Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm Technical information: (202) 606-6396 USDL 99-198 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT Media contact: 606-5902 Wednesday, July 21, 1999 EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1999 In January through March of 1999, there were 1,484 mass layoff actions by employers that resulted in the separation of 267,214 workers from their jobs for more than 30 days, according to preliminary figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both the number of layoff events and the number of separations were higher than in January- March 1998. (See table A.) The completion of seasonal work was the major reason cited for layoffs and accounted for 34 percent of all first-quarter 1999 events and separations. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring resulted in 76,534 separations. Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 12 percent of all events and affected 49,742 workers, up from 37,500 workers in the same period a year earlier. The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs covers layoffs of at least 31-days duration that involve 50 or more individuals from a single establishment filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a consecutive 5-week period. Data for the first 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 layoffs. Thus, comparisons between consecutive quarters should not be used as an indicator of trend. Additional information about the program is provided in the technical note that follows the analysis. Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs In the private sector during January-March 1999, agriculture accounted for 15 percent of all layoff events and 16 percent of all separations. The layoff activity occurred primarily among farm labor contractors and was almost entirely due to the end of seasonal work. (See table 1.) Thirty-three percent of all layoff events and 32 percent of all separations occurred in manufacturing industries. Layoffs from durable goods manufacturers were most numerous in transportation equipment (primarily in aircraft and aircraft parts and equipment), industrial - 2 - Table A. Selected measures of mass layoff activity ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Period | Layoff events | Separations | Initial claimants ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995 | | | April-June(r).......| 1,724 | 400,891 | 332,731 July-September(r)...| 950 | 193,956 | 154,226 October-December(r).| 1,764 | 348,036 | 312,428 1996 | | | January-March(r)....| 1,408 | 272,399 | 224,393 April-June(r).......| 1,352 | 261,628 | 200,032 July-September(r)...| 1,021 | 233,199 | 185,247 October-December(r).| 1,916 | 417,044 | 384,073 1997 | | | January-March(r)....| 1,317 | 255,227 | 224,180 April-June(r).......| 1,587 | 351,198 | 292,673 July-September(r)...| 1,082 | 217,869 | 209,019 October-December(r).| 1,697 | 321,821 | 316,035 1998 | | | January-March(r)....| 1,320 | 208,082 | 247,315 April-June(r).......| 1,563 | 391,461 | 402,259 July-September(r)...| 1,234 | 248,050 | 256,790 October-December(r).| 1,736 | 391,101 | 327,039 1999 | | | January-March(p)....| 1,484 | 267,214 | 200,677 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. r=revised. machinery and equipment (largely in farm machinery and equipment), and primary metals (mostly in blast furnaces and steel mills). In nondurable goods industries, layoffs were most prevalent in food processing (canned and frozen fruits and vegetables and candy and other confectionery products). Construction accounted for 19 percent of all layoff events and 12 percent of all separations, largely in heavy construction. Services accounted for 14 percent of all layoff events and separations, mainly in business services (primarily help supply) and motion pictures (mostly motion picture and video production). Cutbacks in retail trade accounted for 8 percent of events and 15 percent of separations, primarily in department stores and catalog and mail-order houses. Layoffs in government establishments accounted for 2 percent of total events and separations. Reasons for Extended Layoff Thirty-four percent of the separations and events in the first quarter were due to seasonal work. These layoffs were largely the result of the end of the growing season and were most numerous among workers in agricultural services (such as farm labor contractors and crop preparation - 3 - Table B. Distribution of layoff events by size of layoff, January-March 1999 --------------------------------------------------------------- | Layoff events | Separations Size |-------------------------------------------- | Number | Percent | Number | Percent -----------------------------------------------------|--------- | | | | Total.........| 1,484 | 100.0 | 267,214 | 100.0 | | | | 50-99............| 677 | 45.6 | 48,005 | 18.0 100-149..........| 344 | 23.2 | 39,492 | 14.8 150-199..........| 140 | 9.4 | 23,337 | 8.7 200-299..........| 158 | 10.6 | 35,946 | 13.5 300-499..........| 91 | 6.1 | 32,529 | 12.2 500-999..........| 41 | 2.8 | 26,406 | 9.9 1,000 or more....| 33 | 2.2 | 61,499 | 23.0 --------------------------------------------------------------- services), agricultural production crops (mostly in grape crops), and miscellaneous retail (primarily catalog and mail-order houses). Layoffs due to internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) comprised 18 percent of all layoff events and 29 percent of all separations; the 76,534 separations due to restructuring were the highest first-quarter level since 1996 (78,558). (See table 2.) Size of Extended Layoff Layoff events during the first quarter continued to be concentrated at the lower end of the layoff-size spectrum, with 69 percent involving fewer than 150 workers. These events, however, accounted for only 33 percent of all separations. (See table B.) Separations involving 500 or more workers accounted for another 33 percent of all separations, up markedly from 18 percent a year earlier. Layoffs due to bankruptcy in general merchandise stores contributed to the high percentage of laid-off workers in the larger size categories. The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per layoff event) differed widely by industry, ranging from an average of 80 separations in communications to 572 in general merchandise stores. Initial Claimant Characteristics A total of 200,677 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with mass layoffs in the first quarter of 1999. Of these claimants, 12 percent were black, 38 percent were women, 24 percent were Hispanic, and 12 percent were 55 years of age or older. (See table 3.) Over 2 out of 5 claimants were 30 to 44 years of age. Among the civilian labor force for the same period, 12 percent were black, 47 percent were women, 10 percent were Hispanic, and 13 percent were 55 years of age or older. Thirty-nine percent of the civilian labor force were ages 30 to 44. Geographic Distribution In the first quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass layoff events was higher in the West (104,762) than in any of the other regions; the West also had the largest number of separations during the same period in 1998. (See table 4.) Contributing to extended mass layoffs in the West were agricultural services and agricultural crops. The lowest number of worker separations was reported in the Northeast region (43,951). The largest over-the-year increase in separations (30,729) occurred in the West. Higher levels of separations this year were reported mainly by employers in the Pacific division, with more layoffs in agriculture. Three of the nine census divisions had fewer layoffs than a year earlier, with the South Atlantic having the largest decline (-7,650). Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of worker separations occurred in California (89,346), followed by Illinois (20,347), Texas (16,544), Michigan (13,065), Ohio (12,138), and Pennsylvania (11,741). These six states accounted for 65 percent of total layoff events and 61 percent of all separations during the first quarter of 1999. (See table 5.) After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work, California still reported the most laid-off workers (46,063), primarily in motion pictures. Over the year, the largest increase (29,354 workers) in laid-off workers occurred in California. The largest decreases occurred in Florida (-3,074 workers), primarily in measuring, analyzing, and controlling instruments, and in Tennessee (-2,959 workers), mostly in transportation equipment. Recall Expectations Fifty-seven percent of employers reporting a layoff in the first quarter of 1999 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, about the same as a year earlier. (See table C.) Among establishments expecting a recall, most employers expected to recall over one-half of the separated employees and to do so within 6 months. (This series began in the second quarter of 1995.) Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period (in which 94 percent of the employers expected a recall), employers expected to recall laid-off workers in 37 percent of the events, the lowest percentage for any first-quarter period in the series. In layoff events due to internal company restructuring, employers anticipated a recall in only 13 percent of the events. - 4 - Table C. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from layoff, first quarter 1998-first quarter 1999 -------------------------------------------------------------------- | Percentage of events |--------------------------------------------- Nature of the recall | I | II | III | IV | I | 1998 | 1998r | 1998 | 1998r | 1999p -------------------------------------------------------------------- Anticipate a recall...| r57.3 | 68.2 | r56.1 | 58.1 | 56.9 | | | | | Timeframe | | | | | | | | | | Within 6 months.......| r78.6 | 82.6 | 85.1 | 86.6 | 83.9 Within 3 months....| r53.6 | 55.3 | r65.9 | 35.5 | 46.8 | | | | | Size | | | | | | | | | | At least half.........| 89.7 | 92.4 | r92.5 | 96.5 | 89.3 All workers........| r57.0 | 68.8 | 72.5 | 52.4 | 52.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. r=revised. Technical Note The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program which 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. Establishments 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, sex, 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. The MLS program was resumed in April 1995; it had been terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding. However, due to changes in concepts and definitions, data from the resumed program are not comparable to earlier data. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD phone: 202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-326-2577. Definitions Defense-related industries. Industries that have been identified as vulnerable to Department of Defense budget reductions and the elimination of defense weapons systems. "Ordnance and accessories," "aircraft and parts," "shipbuilding and repairing," "guided missiles and space vehicles," "tanks and tank components," and "search and navigation equipment" industries have been identified as defense-related industries based on analysis that at least 50 percent of industry output was consumed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Establishment. A unit at a single physical location at which predominantly 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. - 2 - 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 full 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. Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, selected quarters, 1998 and 1999 Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for unemployment insurance Industry I IV I I IV I I IV I 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p Total( 1 )..................................... 1,320 1,736 1,484 208,082 391,101 267,214 247,315 327,039 200,677 Total, private ........................................ 1,283 1,677 1,458 201,089 377,548 263,152 240,283 314,497 196,966 Agriculture ........................................ 168 312 220 22,791 94,480 40,863 34,160 46,884 26,372 Nonagriculture ...................................... 1,115 1,358 1,230 178,298 282,226 221,544 206,123 266,803 169,826 Manufacturing ................................... 459 572 487 68,247 119,729 84,275 73,903 119,937 62,702 Durable goods ................................ 230 293 270 32,171 59,850 51,102 33,984 63,443 33,912 Lumber and wood products ................... 33 20 26 3,768 3,363 3,704 5,160 3,644 2,581 Furniture and fixtures ..................... 8 6 13 1,441 712 1,922 1,216 517 1,635 Stone, clay, and glass products ............ 24 17 32 2,374 2,579 3,980 2,822 2,753 3,121 Primary metal industries ................... 10 38 24 2,043 6,122 6,631 2,332 8,058 3,817 Fabricated metal products .................. 32 23 27 3,910 2,861 3,414 4,190 3,681 3,215 Industrial machinery and equipment ......... 31 63 46 4,080 11,876 6,720 3,872 12,835 5,980 Electronic and other electrical equipment .. 40 49 41 5,611 13,273 5,145 6,301 12,338 4,354 Transportation equipment ................... 34 35 36 6,035 11,191 13,474 5,679 12,235 6,316 Instruments and related products ........... 7 18 16 1,527 3,646 4,394 813 2,603 2,029 Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ..... 11 24 9 1,382 4,227 1,718 1,599 4,779 864 Nondurable goods ............................. 229 279 217 36,076 59,879 33,173 39,919 56,494 28,790 Food and kindred products .................. 95 106 91 14,620 27,398 12,694 19,168 25,075 11,943 Tobacco products ........................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,845 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,558 Textile mill products ...................... 21 26 12 4,319 4,384 1,539 5,322 5,290 1,708 Apparel and other textile products ......... 40 73 40 5,778 15,715 5,935 5,738 14,713 5,889 Paper and allied products .................. 19 18 14 2,725 4,023 1,931 2,201 3,479 1,993 Printing and publishing .................... 16 12 17 1,748 2,052 2,319 1,978 1,938 2,085 Chemicals and allied products .............. 9 7 12 974 862 1,311 934 966 1,260 Petroleum and coal products ................ ( 2 ) 14 3 ( 2 ) 2,158 392 ( 2 ) 2,137 344 Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products . 9 15 14 1,996 1,738 3,603 1,295 1,417 1,408 Leather and leather products ............... 12 ( 2 ) 6 2,032 ( 2 ) 604 1,915 ( 2 ) 602 Nonmanufacturing ................................ 656 786 743 110,051 162,497 137,269 132,220 146,866 107,124 Mining ....................................... 15 37 35 1,606 5,560 4,521 1,406 6,635 4,883 Construction .................................. 208 328 271 25,903 51,714 30,925 31,037 51,068 29,981 Transportation and public utilities ........... 62 37 41 11,768 8,202 8,020 11,396 7,303 5,463 Wholesale and retail trade .................... 160 112 158 29,201 22,083 46,477 30,629 20,131 25,280 Wholesale trade ........................... 28 36 45 3,651 6,723 5,882 2,940 5,724 3,951 Retail trade .............................. 132 76 113 25,550 15,360 40,595 27,689 14,407 21,329 Finance, insurance, and real estate ........... 30 40 32 5,793 8,714 10,468 6,860 6,602 4,662 Services ...................................... 181 232 206 35,780 66,224 36,858 50,892 55,127 36,855 Not identified ..................................... - 7 8 842 745 - 810 768 Government ............................................ 37 59 26 6,993 13,553 4,062 7,032 12,542 3,711 Federal ....................................... 15 16 11 3,781 4,049 1,986 3,442 3,731 1,958 State ......................................... 10 21 7 1,874 4,782 1,037 1,723 4,374 932 Local ......................................... 12 22 8 1,338 4,722 1,039 1,867 4,437 821 1 For the first quarter 1999, data on layoffs were reported by employers in all states and the District of Columbia. 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. r = revised. p = preliminary. Note: Dash represents zero. Table 2. Reason for separation: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, selected quarters, 1998 and 1999 Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for unemployment insurance Reason for separation I IV I I IV I I IV I 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p Total, all reasons( 1 )...... 1,320 1,736 1,484 208,082 391,101 267,214 247,315 327,039 200,677 Automation ..................... 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 503 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 267 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Bankruptcy ..................... 16 21 26 3,671 8,625 22,482 3,213 3,948 9,221 Business ownership change ...... 47 40 52 10,624 9,812 15,789 6,265 7,606 7,458 Contract cancellation .......... 14 15 27 2,128 3,972 4,372 1,449 1,981 2,488 Contract completed ............. 166 190 169 30,436 54,755 29,029 52,603 52,624 31,274 Domestic relocation ............ 18 29 15 3,408 5,658 1,919 2,634 3,474 1,317 Energy-related ................. - 18 22 - 2,793 2,694 - 4,282 3,629 Environment-related ............ - 4 3 - 664 510 - 1,234 577 Financial difficulty ........... 61 32 50 12,088 5,406 12,425 10,977 4,625 7,271 Import competition ............. 15 40 24 2,150 9,794 5,585 1,894 11,393 3,634 Labor dispute .................. 6 11 10 916 2,665 3,444 516 1,790 1,446 Material shortage .............. 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,605 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,213 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Model changeover ............... 9 5 ( 2 ) 1,800 3,174 ( 2 ) 2,051 3,018 ( 2 ) Natural disaster ............... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - Overseas relocation ............ 6 8 6 1,093 1,108 789 1,073 871 717 Plant or machine repair ........ 8 10 6 810 1,305 526 941 1,844 587 Product line discontinued ...... 5 10 10 846 1,183 1,295 2,611 1,283 1,888 Reorganization within company .. 141 115 131 23,176 27,111 25,838 25,244 25,698 18,586 Seasonal work .................. 468 804 510 71,107 196,719 90,312 81,951 135,383 60,793 Slack work ..................... 159 201 199 20,024 28,047 24,000 25,491 38,613 26,366 Vacation period ................ ( 2 ) 4 5 ( 2 ) 576 614 ( 2 ) 925 362 Weather-related ................ 75 39 76 7,634 4,212 7,551 10,907 5,298 7,555 Other .......................... 66 56 57 9,198 11,054 7,352 10,107 8,294 6,837 Not reported ................... 25 80 81 3,974 11,272 9,646 4,995 11,863 8,001 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, fourth quarter, 1998 and first quarter, 1999 Percent of total Total Layoff events initial Hispanic claimants Black origin Women Persons age 55 and over State IV I IV I IV I IV I IV I IV I 1998r 1999p 1998r 1999p 1998r 1999p 1998r 1999p 1998r 1999p 1998r 1999p Total( 1 )........ 1,736 1,484 327,039 200,677 10.0 11.9 26.0 23.5 36.2 37.5 12.9 11.6 Alabama .............. 21 16 3,480 2,245 30.6 34.6 .3 .1 48.2 32.3 13.7 12.6 Alaska ............... 10 4 1,322 331 1.7 1.2 13.4 .9 21.7 20.2 12.8 10.6 Arizona .............. 9 7 3,009 718 4.2 1.9 49.8 44.6 38.6 25.1 15.1 12.8 Arkansas ............. 5 5 1,084 886 27.4 39.5 2.3 2.4 54.6 59.5 8.5 9.1 California ........... 426 414 87,021 61,699 3.2 4.7 59.1 52.8 36.9 37.3 10.4 9.6 Colorado ............. ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 6.5 - 21.7 - 76.1 - 12.0 - Connecticut .......... 7 8 1,309 1,130 6.2 9.8 8.3 7.5 30.1 49.2 18.4 18.2 Delaware ............. - - - - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia . - ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 19.9 - .6 - 55.8 - 5.1 Florida .............. 50 43 6,589 4,311 19.8 21.2 25.3 18.6 53.4 40.5 18.3 17.1 Georgia .............. 15 10 2,707 988 57.6 50.1 .8 1.4 52.0 65.3 13.6 19.0 Hawaii ............... 10 19 1,648 1,737 .4 .6 .2 1.0 33.9 44.0 13.7 18.5 Idaho ................ 15 12 1,631 1,023 .4 - 30.3 15.4 32.6 31.8 13.4 9.6 Illinois ............. 172 118 30,212 13,393 16.5 16.8 17.6 11.9 25.3 32.1 13.2 11.3 Indiana .............. 32 15 5,101 1,703 14.2 6.9 3.7 3.5 31.5 32.8 12.7 9.8 Iowa ................. 11 7 1,103 501 .8 .2 2.3 1.0 22.7 33.3 12.4 13.0 Kansas ............... 5 7 500 657 5.2 15.7 11.6 7.8 26.2 42.5 11.6 14.3 Kentucky ............. 11 14 1,443 1,196 7.2 7.4 .3 .4 38.7 35.0 11.6 11.8 Louisiana ............ 15 18 1,989 3,184 35.6 24.0 3.4 2.3 18.9 8.8 8.1 8.3 Maine ................ 11 9 1,306 1,613 .2 .2 .2 .2 25.8 48.9 9.3 12.6 Maryland ............. 7 13 630 1,292 35.6 38.3 .3 2.6 26.0 27.3 27.3 19.3 Massachusetts ........ 39 31 7,056 4,825 6.7 4.2 8.1 8.5 48.3 57.4 18.2 14.9 Michigan ............. 29 140 3,477 13,801 16.9 16.5 14.4 3.3 41.8 32.5 11.8 9.8 Minnesota ............ 65 18 8,987 2,369 .6 1.1 4.3 1.7 20.8 47.8 13.9 14.2 Mississippi .......... 9 4 981 573 79.3 67.2 .3 - 72.5 79.9 9.3 12.7 Missouri ............. 35 32 5,900 2,753 13.9 15.1 1.0 1.5 46.2 46.8 18.2 14.5 Montana .............. 5 ( 2 ) 1,053 ( 2 ) .3 - .6 10.9 15.2 20.0 14.3 21.8 Nebraska ............. ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 17.3 - 1.3 - 64.0 - 2.7 - Nevada ............... 14 15 2,528 1,584 4.6 5.8 9.6 25.7 17.8 19.1 13.8 10.5 New Hampshire ........ ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) 296 - - .5 .3 63.4 8.1 9.7 19.9 New Jersey ........... 56 24 8,964 4,982 15.4 17.0 29.4 18.2 56.6 43.5 17.7 19.6 New Mexico ........... 4 10 525 963 1.3 1.7 76.2 58.3 27.2 28.3 14.5 13.2 New York ............. 109 35 16,989 5,902 12.3 13.5 12.9 7.6 43.6 47.8 16.3 13.1 North Carolina ....... 23 29 2,509 3,674 41.3 66.3 1.2 1.5 52.8 53.6 13.6 14.3 North Dakota ......... - ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 22.4 - 7.5 - 15.0 - 5.4 Ohio ................. 100 98 19,017 10,763 11.0 11.0 3.5 1.6 29.6 26.9 11.5 9.7 Oklahoma ............. 9 7 1,592 2,038 5.9 12.1 4.3 2.4 43.7 50.8 14.1 7.1 Oregon ............... 15 18 3,023 2,170 1.4 1.2 22.4 27.7 49.9 56.4 15.1 18.4 Pennsylvania ......... 125 87 34,475 16,022 7.9 5.3 1.3 1.0 40.7 44.6 16.8 13.9 Rhode Island ......... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3.7 .6 18.6 1.9 47.2 42.9 28.0 23.7 South Carolina ....... 10 ( 2 ) 1,256 ( 2 ) 52.6 46.2 .6 - 54.0 56.6 7.2 17.0 South Dakota ......... - - - - - - - - - - - - Tennessee ............ 3 3 452 225 12.2 61.3 - 1.8 36.9 54.2 15.3 10.2 Texas ................ 106 108 27,145 17,608 13.7 14.5 44.7 38.4 30.3 27.3 8.7 11.2 Utah ................. 10 ( 2 ) 1,346 ( 2 ) .5 .9 14.0 3.5 19.0 8.6 8.1 11.2 Vermont .............. - - - - - - - - - - - - Virginia ............. 16 26 2,910 3,400 24.4 43.2 .5 1.1 54.2 55.3 15.3 12.1 Washington ........... 23 10 3,624 1,983 2.5 2.6 21.5 3.6 32.5 30.1 12.1 14.0 West Virginia ........ 11 ( 2 ) 1,267 ( 2 ) 3.9 1.8 - - 24.9 16.4 9.8 .9 Wisconsin ............ 82 33 19,365 4,674 5.1 8.5 9.5 3.8 29.9 37.0 13.4 12.1 Wyoming .............. - ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - .5 - 16.7 - 25.5 - 12.0 Puerto Rico .......... 33 19 6,025 2,327 ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 55.7 47.7 9.2 7.5 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, selected quarters, 1998 and 1999 Initial claimants for Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance Census region and division I IV I I IV I I IV I 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p United States .... 1,320 1,736 1,484 208,082 391,101 267,214 247,315 327,039 200,677 Northeast ................ 200 350 199 28,214 58,029 43,951 33,489 70,446 34,926 New England .......... 40 60 53 6,887 12,644 16,868 7,159 10,018 8,020 Middle Atlantic ...... 160 290 146 21,327 45,385 27,083 26,330 60,428 26,906 South .................... 289 311 302 57,306 59,165 53,158 45,885 56,034 42,107 South Atlantic ....... 153 132 127 30,338 26,547 22,688 20,834 17,868 14,152 East South Central ... 58 44 37 11,108 7,170 7,467 8,445 6,356 4,239 West South Central ... 78 135 138 15,860 25,448 23,003 16,606 31,810 23,716 Midwest .................. 329 532 469 48,529 108,175 65,343 46,726 93,737 50,761 East North Central ... 265 415 404 41,095 88,840 54,257 40,427 77,172 44,334 West North Central ... 64 117 65 7,434 19,335 11,086 6,299 16,565 6,427 West ..................... 502 543 514 74,033 165,732 104,762 121,215 106,822 72,883 Mountain ............. 49 59 49 7,521 11,104 5,842 8,240 10,184 4,963 Pacific .............. 453 484 465 66,512 154,628 98,920 112,975 96,638 67,920 r = revised p = preliminary NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the various 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, selected quarters, 1998 and 1999 Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for unemployment insurance State I IV I I IV I I IV I 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p 1998r 1998r 1999p Total( 1 ) ......... 1,320 1,736 1,484 208,082 391,101 267,214 247,315 327,039 200,677 Alabama ................ 17 21 16 3,028 3,678 4,221 2,533 3,480 2,245 Alaska ................. 4 10 4 570 2,228 334 356 1,322 331 Arizona ................ 12 9 7 1,945 2,006 939 3,227 3,009 718 Arkansas ............... ( 2 ) 5 5 ( 2 ) 880 1,167 ( 2 ) 1,084 886 California ............. 406 426 414 59,992 141,946 89,346 107,947 87,021 61,699 Colorado ............... 13 ( 2 ) - 2,330 ( 2 ) - 2,018 ( 2 ) - Connecticut ............ 6 7 8 1,125 2,110 6,841 1,020 1,309 1,130 Delaware ............... - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia ... ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) Florida ................ 49 50 43 9,585 11,340 6,511 6,559 6,589 4,311 Georgia ................ 26 15 10 3,940 3,182 1,615 3,085 2,707 988 Hawaii ................. 6 10 19 884 1,508 1,737 705 1,648 1,737 Idaho .................. 5 15 12 780 2,310 1,065 346 1,631 1,023 Illinois ............... 84 172 118 14,759 38,135 20,347 13,125 30,212 13,393 Indiana ................ 15 32 15 2,382 4,783 2,232 2,061 5,101 1,703 Iowa ................... 10 11 7 698 1,212 642 852 1,103 501 Kansas ................. - 5 7 - 498 3,804 - 500 657 Kentucky ............... 9 11 14 2,811 1,684 2,254 1,413 1,443 1,196 Louisiana .............. 13 15 18 2,267 2,248 3,236 2,013 1,989 3,184 Maine .................. 10 11 9 2,106 1,796 2,017 1,457 1,306 1,613 Maryland ............... 7 7 13 881 872 1,722 887 630 1,292 Massachusetts .......... 18 39 31 2,886 8,403 7,489 3,921 7,056 4,825 Michigan ............... 42 29 140 5,166 4,164 13,065 5,661 3,477 13,801 Minnesota .............. 20 65 18 3,091 10,294 2,655 2,133 8,987 2,369 Mississippi ............ 11 9 4 2,085 1,318 767 1,406 981 573 Missouri ............... 34 35 32 3,645 7,256 3,685 3,314 5,900 2,753 Montana ................ ( 2 ) 5 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,286 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,053 ( 2 ) Nebraska ............... - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - Nevada ................. 9 14 15 1,392 2,910 1,889 1,500 2,528 1,584 New Hampshire .......... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 300 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 296 New Jersey ............. 57 56 24 7,850 11,037 9,393 7,121 8,964 4,982 New Mexico ............. 6 4 10 584 1,310 1,232 571 525 963 New York ............... 25 109 35 3,058 17,399 5,949 2,938 16,989 5,902 North Carolina ......... 30 23 29 7,599 4,776 5,909 4,983 2,509 3,674 North Dakota ........... - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) Ohio ................... 86 100 98 13,941 23,792 12,138 12,593 19,017 10,763 Oklahoma ............... 9 9 7 1,015 776 2,056 961 1,592 2,038 Oregon ................. 12 15 18 1,841 3,051 2,363 1,448 3,023 2,170 Pennsylvania ........... 78 125 87 10,419 16,949 11,741 16,271 34,475 16,022 Rhode Island ........... 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 610 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 602 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) South Carolina ......... 9 10 ( 2 ) 668 1,291 ( 2 ) 1,105 1,256 ( 2 ) South Dakota ........... - - - - - - - - - Tennessee .............. 21 3 3 3,184 490 225 3,093 452 225 Texas .................. 54 106 108 12,328 21,544 16,544 13,448 27,145 17,608 Utah ................... ( 2 ) 10 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,181 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,346 ( 2 ) Vermont ................ - - - - - - - - - Virginia ............... 27 16 26 7,068 3,703 5,989 3,609 2,910 3,400 Washington ............. 25 23 10 3,225 5,895 5,140 2,519 3,624 1,983 West Virginia .......... 4 11 ( 2 ) 449 1,383 ( 2 ) 548 1,267 ( 2 ) Wisconsin .............. 38 82 33 4,847 17,966 6,475 6,987 19,365 4,674 Wyoming ................ ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) Puerto Rico ............ 16 33 19 2,945 9,024 2,829 3,975 6,025 2,327 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.