1
Technical information:
http://www.bls.gov/mls/
Media contact:
(202) 691-6392
691-5902
USDL 04-287
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
MASS LAYOFFS IN JANUARY 2004
In January 2004, there were 2,428 mass layoff actions by employers, as measured by new filings for
unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and the
number of workers involved totaled 239,454. (See table 1.) This marked the most events for a January
and the third highest January level of mass-layoff initial claims since the series began. Both the number of
layoff events and initial claims were higher than a year ago. January 2004 marked only the third time in the
last two years that initial claims had increased over the year.
Industry Distribution
Temporary help services, with 17,544 initial claimants, and school and employee bus transportation, with
8,631 initial claimants, together accounted for 11 percent of all initial claims in January. The latter industry
reached a peak for a January this month. (See table A.) The 10 industries reporting the highest number of
mass-layoff initial claims accounted for 62,597 initial claims in January, 26 percent of the total.
The manufacturing sector recorded 35 percent of all mass layoff events and 37 percent of all initial claims
filed in January. A year ago, manufacturing reported 36 percent of events and 40 percent of initial claims.
Within manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in transportation equipment (15,107, mostly
automotive-related) and in food processing (11,083, mainly in fruits and vegetables). (See table 2.)
The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 12 percent of both events and initial claims
filed in January, with layoffs mostly in temporary help services. Construction accounted for 13 percent of
events and 10 percent of initial claims during the month, primarily in heavy and civil engineering construction
and among specialty trade contractors. Eight percent of all layoff events and 9 percent of initial claims filed
during the month were in retail trade, mainly in general merchandise stores, especially in discount department
stores, which recorded a series peak for January. An additional 5 percent of events and 6 percent of initial
claims in January were in transportation and warehousing.
Government establishments accounted for 4 percent of events and 5 percent of initial claims filed during
the month, particularly in the administration of economic programs and in educational services. The number
of initial claims in government was the highest for a January since 1998.
Compared with January 2003, the largest increases in initial claims were reported in motion picture and
sound recording (+3,838), transit and ground passenger transportation (+3,096), transportation equipment
2
Table A. Industries with the largest mass-layoff initial claims in January 2004
p
January peak
Industry
Initial claims
Temporary help services ........................................
School and employee bus transportation ................
Highway, street, and bridge contruction .................
Discount department stores ...................................
Motion picture and video production .....................
Professional employer organizations .......................
Automobile manufacturing ......................................
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders ..............
Hotels and motels, except casino hotels .................
Broadwoven fabric mills ........................................
17,544
8,631
6,075
6,063
5,439
4,736
4,378
3,694
3,355
2,682
Year
1998
2004
2000
2004
1998
2002
2001
1999
1997
2002
Initial claims
26,224
8,631
9,680
6,063
12,038
5,033
21,093
5,859
4,460
5,419
p=preliminary.
(+2,927), food manufacturing (+2,830), and heavy and civil engineering construction (+2,711). The largest
over-the-year decreases in initial claims were reported in computer and electronic products (-3,816) and in
air transportation (-3,695).
Geographic Distribution
Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims in January due to mass layoffs was reported
in the Midwest, 68,404. (See table 3.) Transportation equipment manufacturing and administrative and
waste services accounted for 23 percent of all initial claims in that region during the month. The West region
was next, with 67,285 initial claims, followed by the South, with 53,115, and the Northeast, with 50,650.
The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs rose over the year in the Midwest (+16,242) and the
Northeast (+6,254), and declined in the South (-8,372) and the West (-100). Four of the nine geographic
divisions had over-the-year increases in the number of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the
largest increases in the East North Central (+17,066) and Middle Atlantic (+7,493) divisions. The South
Atlantic (-7,126) and East South Central (-2,142) divisions reported the largest declines in mass-layoff initial
claims.
Among the states, California recorded the largest number of initial claims filed in mass layoff events in
January, 51,395, mostly in administrative and support services. New York reported 24,376 initial claims,
followed by Michigan (16,615) and Ohio (15,169). These four states accounted for 45 percent of both
layoff events and initial claims for unemployment insurance. (See table 4.)
Michigan reported the largest over-the-year increase in the number of initial claims (+14,633), followed
by New York (+5,570). The largest over-the-year decrease occurred in South Carolina (-2,391).
Note
The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning in a given
month, regardless of the duration of the layoffs. Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later and
issued in a quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as “extended
mass layoffs”). The quarterly release provides more information on the industry classification and location of
3
the establishment and on the demographics of the laid-off workers. Because monthly figures include shortterm layoffs of 30 days or less, the sum of the figures for the 3 months in a quarter will be higher than the
quarterly figure for mass layoffs of more than 30 days. (See table 1.) See the Technical Note for more
detailed definitions.
_____________________________
The report on Mass Layoffs in February 2004 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, March 24,
2004.
NOTE: Due to budget constraints in the Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program, beginning
with data for the first quarter of 2004, the scope of quarterly extended mass layoffs and plant
closings, regularly reported in the release, Extended Mass Layoffs in (Quarter), has been
redefined to cover only the private nonfarm economy. Quarterly information on layoff events in
agriculture and government will no longer be collected. However, the monthly reporting of the
MLS program in the release, Mass Layoffs in (Month), which is based only on administrative
data, will be unaffected and will continue to cover the total economy.
Technical Note
The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state
program that uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying,
describing, and tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data
from each state’s unemployment insurance database. Each month,
states report on establishments which have at least 50 initial claims
filed against them during a consecutive 5-week period. These
establishments then are contacted by the state agency to determine
whether these separations lasted 31 days or longer, and, if so, other
information concerning the layoff is collected. States report on layoffs
lasting more than 1 month on a quarterly basis.
A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment
insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that
month. All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the
first day of the month falls on Saturday. In this case, the week is
included in the prior month's tabulations. This means that some
months will contain 4 weeks and others 5 weeks, and the number of
weeks in a given month may be different from year to year. Therefore,
analysis of over-the-month and over-the-year change should take this
calendar effect into consideration.
The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it
had been terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding. Prior
to April 1995, monthly layoff statistics were not available.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200;
TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
Definitions
Initial claimant. A person who files any notice of unemployment to initiate a request either for a determination of entitlement to and eligibility for compensation, or for a subsequent
period of unemployment within a benefit year or period of
eligibility.
Mass layoff event. Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week
period, regardless of duration.
Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, January 2002 to January 2004
Private nonfarm
Total mass layoffs
Mass layoffs
Date
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2002
January ..............................................
February .............................................
March .................................................
2,146
1,382
1,460
263,777
138,808
161,316
2,028
1,253
1,335
252,245
129,849
151,305
First Quarter .......................................
4,988
563,901
4,616
533,399
April ....................................................
May ....................................................
June ...................................................
1,506
1,723
1,584
165,814
179,799
162,189
1,378
1,571
1,266
153,216
166,801
136,424
Second Quarter ..................................
4,813
507,802
4,215
456,441
July .....................................................
August ................................................
September .........................................
2,042
1,248
1,062
245,294
128,103
124,522
1,819
1,151
957
226,892
119,874
114,736
Third Quarter ......................................
4,352
497,919
3,927
461,502
October ..............................................
November ..........................................
December ..........................................
1,497
2,153
2,474
171,100
240,171
264,158
1,270
1,860
2,324
149,327
216,237
252,807
Fourth Quarter ...................................
6,124
675,429
5,454
618,371
January ..............................................
February .............................................
March .................................................
2,315
1,363
1,207
225,430
124,965
113,026
2,130
1,222
1,099
210,918
116,264
104,468
First Quarter .......................................
4,885
463,421
4,451
431,650
April ....................................................
May ....................................................
June ...................................................
1,581
1,703
1,691
161,412
174,204
157,552
1,470
1,538
1,336
152,937
160,729
127,743
Second Quarter ..................................
4,975
493,168
4,344
441,409
July .....................................................
August ................................................
September .........................................
2,087
1,258
868
226,435
133,839
82,647
1,815
1,163
756
206,901
124,131
73,914
Third Quarter ......................................
4,213
442,921
3,734
404,946
October ..............................................
November ..........................................
December p ........................................
1,523
1,438
1,929
158,240
138,543
192,633
1,265
1,234
1,793
137,706
123,524
182,750
p
Fourth Quarter .................................
4,890
489,416
4,292
443,980
2,428
239,454
2,226
220,687
Extended mass layoffs
lasting more than 30 days
Initial
claimants
Events
Realization rates1
Events
Initial
claimants
1,611
292,998
34.9
54.9
1,624
299,598
38.5
65.6
1,186
254,955
30.2
55.2
1,916
370,592
35.1
59.9
1,502
297,524
33.7
68.9
1,799
346,549
41.4
78.5
1,190
225,609
31.9
55.7
229,014
37.1
51.6
2003
2
1,592
2
2004
January
1
p
...........................................
The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm
data on these layoffs become available. Experience suggests that the
mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days. The initial claimant realization
number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards
rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial claimants
by less than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated
associated with layoffs lasting more than 30 days.
2
These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more
with such events increases by 25-40 percent.
p
= preliminary.
Table 2. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Industry
January
November
December
January
2003
2003
2003p
2004
January
November
December
2003
2003
2003
2004
Total ....................................................................
2,315
1,438
1,929
2,428
225,430
138,543
192,633
239,454
Total, private ...............................................................
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ................
2,228
98
1,380
146
1,846
53
2,339
113
217,441
6,523
133,818
10,294
185,928
3,178
228,578
7,891
Total, private nonfarm...............................................
Mining .....................................................................
Utilities ....................................................................
Construction ...........................................................
Manufacturing..........................................................
Food ...................................................................
Beverage and tobacco products .........................
Textile mills .........................................................
Textile product mills ............................................
Apparel ...............................................................
Leather and allied products ................................
Wood products ...................................................
Paper ..................................................................
Printing and related support activities ................
Petroleum and coal products ..............................
2,130
20
10
264
822
91
11
42
18
53
5
56
19
21
5
1,234
8
4
263
408
70
9
13
8
14
1,793
21
3
335
648
89
5
31
14
32
7
55
12
7
10
2,226
17
3
324
848
108
9
48
19
44
11
46
20
24
5
210,918
1,697
745
18,862
90,244
8,253
755
7,611
1,890
6,085
294
6,702
2,510
1,803
339
123,524
568
308
20,999
48,419
8,410
938
1,178
483
1,269
182,750
1,937
160
25,684
77,915
9,285
781
4,299
2,102
3,232
842
5,000
934
627
863
220,687
1,329
345
23,405
89,551
11,083
834
6,376
1,933
5,836
1,195
5,651
1,847
2,147
362
Chemicals ...........................................................
Plastics and rubber products ..............................
Nonmetallic mineral products .............................
Primary metals ...................................................
Fabricated metal products ..................................
Machinery ...........................................................
14
34
35
48
58
52
10
27
21
22
31
28
9
40
49
33
39
24
23
50
42
44
72
39
1,202
3,599
3,201
5,846
5,664
5,962
908
2,085
2,089
2,470
2,696
4,642
735
3,579
4,079
3,421
4,045
3,629
2,384
4,821
3,813
4,579
6,960
3,017
Computer and electronic products .....................
Electrical equipment and appliances ..................
Transportation equipment ..................................
Furniture and related products ...........................
Miscellaneous manufacturing .............................
81
30
86
36
27
19
12
51
10
8
19
20
122
14
17
44
23
114
36
27
7,377
2,920
12,126
4,003
2,102
1,468
2,671
9,696
856
891
1,408
4,726
21,061
1,607
1,660
3,561
2,263
15,107
3,541
2,241
Wholesale trade .....................................................
Retail trade .............................................................
Transportation and warehousing ............................
Information .............................................................
Finance and insurance ...........................................
Real estate and rental and leasing .........................
Professional and technical services .......................
Management of companies and enterprises ..........
Administrative and waste services .........................
Educational services...............................................
Health care and social assistance ..........................
Arts, entertainment, and recreation ........................
Accommodation and food services ........................
Other services, except public administration...........
43
209
147
69
46
7
45
(2)
274
2
( )
26
29
87
27
23
76
42
37
19
8
33
(2)
163
2
( )
28
26
75
15
27
98
131
40
27
4
57
3
200
6
27
20
131
12
27
188
128
67
41
15
47
3
285
8
35
41
113
26
3,307
21,592
16,422
6,034
3,854
408
6,346
(2)
26,885
2
( )
1,811
2,060
7,102
3,097
2,421
6,877
4,127
5,918
1,485
432
3,175
(2)
13,925
2
( )
2,243
1,920
7,348
1,081
2,443
9,203
15,528
3,839
1,764
562
6,095
296
17,256
327
2,075
1,795
14,701
955
2,391
22,145
14,038
9,394
3,547
1,202
4,288
895
27,855
553
2,991
3,149
9,614
2,992
Unclassified ...........................................................
2
2
3
10
172
1,646
215
1,003
Government ................................................................
Federal ...................................................................
State .......................................................................
Local .......................................................................
87
19
28
40
58
9
22
27
83
13
10
60
89
26
13
50
7,989
2,303
2,630
3,056
4,725
820
1,917
1,988
6,705
1,419
830
4,456
10,876
2,725
1,405
6,746
1
1
Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
2
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
(2)
29
12
8
(2)
p
p
= preliminary.
(2)
3,852
856
570
(2)
p
January
p
Table 3. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Census region and division
January
2003
November
2003
December
2003p
January
2004p
United States1 ....................................................
2,315
1,438
1,929
2,428
Northeast ...................................................................
475
210
350
New England ..........................................................
Middle Atlantic ........................................................
68
407
29
181
South ..........................................................................
554
South Atlantic .........................................................
East South Central .................................................
West South Central ................................................
November
2003
December
2003p
225,430
138,543
192,633
239,454
498
44,396
21,478
34,437
50,650
66
284
64
434
6,928
37,468
2,282
19,196
6,904
27,533
5,689
44,961
265
335
501
61,487
27,438
32,467
53,115
288
167
99
135
35
95
192
59
84
244
153
104
32,616
19,318
9,553
13,822
4,212
9,404
17,903
6,510
8,054
25,490
17,176
10,449
Midwest ......................................................................
523
426
780
688
52,162
46,298
87,806
68,404
East North Central .................................................
West North Central ................................................
401
122
313
113
596
184
574
114
41,608
10,554
31,687
14,611
64,802
23,004
58,674
9,730
West ...........................................................................
763
537
464
741
67,385
43,329
37,923
67,285
Mountain ................................................................
Pacific ....................................................................
73
690
51
486
63
401
63
678
6,151
61,234
4,606
38,723
7,025
30,898
6,292
60,993
1
See footnote 1, table 2.
p
= preliminary.
NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise
the census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middlee
Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic:
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Northhh
January
2003
January
2004p
Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central:
Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska,
California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
Table 4. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
State
January
November
December
January
January
November
December
January
2003
2003
2003p
2004p
2003
2003
2003p
2004p
Total1 .......................................................................
2,315
1,438
1,929
2,428
225,430
138,543
192,633
239,454
Alabama .....................................................................
Alaska .........................................................................
Arizona .......................................................................
Arkansas ....................................................................
California ....................................................................
Colorado .....................................................................
Connecticut ................................................................
Delaware ....................................................................
District of Columbia ....................................................
Florida ........................................................................
Georgia .......................................................................
Hawaii .........................................................................
Idaho ..........................................................................
119
7
14
8
579
16
16
10
6
4
3
420
7
4
27
3
8
6
346
11
13
112
6
7
14,789
471
1,292
699
48,913
1,540
1,508
1,384
561
257
777
32,200
549
312
3,728
213
551
656
25,953
1,107
1,166
13,754
429
645
2
( )
(2)
4,044
10,525
296
1,125
2
( )
4
83
89
8
19
2
( )
(2)
55
18
(2)
576
11
7
2
2
2
2
( )
(2)
60
92
4
16
( )
350
5,767
12,406
773
1,478
( )
(2)
3,533
1,771
( )
11
( )
4
63
31
6
12
( )
1,408
( )
287
4,826
3,354
506
1,647
2
2
(2)
51,395
1,043
669
2
Illinois .........................................................................
Indiana ........................................................................
Iowa ............................................................................
Kansas .......................................................................
Kentucky .....................................................................
Louisiana ....................................................................
Maine ..........................................................................
Maryland .....................................................................
Massachusetts ...........................................................
Michigan .....................................................................
Minnesota ...................................................................
Mississippi ..................................................................
Missouri ......................................................................
88
34
34
15
20
19
8
8
33
22
33
4
30
57
42
29
6
14
23
4
9
17
48
44
3
22
123
108
46
29
9
15
5
15
24
135
51
8
45
88
58
29
14
10
14
14
19
30
171
30
6
26
8,794
3,011
3,083
1,108
2,512
1,240
1,201
592
3,162
1,982
3,026
228
2,351
5,785
4,269
3,464
696
1,649
1,773
306
843
1,373
5,058
3,849
165
5,651
15,006
15,330
5,305
3,518
995
991
424
1,119
2,568
12,275
6,342
450
6,180
9,610
5,499
2,267
954
1,030
908
1,463
2,009
2,375
16,615
2,688
384
2,422
Montana .....................................................................
Nebraska ....................................................................
Nevada .......................................................................
New Hampshire ..........................................................
New Jersey .................................................................
New Mexico ................................................................
New York ....................................................................
North Carolina ............................................................
North Dakota ..............................................................
Ohio ............................................................................
Oklahoma ...................................................................
Oregon .......................................................................
Pennsylvania ..............................................................
3
7
15
5
49
5
188
26
5
7
14
7
10
20
4
11
14
428
412
1,156
918
1,411
2,351
270
984
2,225
(2)
43
4
59
23
4
75
3
26
79
(2)
76
3
88
23
(2)
73
6
194
18
204
539
1,276
623
4,372
309
18,806
3,215
(2)
6,895
278
9,448
1,857
(2)
7,191
328
24,376
1,829
(2)
117
12
26
120
(2)
141
13
70
167
(2)
16,689
2,225
7,672
14,290
(2)
5,985
212
5,648
3,635
474
6,464
406
3,058
7,563
(2)
10,693
1,278
2,498
11,190
(2)
15,169
1,517
6,681
13,394
12
17
5
26
310
5,954
( )
1,775
2,713
332
3,563
(2)
15
51
(2)
25
74
5
5
24
22
(2)
1,789
5,389
(2)
1,014
6,448
596
(2)
1,337
5,129
(2)
2,008
7,571
656
573
3,061
2,192
Rhode Island ..............................................................
South Carolina ............................................................
South Dakota ..............................................................
Tennessee ..................................................................
Texas ..........................................................................
Utah ............................................................................
Vermont ......................................................................
Virginia .......................................................................
Washington ................................................................
West Virginia ..............................................................
Wisconsin ...................................................................
Wyoming ....................................................................
Puerto Rico .................................................................
(2)
151
15
66
170
4
50
(2)
24
57
(2)
(2)
24
30
3
106
–
14
2
( )
7
(2)
8
66
6
2
( )
16
32
5
91
–
–
(2)
10
34
20
3
113
–
( )
116
–
(2)
(2)
3,266
3,405
174
11,132
–
( )
2,644
2,751
556
10,111
–
5
1,371
–
2
6
2
547
1
See footnote 1, table 2.
p
2
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
= preliminary.
2
(2)
794
3,372
1,728
176
11,498
–
( )
11,781
–
486
511
2