U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Compensation and Working Conditions Online

Industries with 10 or More Major Work Stoppages for the Period 1993-2003

by Antonio Lombardozzi
Bureau of Labor Statistics

Originally Posted: October 27, 2004

• There were 330 major work stoppages in effect in the United States from 1993 to 2003.¹



• During this period, an average of roughly 30 work stoppages occurred per year, including a high of 45 in 1994 and a low of 14 in 2003.



• The manufacturing industry experienced the most major work stoppages, with 119 over the period.



• Within manufacturing, there were 46 major work stoppages in transportation equipment manufacturing and 17 in machinery manufacturing.²

The major work stoppages series, which dates back to 1947, covers both worker-initiated strikes and employer-initiated lockouts involving 1,000 or more workers and lasting for at least one shift.

Antonio Lombardozzi
Economist, Office of Prices and Living Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Telephone: (202) 691-7895; E-mail: Lombardozzi.Antonio@bls.gov

Notes

1 The total of 330 work stoppages in effect is reached by starting with the 329 major work stoppages that began during the 1993-2003 period and adding 1 major work stoppage that was carried over from 1992 into 1993.

2 Industry classifications used in the chart are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information, see North American Industry Classification System: United States, 2002 (Office of Management and Budget, 2002); or visit the BLS NAICS page at http://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.