
July-September...........|     1,629    |    330,391   |      336,298
October-December.........|     2,372    |    459,771   |      456,068
          2002           |              |              |
January-March............|     1,611    |    299,266   |      292,998
April-June...............|     1,624    |    344,606   |      299,598
July-September...........|     1,186    |    255,152   |      254,955
October-December.........|     1,916    |    373,307   |      370,592
          2003           |              |              |
January-March............|     1,502    |    286,947   |      297,608
April-June...............|     1,799    |    368,273   |      348,966
July-September...........|     1,190    |    236,333   |      227,909
October-December.........|     1,690    |    325,333   |      326,328
          2004           |              |              |
January-March............|     1,339    |    276,503   |      238,392
April-June(r)............|     1,358    |    278,831   |      254,063
July-September(r)........|       886    |    164,598   |      148,549
October-December(r)......|     1,427    |    273,967   |      262,049
          2005           |              |              |
January-March(r).........|     1,144    |    188,397   |      186,030
April-June(p)............|     1,056    |    211,009   |      150,140
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.
   
   The accommodation and food services sector had 10 percent of events and
13 percent of separations, mostly in food service contractors.  Layoffs in
the professional and technical services sector comprised 5 percent of events
and 12 percent of separations, mostly among tax preparation services.  Trans-
portation and warehousing accounted for 11 percent of private nonfarm layoff
events and 12 percent of separations, primarily in school and employee bus
transportation.  Cutbacks in arts, entertainment, and recreation accounted
for 3 percent of events and 10 percent of separations, mainly in skiing
facilities.
   
   Information technology-producing industries (communication equipment,
communications services, computer hardware, and software and computer
services) accounted for 4 percent of layoff events and 6,211 worker sep-
arations in the second quarter of 2005, the fewest number of separations
in the industry grouping for a second quarter since 1995.  (See table 6.)
In the second quarter of 2004, these industries accounted for 4 percent of
layoff events and 11,830 separations.  Layoffs in the information techno-
logy-producing industries in the second quarter of 2005 were most numerous
in computer hardware with 1,811 separations, followed by communication
services.

                                  - 3 -

Table B.  Extended mass layoff events and separations, selected
measures, second quarter 2005p
----------------------------------------------------------------------             
                                  |                 |
               Action             |  Layoff events  |   Separations
                                  |                 |                       
----------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------                
                                  |                 |                               
 Total private nonfarm............|      1,056      |     211,009          
                                  |                 |  
   Total, excluding seasonal      |                 |             
     and vacation events(1).......|        550      |      86,368
                                  |                 |       
     Total events with move-      |                 |
      ment of work(2).............|         62      |       9,720
                                  |                 |
                                  |                 |
      Movement of work actions....|         84      |        (3)
       With separations reported..|         66      |       7,736
       With separations unknown...|         18      |        (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                

   1 The questions on movement of work were not asked of employers
when the reason for layoff was either seasonal work or vacation
period.
   2 A layoff event can involve more than one action.
   3 Data not available.
   p = preliminary.
   
Reasons for Extended Layoff
   
   Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 41 percent
of the extended layoff events and resulted in 111,931 separations in the
second quarter, over half of the total separations.  (See table 2.)  Sea-
sonal layoffs were most numerous among workers in professional and technical
services, in amusement, gambling, and recreation, and in food services and
drinking places.  Contract completion accounted for 18 percent of events and
resulted in 26,703 separations during the second quarter.  These layoffs were
primarily in administrative and support services, followed by specialty trade
contractors and building construction.
 
   Internal company restructuring (due to bankruptcy, business ownership
change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) accounted for 14 percent
of layoff events and resulted in 25,927 separations.  These layoffs were
mostly among workers in computer and electronic product manufacturing, in
transportation equipment manufacturing, and in credit intermediation and
related activities.  Over half of both the internal company restructuring
layoff events and separations were due to reorganization within the company.
   
Movement of Work
   
   Between April and June of 2005, 62 extended mass layoff events involved
the movement of work; this was about 11 percent of total extended mass lay-
off events, excluding those for seasonal and vacation reasons.  (See table B.)
These movements of work were to other U.S. locations or to locations outside
of the U.S., and they occurred either within the same company or to other
companies.  The extended mass layoff events involving movement of work were
associated with the separation of 9,720 workers, about 11 percent of all sep-
arations resulting from nonseasonal/nonvacation mass layoff events.  A year
earlier, there were 86 layoff events and 16,240 separations associated with
the movement of work.  (See table 10.)
   
   Among the 62 extended mass layoff events with reported relocation of
work, 56 percent were permanent closures of worksites, which affected 5,476
workers.  In comparison, for the 1,056 total layoff events reported for the
second quarter of 2005, only 10 percent involved the permanent closure of
worksites.
   
   Of the layoffs involving the movement of work, 65 percent of the events
and 58 percent of the laid-off workers were from manufacturing industries
during the second quarter of 2005.  (See table 7.)  Among all private
nonfarm extended layoffs, manufacturing accounted for 22 percent of the
events and 18 percent of the separations.

                                  - 4 -

Table C.  Movement of work actions by type of separation where the
number of separations is known by employers, second quarter 2005p
--------------------------------------------------------------------
                          |                    |    
          Action          |  Layoff events (1) |    Separations
                          |                    |                
--------------------------------------------------------------------         
                          |                    |
With separations reported.|         66         |        7,736  
                          |                    |             
        By location       |                    |             
                          |                    |             
  Out of country..........|         26         |        2,582          
    Within company........|         19         |        1,938          
    Different company.....|          7         |          644        
                          |                    |             
  Domestic relocations....|         37         |        4,560          
    Within company........|         31         |        3,907          
    Different company.....|          6         |          653        
                          |                    |             
  Unable to assign place  |                    |                       
   of relocation..........|          3         |          594          
                          |                    |
        By company        |                    |
                          |                    |             
  Within company..........|         53         |        6,439            
    Domestic..............|         31         |        3,907           
    Out of country........|         19         |        1,938    
    Unable to assign......|          3         |          594          
                          |                    |             
  Different company.......|         13         |        1,297     
    Domestic..............|          6         |          653     
    Out of country........|          7         |          644     
--------------------------------------------------------------------           
   1 Only actions for which separations associated with the movement
of work were reported are shown.
   p = preliminary.

   Internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership change,
financial difficulty, and reorganization) accounted for 77 percent of layoff
events associated with work relocation and resulted in 7,886 separations dur-
ing the second quarter.  (See table 8.)  Most of these were due to reorgani-
zation within the company.  Only 14 percent of the layoff events in the total
private nonfarm economy were because of internal company restructuring.
   
   Among the regions, the Midwest and the Northeast each accounted for the
largest proportion of workers in extended mass layoffs associated with the
movement of work in the second quarter of 2005 (26 percent each), followed
by the West (25 percent), and the South (22 percent).
   
   As noted in table B, the 62 extended layoff events for the second
quarter of 2005 discussed above involve 84 identifiable relocations of
work.  An identifiable relocation of work occurs when the employer pro-
vides sufficient information on the new location of work and/or the number
of workers affected by the movement.  Some extended mass layoff events
involve more than one relocation of work action.  For example, an extended
mass layoff event at an establishment may involve job loss due to movement
of work to both another domestic location of the company and a location out
of the country.  This would be counted as two movement of work actions.  Of
the 84 relocations, employers were able to provide information on the speci-
fic separations (7,736 workers) associated with the movement of work compo-
nent of the layoff in 66 actions, or 79 percent of the total actions for
the second quarter of 2005.  Thus, a range of 7,736 (separations in move-
ment of work actions where the employer was able to provide specific detail)
to 9,720 (total separations in all layoff events that included movement of
work) is established for separations due to the movement of work in the se-
cond quarter.  (See table 10.)

                                  - 5 -

Table D.  Summary of employer expectations of a recall from
extended layoff, second quarter 2004-second quarter 2005
---------------------------------------------------------------
                     |          Percentage of events
 Nature of the recall|-----------------------------------------
                     |   II  |  III  |   IV  |    I   |  II 
                     |  2004 |  2004 |  2004 |  2005r | 2005p
---------------------|-------|-------|-------|--------|--------
                     |       |       |       |        |
Anticipate a recall..|  55.2 |  41.1 |  64.2 |  51.4  |  63.6
                     |       |       |       |        |
      Timeframe      |       |       |       |        |
                     |       |       |       |        |
Within 6 months......|  84.6 |  84.1 |  84.8 |  85.5  |  88.4
  Within 3 months....|  55.5 |  66.8 |  33.1 |  53.4  |  57.7
                     |       |       |       |        |
        Size         |       |       |       |        |
                     |       |       |       |        |
At least half........|  91.3 |  86.0 |  92.9 |  92.5  |  92.3
  All workers........|  52.3 |  46.7 |  49.8 |  43.2  |  49.3
---------------------------------------------------------------
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.

   In the 66 actions where employers were able to provide more complete
separations information, 80 percent of relocations (53 out of 66) occurred
among establishments within the same company.  (See table C.)  In 58 percent
of these relocations, the work activities were reassigned to places elsewhere
in the U.S.
   
   Almost 40 percent of the movement-of-work relocations involved out-of-
country moves (26 out of 66).  The separation of 2,582 workers was associated
with out-of-country relocations, about 3 percent of all nonseasonal/nonvaca-
tion extended mass layoff separations.  Domestic relocation of work--both
within the company and to other companies--affected 4,560 workers.  (See
table 11.)
   
Recall Expectations
   
   Sixty-four percent of employers reporting an extended layoff in the second
quarter of 2005 indicated they anticipated some type of recall.  This compares
with 55 percent of the employers anticipating a recall a year earlier and is
the highest such proportion for a second quarter since 1998.  (See table D.)
   
   Among establishments expecting a recall, most employers expected to recall
over one-half of the separated employees and to do so within 6 months.  Forty-
nine percent of the employers expected to extend the offer to all laid-off
workers.
   
   Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period (in which
98 percent of the employers expected a recall), employers expected to recall
laid-off workers in 32 percent of the events.  A year earlier 26 percent of
employers expected a recall in nonseasonal and nonvacation events.  In layoff
events due to internal company restructuring, employers anticipated a recall
in only 3 percent of the events.

                                  - 6 -

Table E.  Distribution of extended layoff events by size of layoff,
April-June 2005p
-------------------------------------------------------------------
                 |      Layoff events     |       Separations
      Size       |------------------------|------------------------
                 |   Number  |   Percent  |  Number  |   Percent
-----------------|-----------|------------|----------|-------------
    Total........|   1,056   |    100.0   |  211,009 |    100.0
                 |           |            |          |
50-99............|     408   |     38.6   |   29,071 |     13.8
100-149..........|     244   |     23.1   |   28,420 |     13.5
150-199..........|     134   |     12.7   |   22,415 |     10.6
200-299..........|     125   |     11.8   |   28,866 |     13.7
300-499..........|      76   |      7.2   |   27,416 |     13.0
500-999..........|      49   |      4.6   |   31,382 |     14.9
1,000 or more....|      20   |      1.9   |   43,439 |     20.6
-------------------------------------------------------------------
  p = preliminary.

Size of Extended Layoff
   
   Layoff events during the second quarter continued to be concentrated at
the lower end of the extended layoff-size spectrum, with 62 percent involving
fewer than 150 workers.  These events, however, accounted for only 27 percent
of all separations.  (See table E.)  Separations involving 500 or more workers
accounted for 35 percent of all separations, up from 33 percent in April-June
2004.  The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per layoff
event) differed widely by industry, ranging from a low of 63 separations in
paper manufacturing to a high of 1,041 in amusements, gambling, and recrea-
tion.
   
Initial Claimant Characteristics
   
   A total of 150,140 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were
associated with extended mass layoffs in the second quarter of 2005.  Of
these claimants, 17 percent were black, 13 percent were Hispanic, 55 per-
cent were women, 35 percent were 30 to 44 years of age, and 21 percent
were 55 years of age or older.  (See table 3.)  Among persons in the
civilian labor force for the same period, 11 percent were black, 13 per_
cent were Hispanic, 46 percent were women, 35 percent were age 30 to 44,
and 16 percent were 55 years of age or older.
   
Geographic Distribution
   
   In the second quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass
layoff events was highest in the Midwest (69,280), followed by the West
(57,673), the Northeast (45,760), and the South (38,296).  (See table 4.)
Extended mass layoffs in the Midwest were mainly in transit and ground
passenger transportation, food services and drinking places, and profes-
sional and technical services.
   
   All four regions reported over-the-year decreases in separations, with
the largest decrease occurring in the South (-29,265), followed by the West
(-15,386), the Northeast (-13,632), and the Midwest (-9,539).  Eight of the
nine geographic divisions reported over-the-year declines in laid-off workers,
with the largest declines occurring in the South Atlantic (-22,471), Pacific
(-17,929), and the Middle Atlantic (-8,753) divisions.  The Mountain division
reported the only increase in separations (+2,543).

                                  - 7 -

Table F.  Mass layoff events and separations, selected metropolitan areas
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           |     Events    |    Separations
            Metropolitan area              |---------------|------------------
                                           |   II  |  II   |   II    |  II
                                           |  2004 | 2005p |  2004   | 2005p
-------------------------------------------|-------|------ |---------|--------
Total, nonmetropolitan areas...............|  176  |  139  |  33,885 | 25,545
                                           |       |       |         |
Total, 367 metropolitan areas..............|  766  |  564  | 133,341 | 91,443
                                           |       |       |         |
   Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-Ind.-   |       |       |         |        
     Wis. .................................|   49  |   40  |  11,561 |  9,236
   Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.|   35  |   36  |   5,227 |  7,518                                  
   New York-Northern New Jersey-Long       |       |       |         |
     Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. ................|   62  |   39  |  12,594 |  7,276
   Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, Fla. |   18  |   14  |   4,145 |  3,366
   Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. ..........|   22  |   26  |   2,732 |  3,065
   Salt Lake City, Utah....................|    3  |    5  |   2,300 |  2,620                                      
   Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington,         |       |       |         |
     Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md......................|   25  |   21  |   3,432 |  2,193                                   
   Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.|   13  |    7  |   4,427 |  2,139
   Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, Texas.......|   20  |   18  |   2,387 |  2,133 
   Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. .........|   14  |  (1)  |   2,939 |   (1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    1 = Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  The geographic boundaries of the metropolitan areas shown in
this table are defined in Office of Management and Budget Bulletin 04-03,
February 18, 2004.
   

   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of
worker separations occurred in Illinois (27,990), followed by California
(23,736), and New Jersey (16,069).  These three states accounted for 26
percent of total layoff events and 32 percent of the separations during the
second quarter of 2005.  They were followed by Colorado (14,766), Florida
(14,259), New York (11,707), Michigan (11,587), and Ohio (10,378).  (See
table 5.)  After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work, Cali-
fornia reported the most laid-off workers (17,562), largely due to layoffs
in social assistance and in professional and technical services.
   
   Over the year, California reported the greatest decrease in workers laid
off for all reasons during the second quarter (-17,975), followed by Florida
(-12,809), and New York (-7,664).  The largest increases occurred in New
Jersey (+3,874) and Colorado (+3,750).
   
   Fifty-three percent of events and 43 percent of separations (91,443)
occurred in metropolitan areas in the second quarter of 2005, compared
with 56 percent of events and 48 percent of separations (133,341) during
the second quarter of 2004.  Among the 367 metropolitan areas, Chicago-
Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., reported the highest number of sep-
arations, 9,236.  Next were Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.,
with 7,518 separations, and New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-
N.J.-Pa., with 7,276 separations.  (See table F.)  Employers located in
nonmetropolitan areas separated 25,545 workers in mass layoffs, down from
33,885 workers in the second quarter of 2004.

                                  - 8 -

Note
   
   The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs cover layoffs of at least
31-days duration that involve 50 or more individuals from a single establish-
ment filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a consecutive
5-week period.  Approximately 30 days after a mass layoff is triggered at an
establishment, the employer is contacted for additional information.  Data
for the second quarter are preliminary and subject to revision.  This release
also includes revised data for previous quarters.  Data are not seasonally
adjusted, but survey data suggest that there is a seasonal pattern to lay-
offs.  Thus, comparisons between consecutive quarters should not be used as
an indicator of trend.
   
   For additional information about the program, see the Technical Note.
   
                      ______________________________
   
   
   The report on Mass Layoffs in July 2005 is scheduled to be released on
Tuesday, August 23, 2005.
                                     
                                     
                                     
                                     

                                  - 9 -

Technical Note
 

   The  Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program 
which identifies, describes, and tracks the effects of major job cutbacks, 
using data from each state's unemployment insurance database.  Establish-
ments 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, gender, 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.

Definitions
   
   Establishment.  A unit at a single physical location at which predomi-
nantly one type of economic activity is conducted.
   
   Extended 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.
   
   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.
   
   Mass layoff.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment insurance
benefits from an establishment beginning in a given month, regardless of
duration.
   
   Worksite closure.  The complete 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.

                                  - 10 -

Movement of work concepts and questions
   
   Because of the employer interview component, the BLS decided to use 
the MLS program as a vehicle for collecting additional information on
offshoring and outsourcing associated with job loss, by adding questions
that address movement of work.  The term "moving work" means that the
company experiencing the layoff has reassigned work activities that were
performed at a worksite by the company's employees (1) to another work-
site within the company; (2) to another company under formal arrangements 
at the same worksite; or (3) to another company under formal arrangements 
at another worksite.  The type of work activities subject to movement can
include accounting, customer service, cleaning, warehousing, etc.
   
   "Overseas relocation" is the movement of work from within the U.S. to
locations outside of the U.S. "Overseas relocation" can occur within the
same company and involve movement of work to a different location of that
company outside of the U.S., or to a different company altogether.

   "Domestic relocation" is the movement of work to other locations inside 
the U.S., either within the same company or to a different company.
  
   "Overseas relocation" and "domestic relocation" are no longer used in the
same way as they were in earlier extended mass layoff news releases.  There-
fore, the data presented in this news release are not comparable to those 
that were presented in earlier news releases.
   
   Questions on movement of work and location are asked for all identified
layoff events when the reason for separation is other than "seasonal work"
or "vacation period."  Seasonal and vacation layoff events were excluded
because movement of work appears unlikely.
   
   Questions on movement of work are asked after the analyst verifies that 
a layoff in fact occurred and lasted more than 30 days, and obtained the
total number of workers separated from jobs, the date the layoff began, and
the economic reason for the layoff.  If the reason for layoff is other than
seasonal or vacation, the employer was asked the following:
  
   (1) "Did this layoff include your company moving work from this lo-
cation(s) to a different geographic location(s) within your company?"
  
   (2) "Did this layoff include your company moving work that was performed
in-house by your employees to a different company, through contractual ar-
rangements?"
  
   A "yes" response to either question is followed by:
  
   "Is the location inside or outside of the U.S.?" and "How many of the
layoffs were a result of this relocation?"
  
   Layoff actions are classified as "overseas relocation" if the employer
responds "yes" to questions 1 and/or 2, and indicates that the location(s)
was outside of the U.S.  Domestic relocation is determined if the employer
responds "yes" to questions 1 and/or 2 and indicates that the location(s)
was within the U.S.
  
   After asking the movement of work questions, the employer interview
continues and responses are obtained for questions on recall expectations
and open/closed status of the worksite.

                                  - 11 - 
Reliability of the data
   
   The identification of establishments and layoff events in the MLS 
program and associated characteristics of claimants is based on admin-
istrative data on covered establishments and unemployment insurance claims, 
and, therefore, is not subject to issues associated with sampling error.
Nonsampling errors such as typographical errors may occur but are not
likely to be significant.  While the MLS establishments and layoff events
are not subject to sampling error, and all such employers are asked the
employer interview questions, the employer responses are subject to non-
sampling error.  Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including
the inability to obtain information for all respondents, inability or
unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, and errors
made in the collection or processing of the data.  For the second quarter
of 2005, outright refusal to participate in the employer interview accounted 
for 2.4 percent of all private nonfarm events.  Although included in the 
total number of instances involving the movement of work, for the second
quarter, employers in 18 relocations were unable to provide the number of 
separations specifically associated with the movement of work, 6 of which 
involved out-of-country moves.
 
Other information
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.

    
 
 

Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

                                                                                                           Initial claimants for   
                                                        Layoff events               Separations            unemployment insurance  
                      Industry                    
                                                     II       I      II        II        I       II         II        I       II   
                                                    2004r   2005r   2005p     2004r    2005r    2005p      2004r    2005r    2005p 


      Total, private nonfarm (1) .................  1,358   1,144   1,056    278,831  188,397  211,009    254,063  186,030  150,140
    
    Mining .......................................  ( 2 )      12       -      ( 2 )    1,138        -      ( 2 )    1,108        -
    Utilities ....................................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       5      ( 2 )    ( 2 )      771      ( 2 )    ( 2 )      606
    Construction .................................    119     275     102     17,915   29,734   13,635     22,435   32,656   13,546
    Manufacturing ................................    302     335     237     52,255   51,052   37,075     55,334   55,973   33,303
         Food ....................................     69      73      50     10,916   13,180    6,964     11,801   14,773    6,826
         Beverage and tobacco products ...........  ( 2 )       6   ( 2 )      ( 2 )    1,221    ( 2 )      ( 2 )    1,073    ( 2 )
         Textile mills ...........................     13       8   ( 2 )      2,089    1,531    ( 2 )      2,044    1,391    ( 2 )
         Textile product mills ...................      9      11       3      2,285    1,619      243      2,319    2,002      203
         Apparel .................................     15      11      10      2,204    1,610      945      1,836    1,396      984
         Leather and allied products .............  ( 2 )       3       -      ( 2 )      313        -      ( 2 )      265        -
         Wood products ...........................      7      17       6        758    2,037      690        577    2,348      645
         Paper ...................................      9       7       3      1,127      710      189        989      935      251
         Printing and related support activities .     15      13      10      2,027    1,307    1,551      1,784    1,683    1,291
         Petroleum and coal products .............      -       3       -          -      228        -          -      255        -

         Chemicals  ..............................     12       8   ( 2 )      1,694    1,475    ( 2 )      1,601    1,014    ( 2 )
         Plastics and rubber products ............     13      19      11      1,957    2,756    1,161      1,756    2,571    1,203
         Nonmetallic mineral products ............  ( 2 )      24       9      ( 2 )    3,088    1,236      ( 2 )    2,319      923
         Primary metals ..........................      9       8      10      1,651    1,013    1,768      2,105    1,111    1,611
         Fabricated metal products ...............     18      20      17      3,496    2,778    3,022      2,864    3,248    1,916
         Machinery ...............................     14      17      18      2,204    2,157    2,337      2,289    3,362    2,026
         Computer and electronic products ........     16      14      20      3,101    1,892    2,712      4,087    2,500    2,040
         Electrical equipment and appliances .....      9      13      11      1,614    1,280    2,333      1,905    2,121    3,040
         Transportation equipment ................     43      41      41     10,463    7,643    9,534     12,867    9,291    8,175
         Furniture and related products ..........     18      13      10      2,260    2,074    1,229      2,516    1,776    1,288
         Miscellaneous manufacturing .............      8       6       3      1,551    1,140      212      1,030      539      242

    Wholesale trade ..............................     22      26      14      4,386    2,357    2,304      3,090    2,737    1,560
    Retail trade .................................     81     114      39     15,326   28,202    9,054     16,399   24,560    6,791
    Transportation and warehousing ...............    141      49     114     35,933   12,203   25,275     34,673    8,477   18,994
    Information ..................................     47      36      29     10,969    9,192    5,105     11,671    8,763    4,037
    Finance and insurance ........................     40      44      22      7,642    7,886    2,846      7,811    7,453    2,651
    Real estate and rental and leasing ...........  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       5      ( 2 )    ( 2 )      896      ( 2 )    ( 2 )      790
    Professional and technical services ..........     63      25      57     16,644    4,233   25,778     14,973    3,597   12,705
    Management of companies and enterprises ......      8   ( 2 )       4      1,045    ( 2 )      473      1,108    ( 2 )      346
    Administrative and waste services ............    133     123      93     29,651   25,302   13,844     26,029   24,870   11,870
    Educational services .........................      6   ( 2 )       4        497    ( 2 )      278        556    ( 2 )      299
    Health care and social assistance ............    162      24     143     22,330    3,952   17,598     18,294    2,649   13,758
    Arts, entertainment, and recreation ..........     52      24      31     23,660    3,796   20,167      5,780    2,343    3,059
    Accommodation and food services ..............    120      42     104     30,044    7,127   28,012     27,334    8,207   19,575
    Other services, except public administration .     54       5      53      8,536      843    7,898      7,120      928    6,250

    Unclassified .................................      1       -       -         52        -        -         52        -        -
          

    1 For the second quarter of 2005, data on layoffs were reported by employers in all states and the District of Columbia. Due to
budget constraints in the MLS program, beginning with data for the first quarter of 2004, the scope of quarterly extended mass
layoffs and plant closings has been redefined to cover only the private nonfarm economy. Quarterly information on layoff events in
agriculture and government are no longer being collected. However, the monthly reporting of the MLS program in the release, Mass
Layoffs, which is based only on administrative data, will be unaffected and will continue to cover the total economy. 
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero. 




     
Table 2. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

                                                                                                      Initial claimants for
                                          Layoff events                     Separations               unemployment insurance
         Reason for layoff                       
                                      II         I        II          II         I        II           II         I        II        
                                     2004r     2005r     2005p       2004r     2005r     2005p        2004r     2005r     2005p       
                    

   Total, private nonfarm (1) ....   1,358     1,144     1,056      278,831   188,397   211,009      254,063   186,030   150,140

Automation .......................       -         -     ( 2 )            -         -     ( 2 )            -         -     ( 2 )
Bankruptcy .......................      17        29        12        3,342     5,976     3,591        2,597     4,115     2,080
Business ownership change ........      27        43        15        7,370    10,623     3,386        5,268     7,076     1,592
Contract cancellation ............      33        17        17        5,171     3,247     2,082        4,042     3,032     1,868
Contract completed ...............     223       162       188       42,129    29,200    26,703       44,262    34,082    24,586
Energy-related ...................       -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -
Environment-related ..............   ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -
Financial difficulty .............      40        35        30        7,456     5,915     4,607        4,290     4,545     2,756
Import competition ...............       8        13         9        1,606     2,186     1,465        1,051     1,657       842
Labor dispute ....................      11         8         4        2,160     1,648       615        1,842     1,167       496
Material shortage ................   ( 2 )         3     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       497     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       433     ( 2 )

Model changeover .................       4         -         -          932         -         -          950         -         -
Natural disaster .................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -        ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -        ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
Non-natural disaster .............       -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -
Plant or machine repair ..........       8     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        1,336     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        2,240     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
Product line discontinued ........      10         8         6        2,036       874     2,355        2,145     1,014     1,093
Reorganization within company ....     143       133        89       24,862    24,684    14,343       27,242    23,699    11,367
Seasonal work ....................     478       372       430      111,711    57,121   111,931       88,530    51,447    64,467
Slack work .......................     122       186       116       18,886    20,684    16,574       24,389    29,608    19,903
Vacation period ..................      93     ( 2 )        76       15,673     ( 2 )    12,710       14,255     ( 2 )     9,108
Weather-related ..................   ( 2 )        29     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     3,417     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     2,576     ( 2 )
Other ............................      35        28        16        7,081     5,305     2,342        5,625     5,011     2,014
Not reported .....................     101        72        43       26,232    15,843     7,461       24,601    15,513     7,106
                    
        
    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.                
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    
Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, first and second quarters, 2005

                                                        Total                                        Percent of total                      
                                                       initial                             Hispanic                        Persons age 55
                                  Layoff events       claimants             Black           origin            Women          and over   
             State         
                                    I      II          I       II          I     II         I     II         I     II         I     II        
                                  2005r   2005p      2005r    2005p      2005r  2005p     2005r  2005p     2005r  2005p     2005r  2005p       

  Total, private nonfarm (1) ...  1,144   1,056     186,030  150,140      14.5   17.0      13.5   12.8      38.9   55.2      16.1   21.1

Alabama ........................  ( 2 )       3       ( 2 )      279         -   47.7         -    2.9       5.7   81.7       8.1   22.6
Alaska .........................  ( 2 )       9       ( 2 )    1,181         -    3.7       2.9   20.3      31.7   40.1       8.6   21.3
Arizona ........................      3       5         585      862       5.5     .8      19.8   77.7      40.5   46.1       8.9   18.1
Arkansas .......................  ( 2 )       5       ( 2 )      635      21.7   56.5      18.3     .9      34.2   85.4        .8   20.2
California .....................    133     129      26,678   14,695       9.3    8.3      37.1   33.7      48.7   55.9      14.8   17.9
Colorado .......................      8      12       1,003    1,431       3.9    4.5      38.7   25.1      40.4   57.4      14.1   19.1
Connecticut ....................      6      13         691    1,697      13.6    9.6      13.5    5.5      35.5   68.9      18.7   24.7
Delaware .......................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )      25.8   14.4      11.3    1.7       4.8   20.4      24.2   14.7
District of Columbia ...........      -       -           -        -         -      -         -      -         -      -         -      -
Florida ........................     70      93      12,971   10,493      14.1   19.0      30.6   31.9      46.7   47.1      20.0   21.3
Georgia ........................     18      25       3,387    3,223      48.6   59.1       1.7    1.4      56.8   66.7      19.6   18.7
Hawaii .........................  ( 2 )       5       ( 2 )      434        .9    1.2      12.1   15.2      22.5   47.9      12.6   16.4
Idaho ..........................      6       -         572        -        .7      -      13.6      -      45.1      -      16.6      -

Illinois .......................    112     104      17,708   18,408      22.5   23.1      11.0    9.8      34.9   59.3      13.6   20.5
Indiana ........................     29      24       4,896    3,669       7.6   16.2       5.2    1.9      27.9   53.9      12.8   21.3
Iowa ...........................      8       6       1,159      710        .9    1.8        .8     .6      20.7   83.7      13.5   31.0
Kansas .........................     10       -         968        -      10.8      -       1.4      -      44.8      -      11.4      -
Kentucky .......................     18      19       2,723    2,007      12.8   12.7        .2    1.1      37.2   46.4      14.5   18.7
Louisiana ......................     16      19       1,754    2,659      54.0   57.6       3.9    1.4      30.2   61.3      13.4   20.2
Maine ..........................      7       6         911      806       3.1     .7        .4     .4      41.3   43.3      16.1   15.1
Maryland .......................      -   ( 2 )           -    ( 2 )         -   60.4         -      -         -   75.2         -   24.8
Massachusetts ..................     29      16       3,904    2,696       9.5   13.7       1.5    3.5      39.4   60.5      16.4   22.3
Michigan .......................     76      73      11,043   10,726      14.7   15.2       3.4    3.8      35.7   54.6      11.6   18.1
Minnesota ......................     29      23       2,768    3,722       4.8   10.0       5.3    6.1      29.7   43.2      16.4   20.4
Mississippi ....................      5   ( 2 )         509    ( 2 )      49.7   64.9        .4      -      50.9    5.2      22.2   16.0
Missouri .......................     23      20       3,991    2,419      16.6   25.2        .4     .4      36.4   76.5      20.5   24.2

Montana ........................  ( 2 )       5       ( 2 )      377        .8     .3       7.3    4.0      16.9   59.2      30.6   18.3
Nebraska .......................  ( 2 )       8       ( 2 )      740       3.5   14.3       2.6    6.9       4.3   58.5      21.7   27.0
Nevada .........................  ( 2 )       3       ( 2 )      299      14.7   28.4      11.9   18.7      46.9   67.2      22.0   28.8
New Hampshire ..................  ( 2 )       4       ( 2 )      318       1.4      -       2.8     .6      48.6   42.1       9.3   28.3
New Jersey .....................     35      39       4,647    8,791      16.6   16.2       7.3    8.6      41.6   69.4      18.8   34.9
New Mexico .....................      3       4         232      471       1.7    1.3      71.6   43.1      41.8   39.3      10.3   14.6
New York .......................    139      54      23,009    7,678      11.2    8.8       8.5    8.4      30.2   39.4      17.5   20.2
North Carolina .................     22       8       3,021      753      49.4   32.7       4.2    8.0      52.7   65.7      19.6   24.0
North Dakota ...................      -   ( 2 )           -    ( 2 )         -      -         -     .7         -   11.6         -   13.0
Ohio ...........................     87      75       9,952    9,153      10.1   18.0       1.5    2.4      22.0   56.6      12.5   17.4
Oklahoma .......................      5   ( 2 )         574    ( 2 )      11.1   14.5       8.0    4.0      17.1   23.4      15.0   15.3
Oregon .........................     14      18       2,713    2,752       1.9    2.5      15.9   16.7      47.1   75.1      18.6   29.5
Pennsylvania ...................     69      72      12,990   11,512       9.8   10.9       3.4    3.1      40.3   55.2      21.8   26.6

Rhode Island ...................  ( 2 )       3       ( 2 )      285       2.2    2.8       7.9    7.0       2.2   62.1      15.1   29.8
South Carolina .................      7       7       1,307    1,122      40.7   78.9       2.0     .1      57.6   78.7      10.3    2.6
South Dakota ...................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )       2.3    2.2       2.3    1.1      11.4   80.2      22.0   38.5
Tennessee ......................     11       7       1,663      886      36.4   23.7         -      -      59.5   55.3      17.6   24.0
Texas ..........................     24      40       5,405    7,104      17.0   18.5      38.5   43.3      32.7   42.9      11.9   14.3
Utah ...........................      3       9         393      752       3.6     .9      24.4   20.6      57.0   62.1       7.4   11.7
Vermont ........................  ( 2 )       7       ( 2 )    1,370         -     .7         -     .2      41.4   44.1      19.0   18.1
Virginia .......................     23      10       5,559    1,549      32.9   62.8        .9    1.4      46.7   70.6      17.0   14.5
Washington .....................     24      29       3,526    3,658       7.9    5.3      14.6   13.1      39.1   46.3      11.3   18.3
West Virginia ..................      -       4           -      461         -     .7         -      -         -   26.2         -   16.7
Wisconsin ......................     51      33      10,985    5,048       4.0    9.8       9.3    3.6      41.5   57.9      19.3   27.8
Wyoming ........................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )         -      -      13.5      -      26.2   30.0      20.6    3.8
		  
Puerto Rico ....................      9      19       2,547    3,795     ( 3 )  ( 3 )     ( 3 )  ( 3 )      62.2   58.0       6.4    8.2
                    
    
    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 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

                                                                                                   Initial claimants for
                                       Layoff events                     Separations               unemployment insurance
   Census region and division                                                                                               

                                   II         I        II           II        I        II           II        I       II        
                                  2004r     2005r     2005p        2004r    2005r     2005p        2004r    2005r    2005p       
                    
        United States (1) .....   1,358     1,144     1,056      278,831   188,397   211,009      254,063  186,030  150,140

Northeast .....................     299       290       214       59,392    39,426    45,760       68,344   46,621   35,153

    New England ...............      76        47        49       14,358     5,390     9,479       14,638    5,975    7,172
    Middle Atlantic ...........     223       243       165       45,034    34,036    36,281       53,706   40,646   27,981

South .........................     363       222       245       67,561    38,862    38,296       61,479   39,178   33,163

    South Atlantic ............     231       141       150       45,621    26,249    23,150       39,364   26,307   19,275
    East South Central ........      43        35        30        8,746     4,931     3,719        6,407    5,018    3,366
    West South Central ........      89        46        65       13,194     7,682    11,427       15,708    7,853   10,522

Midwest .......................     416       429       368       78,819    66,008    69,280       77,158   63,717   54,832

    East North Central ........     339       355       309       65,795    56,776    61,117       65,905   54,584   47,004
    West North Central ........      77        74        59       13,024     9,232     8,163       11,253    9,133    7,828

West ..........................     280       203       229       73,059    44,101    57,673       47,082   36,514   26,992

    Mountain ..................      56        29        39       20,951     4,615    23,494        8,065    3,227    4,272
    Pacific ...................     224       174       190       52,108    39,486    34,179       39,017   33,287   22,720
                    
                    
    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    r = revised.
    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 5. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

                                                                                                       Initial claimants for    
                                          Layoff events                      Separations               unemployment insurance   
           State         
                                      II         I        II          II         I        II           II         I        II        
                                     2004r     2005r     2005p       2004r     2005r     2005p        2004r     2005r     2005p       

  Total, private nonfarm (1) ...     1,358     1,144     1,056      278,831   188,397   211,009      254,063   186,030   150,140

Alabama ........................         7     ( 2 )         3        1,351     ( 2 )       232        1,391     ( 2 )       279
Alaska .........................        10     ( 2 )         9        1,301     ( 2 )     1,181        1,301     ( 2 )     1,181
Arizona ........................        20         3         5        4,015       605     2,737        3,294       585       862
Arkansas .......................         9     ( 2 )         5        1,724     ( 2 )     1,166          722     ( 2 )       635
California .....................       169       133       129       41,711    23,838    23,736       31,214    26,678    14,695
Colorado .......................        15         8        12       11,016     1,844    14,766        2,525     1,003     1,431
Connecticut ....................        21         6        13        6,507     1,098     2,161        4,739       691     1,697
Delaware .......................         4     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          908     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          885     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
District of Columbia ...........     ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -
Florida ........................       129        70        93       27,068    14,571    14,259       22,463    12,971    10,493
Georgia ........................        30        18        25        7,164     2,269     3,205        6,536     3,387     3,223
Hawaii .........................         5     ( 2 )         5          657     ( 2 )       478          533     ( 2 )       434
Idaho ..........................         6         6         -        1,010       782         -          706       572         -

Illinois .......................       111       112       104       30,405    23,287    27,990       26,230    17,708    18,408
Indiana ........................        24        29        24        4,244     3,815     5,419        4,106     4,896     3,669
Iowa ...........................         7         8         6        1,198       644     1,024          922     1,159       710
Kansas .........................        15        10         -        3,176     1,014         -        2,342       968         -
Kentucky .......................        21        18        19        3,663     2,509     2,036        2,323     2,723     2,007
Louisiana ......................        28        16        19        4,557     3,131     3,180        3,250     1,754     2,659
Maine ..........................         6         7         6        1,768     1,468     2,020          828       911       806
Maryland .......................         4         -     ( 2 )          651         -     ( 2 )          523         -     ( 2 )
Massachusetts ..................        28        29        16        2,205     2,360     3,311        5,233     3,904     2,696
Michigan .......................        64        76        73       10,461     9,550    11,587       13,759    11,043    10,726
Minnesota ......................        23        29        23        3,312     3,155     3,051        2,673     2,768     3,722
Mississippi ....................         6         5     ( 2 )        1,362       512     ( 2 )          642       509     ( 2 )
Missouri .......................        24        23        20        4,540     4,031     3,059        4,382     3,991     2,419

Montana ........................         4     ( 2 )         5          951     ( 2 )     1,112          332     ( 2 )       377
Nebraska .......................         6     ( 2 )         8          657     ( 2 )       788          757     ( 2 )       740
Nevada .........................         4     ( 2 )         3          824     ( 2 )       299          611     ( 2 )       299
New Hampshire ..................         5     ( 2 )         4          573     ( 2 )       318          573     ( 2 )       318
New Jersey .....................        55        35        39       12,195     5,181    16,069       13,860     4,647     8,791
New Mexico .....................     ( 2 )         3         4        ( 2 )       242       475        ( 2 )       232       471
New York .......................        79       139        54       19,371    21,083    11,707       18,741    23,009     7,678
North Carolina .................        19        22         8        2,828     3,680       623        2,342     3,021       753
North Dakota ...................         -         -     ( 2 )            -         -     ( 2 )            -         -     ( 2 )
Ohio ...........................        82        87        75       11,281     9,663    10,378       12,264     9,952     9,153
Oklahoma .......................         5         5     ( 2 )          449       397     ( 2 )          558       574     ( 2 )
Oregon .........................        22        14        18        4,558     8,875     3,970        3,525     2,713     2,752
Pennsylvania ...................        89        69        72       13,468     7,772     8,505       21,105    12,990    11,512

Rhode Island ...................         9     ( 2 )         3        2,057     ( 2 )       299        2,017     ( 2 )       285
South Carolina .................        11         7         7        1,615     1,173     1,090        1,878     1,307     1,122
South Dakota ...................     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
Tennessee ......................         9        11         7        2,370     1,850     1,228        2,051     1,663       886
Texas ..........................        47        24        40        6,464     3,939     6,218       11,178     5,405     7,104
Utah ...........................         5         3         9        2,465       404     3,305          407       393       752
Vermont ........................         7     ( 2 )         7        1,248     ( 2 )     1,370        1,248     ( 2 )     1,370
Virginia .......................        28        23        10        4,774     4,494     1,840        4,156     5,559     1,549
Washington .....................        18        24        29        3,881     6,403     4,814        2,444     3,526     3,658
West Virginia ..................         5         -         4          541         -       459          509         -       461
Wisconsin ......................        58        51        33        9,404    10,461     5,743        9,546    10,985     5,048
Wyoming ........................     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )

Puerto Rico ....................        14         9        19        2,005       999     2,423        2,811     2,547     3,795
                    
        
    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. 





Table 6. Information technology-producing industries: Extended mass layoff events and separations, private nonfarm sector, 1998-2005

                                                             Information technology-producing industries(1)
                       Total extended  
       Year             mass layoffs              Computer              Software and          Communications       Communications
                                                 hardware(2)         computer services(3)      equipment(4)          services(5)       
                                                                                                                                    
                      Layoff                 Layoff                 Layoff                 Layoff                 Layoff              
                      events   Separations   events  Separations    events    Separations  events   Separations   events  Separations 

       1998       

First quarter .....    1,115      178,251       29        5,212         8         1,550        7          725        9        1,685
Second quarter ....    1,333      336,536       37        8,455         5           357        7        1,317        5          650
Third quarter .....    1,028      201,186       63       11,066         5         1,175       12        3,031        5        1,051
Fourth quarter ....    1,383      275,272       37       11,336         5           974        7        1,898        6          764

    Total .........    4,859      991,245      166       36,069        23         4,056       33        6,971       25        4,150

       1999        

First quarter .....    1,262      230,711       35        4,363        10         1,796       10        1,600        6        1,002
Second quarter ....    1,194      246,251       28        3,891         7         1,731        8        1,097    ( 6 )        ( 6 )
Third quarter .....      898      184,429       22       11,546         7         1,141        5          840    ( 6 )        ( 6 )
Fourth quarter ....    1,202      240,060       18        2,757         5           526        4          807        6        1,430

    Total .........    4,556      901,451      103       22,557        29         5,194       27        4,344       18        3,930

       2000        

First quarter .....    1,081      202,500       22        5,195        14         2,717        9        1,402        4          771
Second quarter ....    1,055      205,861       18        8,862        22         9,114        7          805        7          977
Third quarter .....      817      174,628       10        1,678        12         1,422        4        1,465        6        1,280
Fourth quarter ....    1,638      332,973       16        3,070        22         3,521        5          946        7        1,020

    Total .........    4,591      915,962       66       18,805        70        16,774       25        4,618       24        4,048

       2001        

First quarter .....    1,546      304,171       91       20,991        44         7,963       22        4,441       24        5,312
Second quarter ....    1,828      430,499      161       38,986        87        12,943       36       12,109       28        6,386
Third quarter .....    1,629      330,391      142       24,813        55         6,820       39        8,200       36        7,134
Fourth quarter ....    2,372      459,771      109       17,797        56         8,290       43       10,124       48       11,252

    Total .........    7,375    1,524,832      503      102,587       242        36,016      140       34,874      136       30,084

       2002        

First quarter .....    1,611      299,266       84       18,574        39         4,442       32        8,192       42        6,664
Second quarter ....    1,624      344,606       69       11,764        49         5,454       27        4,870       53        8,538
Third quarter .....    1,186      255,152       76       15,017        42         5,415       34        6,529       42        7,945
Fourth quarter ....    1,916      373,307       74       14,298        32         7,071       19        3,645       39        8,987

    Total .........    6,337    1,272,331      303       59,653       162        22,382      112       23,236      176       32,134

       2003        

First quarter .....    1,502      286,947       71       11,900        33         5,689       23        4,402       41        6,591
Second quarter ....    1,799      368,273       54        9,221        27         4,124       21        3,098       29        5,891
Third quarter .....    1,190      236,333       46        6,488        26         4,433        9        1,289       15        2,604
Fourth quarter ....    1,690      325,333       25        5,080        14         1,984        9        1,619       28        6,635

    Total .........    6,181    1,216,886      196       32,689       100        16,230       62       10,408      113       21,721

       2004        

First quarter .....    1,339      276,503       27        3,222        16         2,992        8          894       23        4,197
Second quarter ....    1,358   (r)278,831       18        2,959        21         3,576        -            -       22        5,295
Third quarter .....      886   (r)164,598       13        2,288        15         1,617        4          430       13        4,317
Fourth quarter ....    1,427   (r)273,967       18        3,055        10         1,547        4          563       23        3,457

    Total .........    5,010   (r)993,899       76       11,524        62         9,732       16        1,887       81       17,266

       2005        

First quarter ..... (r)1,144   (r)188,397    (r)13     (r)1,526     (r)13      (r)2,679        4       (r)439    (r)17     (r)3,839
Second quarter(p) .    1,056      211,009       16        1,811        16         1,758        4          842       11        1,800
                    
                    
    1 Information technology-producing industries are defined in Digital Economy 2003, Economics and Statistics Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce. 
    2 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are:
semiconductor machinery manufacturing; office machinery manufacturing; electronic computer manufacturing; computer storage 
device manufacturing; computer terminal manufacturing; other computer peripheral equipment mfg.; electron tube manufacturing; 
bare printed circuit board manufacturing; semiconductors and related device mfg.; electronic capacitor manufacturing; 
electronic resistor manufacturing; electronic coils, transformers, and inductors; electronic connector manufacturing; 
printed circuit assembly manufacturing; other electronic component manufacturing; industrial process variable instruments; 
electricity and signal testing instruments; analytical laboratory instrument mfg.; computer and software merchant wholesalers;  
and computer and software stores.
    3 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are:
software publishers; internet service providers; web search portals; data processing and related services; computer and 
software merchant wholesalers; computer and software stores; custom computer programming services; computer systems design 
services; computer facilities management services; other computer related services; office equipment rental and leasing; 
and computer and office machine repair. 
    4 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are:
telephone apparatus manufacturing; audio and video equipment manufacturing; broadcast and wireless communications equip.; 
fiber optic cable manufacturing; software reproducing; and magnetic and optical recording media mfg. 
    5 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are: 
wired telecommunications carriers; cellular and other wireless carriers; telecommunications resellers; cable and other 
program distribution; satellite telecommunications; other telecommunications; and communication equipment repair. 
    6 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary. 
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.




     
Table 7. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

                                                                Layoff events                          Separations 
                     Industry                                                            


                                                       II            I           II           II            I           II        
                                                      2004         2005r        2005p        2004         2005r        2005p       
                     

         Total, private nonfarm (1) .............       86           71           62        16,240        14,600        9,720
  
  Mining ........................................        -            -            -             -             -            -
  Utilities .....................................        -            -        ( 2 )             -             -        ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            -         ( 2 )         ( 2 )            -
  Manufacturing .................................       57           44           40        10,999         9,070        5,602
      Food ......................................    ( 2 )            4            3         ( 2 )         1,122          350
      Beverage and tobacco products .............        -            -            -             -             -            -
      Textile mills .............................        4        ( 2 )            -           537         ( 2 )            -
      Textile product mills .....................        4            4            -           874           745            -
      Apparel ...................................        4            3            3           847           549          213
      Leather and allied products ...............        -            -            -             -             -            -
      Wood products .............................        -        ( 2 )            -             -         ( 2 )            -
      Paper .....................................        3        ( 2 )            -           453         ( 2 )            -
      Printing and related support activities ...    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )         ( 2 )         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
      Petroleum and coal products ...............        -            -            -             -             -            -

      Chemicals .................................    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            -         ( 2 )         ( 2 )            -
      Plastics and rubber products ..............        5            5            3           632         1,243          476
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............        -            -        ( 2 )             -             -        ( 2 )
      Primary metal .............................    ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )         ( 2 )             -        ( 2 )
      Fabricated metal products .................        5            5            6         1,010         1,330        1,175
      Machinery .................................    ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )         ( 2 )             -        ( 2 )
      Computer and electronic products ..........        7        ( 2 )            6         1,975         ( 2 )        1,004
      Electrical equipment and appliance ........    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            3         ( 2 )         ( 2 )          715
      Transportation equipment ..................        4            5            8         1,013           789          880
      Furniture and related products ............        8            4            3         1,026           697          286
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            -         ( 2 )         ( 2 )            -

  Wholesale trade ...............................        4            7        ( 2 )           410           577        ( 2 )
  Retail trade ..................................        6            5            4         1,039           769        1,092
  Transportation and warehousing ................    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            3         ( 2 )         ( 2 )          689
  Information ...................................        4        ( 2 )        ( 2 )           771         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
  Finance and insurance .........................    ( 2 )            4            6         ( 2 )         1,233          847
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............        -        ( 2 )            -             -         ( 2 )            -
  Professional and technical services ...........    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            3         ( 2 )         ( 2 )          475
  Management of companies and enterprises .......        -            -            -             -             -            -
  Administrative and waste services .............        5        ( 2 )        ( 2 )         1,372         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
  Educational services ..........................        -            -            -             -             -            -
  Health care and social assistance .............        -        ( 2 )            -             -         ( 2 )            -
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........        -            -            -             -             -            -
  Accommodation and food services ...............        -            -            -             -             -            -
  Other services, except public administration ..        -            -        ( 2 )             -             -        ( 2 )
  
  Unclassified...................................        -            -            -             -             -            -
                    
                    
   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.  





Table 8. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

  
                                                Layoff events                                Separations    
         Reason for layoff
 
                                        II          I          II                II               I              II        
                                       2004       2005r       2005p             2004            2005r           2005p       
                    

   Total, private nonfarm (1) ....      86          71          62            16,240           14,600           9,720


Automation .......................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Bankruptcy .......................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Business ownership change ........       7           5       ( 2 )             1,380            1,719           ( 2 )
Contract cancellation ............       3           4       ( 2 )               493              580           ( 2 )
Contract completed ...............       4           -           -               571                -               -
Energy-related ...................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Environment-related ..............       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Financial difficulty .............   ( 2 )       ( 2 )           4             ( 2 )            ( 2 )             682
Import competition ...............       4           7           6               913            1,187             434
Labor dispute ....................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Material shortage ................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Model changeover .................   ( 2 )           -           -             ( 2 )                -               -

Natural disaster .................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Non-natural disaster .............       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Plant or machine repair ..........       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Product line discontinued ........       3           4       ( 2 )               373              470           ( 2 )
Reorganization within company ....      49          40          42             8,717            8,318           6,904
Seasonal work ....................   ( 3 )       ( 3 )       ( 3 )             ( 3 )            ( 3 )           ( 3 )
Slack work .......................       4       ( 2 )           3             1,260            ( 2 )             645
Vacation period ..................   ( 3 )       ( 3 )       ( 3 )             ( 3 )            ( 3 )           ( 3 )
Weather-related ..................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Other ............................       9           7       ( 2 )             1,798            1,718           ( 2 )
Not reported .....................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
                    
    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    3 The questions on movement of work were not asked of employers  when the reason for layoff was either seasonal
work or vacation period. 
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero. 

                                        
                    
                    
                    
Table 9. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2004 and 2005


                                       Layoff events                              Separations    
 Census region and division
                               II            I          II            II             I              II        
                              2004         2005r       2005p         2004          2005r           2005p       
                    
        
        United States (1)..     86           71          62         16,240         14,600          9,720

Northeast .................     10            7          15          1,342          1,749          2,524
    
    New England ...........      4            4           7            613          1,124          1,112
    Middle Atlantic .......      6            3           8            729            625          1,412

South .....................     35           29          17          6,421          6,162          2,166
    
    South Atlantic ........     18           15          11          3,251          2,671          1,141
    East South Central ....     12            9       ( 2 )          2,253          2,216          ( 2 )
    West South Central ....      5            5       ( 2 )            917          1,275          ( 2 )

Midwest ...................     22           16          14          4,503          2,742          2,566
    
    East North Central ....     19        ( 2 )          14          3,427          ( 2 )          2,566
    West North Central ....      3        ( 2 )           -          1,076          ( 2 )              -

West ......................     19           19          16          3,974          3,947          2,464
    
    Mountain ..............  ( 2 )            -       ( 2 )          ( 2 )              -          ( 2 )
    Pacific ...............  ( 2 )           19       ( 2 )          ( 2 )          3,947          ( 2 )
                                        
                    
    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    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: Iliinois, 
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.
Dash represents zero.




    
Table 10. Extended mass layoff events and separations, selected measures, selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

        
                                                   Layoff events                                Separations                                  
         Action                                                     
                        
                                           II           I             II           II               I              II        
                                          2004        2005r          2005p        2005            2005r           2005p       
                    

Total, private nonfarm (1) .........     1,358        1,144          1,056       278,831         188,397         211,009

  Total, excluding seasonal         
    and vacation events (2) ........       787          771            550       151,447         131,151          86,368
    
    Total, movement of work (3).....        86           71             62        16,240          14,600           9,720

      Movement of work actions .....       112           90             84         ( 4 )           ( 4 )           ( 4 )
        With separations reported ..        82           66             66        11,098           9,422           7,736
        With separations unknown ...        30           24             18         ( 4 )           ( 4 )           ( 4 )
                    
                    
    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 The questions on movement of work were not asked of employers when the reason for layoff 
was either seasonal work or vacation period. 
    3 Movement of work can involve more than one action.
    4 Data are not available.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    




Table 11. Movement of work actions by type of separation where number of separations is known by employers,
selected quarters, 2004 and 2005

                                           Layoff events(1)                       Separations    
         Action
                                      II          I          II            II        I           II        
                                     2004       2005r       2005p         2004     2005r        2005p       
                    
With separations reported (2)..        82         66         66          11,098     9,422       7,736       

        By location

  Out-of-country relocations...        19         21         26           2,415     3,811       2,582       
    Within company.............        13         17         19           1,882     3,353       1,938       
    Different company .........         6          4          7             533       458         644

  Domestic relocations ........        59         45         37           8,257     5,611       4,560
    Within company.............        46         37         31           5,982     4,626       3,907       
    Different company .........        13          8          6           2,275       985         653        

  Unable to assign place of ...
    relocation ................         4          -          3             426         -         594
   

        By company

  Within company ..............        63         54         53           8,290     7,979       6,439
    Domestic ..................        46         37         31           5,982     4,626       3,907
    Out of country ............        13         17         19           1,882     3,353       1,938
    Unable to assign ..........         4          -          3             426         -         594        

  Different company ...........        19         12         13           2,808     1,443       1,297       
    Domestic ..................        13          8          6           2,275       985         653        
    Out of country ............         6          4          7             533       458         644        
    Unable to assign...........         -          -          -               -         -           -            
                   
                   
   1 Only actions for which separations associated with the movement of work were reported are shown.  
   2 See footnote 1, table 1.
   r = revised.
   p = preliminary.
   NOTE: Dash represents zero.