For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, February 23, 2022 USDL-22-0316
Technical information: (202) 691-6199 workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/wsp
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 pressoffice@bls.gov
MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2021
In 2021, there were 16 major work stoppages beginning in the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. 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.
The lowest annual total of major work stoppages was 5 in 2009 and the highest was 470 in 1952. Between the
years 2000-2021, there have been an average of 17 work stoppages beginning in the year.
There were 80,700 workers involved in major work stoppages that began in 2021. Service-providing industries
accounted for 76 percent of idled workers over the year or 61,000 workers. Within service-providing industries,
the education and health services sector accounted for the idling of 52,600 workers; 45,400 health care and
social assistance workers and 7,200 educational services workers were idled as a result of major work stoppages.
In 2021, goods-producing industries accounted for 24 percent of idled workers or 19,700 workers. Within
goods-producing industries, the manufacturing sector accounted for the idling of the majority of workers
involved in work stoppages; 16,600 manufacturing workers were involved in major work stoppages in 2021.
In 2021, there was one local government work stoppage, where 2,000 workers were idled 11 days resulting in
22,000 days of idleness. In private industry, 78,700 workers were idled beginning in the year,
resulting in 1,081,700 cumulative days of idleness.
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 is 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 1936 to 1979
at www.bls.gov/wsp/questions-and-answers.htm#Question_10.
The latest Union Members report is available at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf.
Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals
by dialing 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
United States Department of Labor
