For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, February 21, 2024 USDL-24-0348

Technical information: (202) 691-6199 • workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/wsp

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • pressoffice@bls.gov

Major Work Stoppages in 2023

In 2023, there were 33 major work stoppages beginning in the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor 

Statistics reported today. This is the largest number of major work stoppages since there were 39 

in 2000. The lowest annual total of major work stoppages was 5 in 2009 and the highest was 470 

in 1952. Over the last 20 years (2004-2023), there have been an average of 16.7 work stoppages 

beginning in the year. A major work stoppage involves 1,000 or more workers and lasts at least 

one shift during the work week, Monday through Friday excluding Federal holidays. (See chart 

1.)

Chart 1. Number of major work stoppages, 2004-2023

There were 458,900 workers involved in major work stoppages that began in 2023. Serviceproviding industries accounted for 397,700 workers, or 86.7 percent of idled workers over the 

year. Within service-providing industries, the education and health services sector accounted for

the idling of 188,900 workers, the information sector for 171,500 workers, and the other sectors

for 37,300 workers.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

Number of work stoppages beginning in the period
In 2023, work stoppages in the manufacturing sector within goods-producing industries 

accounted for 61,200 workers, or 13.3 percent of idled workers over the year. (See chart 2.)

Chart 2. Number of workers idled by industry, in thousands, beginning in 2023

In 2023, three local government and five state government work stoppages began, idling 91,100 

workers. In private industry, 367,800 workers were idled beginning in the year. (See chart 3.)

Chart 3. Number of idled workers involved in work stoppages by ownership, in 

thousands, 2004-2023

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Manufacturing Information Education and health

services

Other

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

Private industry workers State and local government workers

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TECHNICAL NOTE

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on major (1,000 workers or more) work 

stoppages in the United States, excluding U.S. territories. Because of the complexity of most 

labor-management disputes, the Work Stoppages program makes no attempt to distinguish 

between strikes and lockouts in its statistics. The workers involved in a strike or lockout may or 

may not be members of a union.

The number of workers includes those idled for one shift or longer in the establishment(s) 

directly involved in the dispute, as well as those in the establishment idled for related reasons, 

such as their facility closed down during the stoppage. This number does not account for 

secondary idleness— that is, the effects of a stoppage on other establishments or industries 

whose employees may be made idle as a result of shortages of material or services. 

A day of idleness is a day that an employee is scheduled to work (Monday through Friday, 

excluding federal holidays) but does not work due to a work stoppage. The number of total days 

of idleness is computed by multiplying the number of workers idled by the number of lost 

workdays during the reference month.

An attempt is made to contact the parties involved in the work stoppage (employer, employer 

group, and union) to determine whether the duration and number of workers idled by the 

stoppage meet the thresholds for inclusion in this report. For additional information on the 

concepts, data sources, design, measures, and history of the work stoppages program, see 

www.bls.gov/opub/hom/wsp/home.htm.

Detailed monthly work stoppage data since 1993 are available at

www.bls.gov/web/wkstp/monthly-listing.htm and includes organizations involved, location, 

beginning and ending dates, industry, ownership, the number of workers, and total days of 

idleness.

Annual historical major work stoppages data from 1947 to present, including the number of work 

stoppages, workers idled, and total days of idleness, are available at 

www.bls.gov/web/wkstp/annual-listing.htm. 

Historical Bureau of Labor Statistics work stoppages publications are available from 1880 to 

1980 at www.bls.gov/wsp/questions-and-answers.htm. 

The latest Union Members report is available at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access 

telecommunications relay services.

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