Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm Technical information: (202) 606-6392 USDL 99-348 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, December 8, 1999 EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1999 In July through September of 1999, there were 1,072 mass layoff actions by employers that resulted in the separation of 237,777 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 lower than in July- September 1998, when there were strike-related plant shutdowns in the transportation equipment and electronic equipment industries. (See table A.) The completion of seasonal work was the major reason cited for layoffs and accounted for 32 percent of all third-quarter 1999 events and 34 percent of all separations. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring resulted in 68,251 separations. Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 17 percent of all events and affected 55,820 workers, up from 41,321 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 third 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 July-September 1999, agriculture accounted for 12 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-eight percent of all layoff events and 41 percent of all separations occurred in manufacturing industries. Layoffs from durable goods manufacturers were most numerous in electronic and other electrical equipment (primarily in semiconductors and related devices), transportation equipment (largely in motor vehicle parts and accessories and in aircraft manufacturing), and industrial machinery and equipment (mostly in farm - 2 - Table A. Selected measures of mass layoff activity --------------------------------------------------- ----------------- Period | Layoff events| Separations | Initial claimants --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995 | | | April-June...........| 1,724 | 400,891 | 332,731 July-September.......| 950 | 193,956 | 154,226 October-December.....| 1,764 | 348,036 | 312,428 1996 | | | January-March........| 1,408 | 272,399 | 224,393 April-June...........| 1,352 | 261,628 | 200,032 July-September.......| 1,021 | 233,199 | 185,247 October-December.....| 1,916 | 417,044 | 348,073 1997 | | | January-March........| 1,317 | 255,227 | 224,180 April-June...........| 1,587 | 351,198 | 292,673 July-September.......| 1,082 | 217,869 | 209,019 October-December.....| 1,697 | 321,821 | 316,035 1998 | | | January-March........| 1,320 | 208,082 | 247,315 April-June...........| 1,563 | 391,461 | 402,276 July-September(r)....| 1,234 | 248,055 | 256,805 October-December(r)..| 1,736 | 380,249 | 326,109 1999 | | | January-March(r).....| 1,509 | 277,635 | 251,332 April-June(r)........| 1,445 | 295,215 | 241,828 July-September(p)....| 1,072 | 237,777 | 153,142 --------------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. r=revised. machinery and equipment). In nondurable goods industries, layoffs were most prevalent in food processing (canned fruits and vegetables). Services accounted for 17 percent of all layoff events and 13 percent of separations, mainly in business services (primarily help supply services) and health services (mostly in offices and clinics of medical doctors). Retail trade accounted for 7 percent of all layoff events and 10 percent of all separations, largely in general merchandise stores. Cutbacks in transportation and public utilities accounted for 8 percent of events and 9 percent of separations, primarily in local and interurban passenger transit. Layoffs in government establishments accounted for 5 percent of total events and 7 percent of all separations. - 3 - Table B. Distribution of layoff events by size of layoff, July- September 1999 ----------------------------------------------------------------- | Layoff events | Separations Size |----------------------------------------------- | Number | Percent | Number | Percent ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total.........| 1,072 | 100.0 | 237,777 | 100.0 | | | | 50-99............| 449 | 41.9 | 32,326 | 13.6 100-149..........| 230 | 21.5 | 27,120 | 11.4 150-199..........| 85 | 7.9 | 14,233 | 6.0 200-299..........| 138 | 12.9 | 32,192 | 13.5 300-499..........| 89 | 8.3 | 32,296 | 13.6 500-999..........| 56 | 5.2 | 36,151 | 15.2 1,000 or more....| 25 | 2.3 | 63,459 | 26.7 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Reasons for Extended Layoff Thirty-two percent of the events and 34 percent of the separations in the third quarter were due to seasonal work. These layoffs were most numerous among workers in agricultural services (such as farm labor contractors), food and kindred products (mostly in canned fruits and vegetables), and local and interurban transit (largely in school buses). Layoffs due to internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) comprised 23 percent of all layoff events and 29 percent of all separations; the 68,251 separations due to restructuring was the highest third-quarter level since 1995 (59,463). (See table 2.) Size of Extended Layoff Layoff events during the third quarter continued to be concentrated at the lower end of the layoff-size spectrum, with 63 percent involving fewer than 150 workers. These events, however, accounted for only 25 percent of all separations. (See table B.) Separations involving 500 or more workers accounted for 42 percent of all separations, up from 33 percent a year earlier. The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per layoff event) differed widely by industry, ranging from an average of 67 separations in real estate to 1,165 in general merchandise stores. Initial Claimant Characteristics A total of 153,142 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with mass layoffs in the third quarter of 1999. Of these claimants, 16 percent were black, 47 percent were women, 22 percent were Hispanic, and 14 percent were 55 years of age or older. (See table 3.) Two out of five claimants were 30 to 44 years of age. Among the civilian labor force for the same period, 12 percent were black, 46 percent were women, 11 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. - 5 - Geographic Distribution In the third quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass layoff events was higher in the West (92,483) than in any of the other regions. (See table 4.) Contributing to extended mass layoffs in the West region were agricultural services and food products. The lowest number of worker separations was reported in the Midwest region (43,610). Over-the-year decreases in separations were largest in the Midwest (-26,356), where strike-related plant shutdowns in the transportation equipment industry had occurred in third-quarter 1998. The largest increase in separations occurred in the West region (+26,017); separations rose in both the Pacific and Mountain divisions. Lower levels of separations this year were reported mainly by employers in the East North Central and South Atlantic divisions, with sharply fewer layoffs in transportation equipment. Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of worker separations occurred in California (64,816), followed by New York (22,960), Texas (17,430), Arizona (16,009), Illinois (14,839), and Michigan (14,113). These six states accounted for 57 percent of total layoff events and 63 percent of all separations during the third quarter of 1999. (See table 5.) After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work, California still reported the most laid-off workers (25,707), primarily in general merchandise stores. Over the year, the largest decreases in laid-off workers occurred in Ohio (-12,505 workers) and in Florida (-10,470). The largest increases occurred in Arizona (+14,063) and in California (+12,955). Recall Expectations Fifty percent of employers reporting a layoff in the third quarter of 1999 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, down from 56 percent 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. The number of expected recalls of all workers decreased by almost one-half during the last year, from 72.5 percent in third-quarter 1998 to 39.5 percent in third-quarter 1999. 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 27 percent of the events, the lowest percentage for any period in the series. In layoff events due to internal company restructuring, employers anticipated a recall in only 7 percent of the events. - 6 - Table C. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from layoff, third-quarter 1998 - third-quarter 1999 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Percentage of events Nature of the recall |------------------------------------------- | III | IV | I | II | III | 1998 | 1998 | 1999 | 1999 | 1999p ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Anticipate a recall.......| 56.1 | 58.1 | 57.3 | 60.1 | 49.5 | | | | | Timeframe | | | | | | | | | | Within 6 months...........| 85.1 | 86.6 | 84.1 | 84.2 | 82.3 Within 3 months.........| 65.9 | 35.5 | 47.3 | 51.1 | 56.9 | | | | | Size | | | | | | | | | | At least half.............| 92.5 | 96.5 | 89.5 | 91.5 | 88.3 All workers.............| 72.5 | 52.4 | 53.0 | 60.3 | 39.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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. 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. - 2 - 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 III II III III II III III II III 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p Total( 1 ) ................................... 1,234 1,445 1,072 248,055 295,215 237,777 256,805 241,828 153,142 Total, private ....................................... 1,159 1,378 1,018 229,915 284,587 220,742 241,113 230,957 144,085 Agriculture ....................................... 129 175 125 28,628 36,959 34,313 21,441 25,661 11,711 Nonagriculture ..................................... 1,026 1,200 887 200,980 247,398 185,848 219,360 204,991 131,894 Manufacturing .................................. 530 392 391 105,651 89,275 90,146 99,157 68,814 59,983 Durable goods ............................... 308 195 204 65,649 49,019 44,917 61,487 36,060 30,075 Lumber and wood products .................. 9 7 12 1,187 965 1,217 910 634 1,113 Furniture and fixtures .................... 8 6 8 1,252 776 909 1,511 457 803 Stone, clay, and glass products ........... 6 4 7 1,055 631 865 666 605 1,530 Primary metal industries .................. 27 24 23 5,391 2,690 4,230 5,667 3,650 3,616 Fabricated metal products ................. 46 26 25 5,981 3,426 4,319 5,781 3,404 3,974 Industrial machinery and equipment ........ 53 29 39 9,229 6,702 8,166 8,673 6,190 6,271 Electronic and other electrical equipment . 70 39 27 13,376 7,556 14,218 15,477 6,434 3,517 Transportation equipment .................. 61 38 47 24,698 23,811 8,769 19,572 11,967 7,774 Instruments and related products .......... 15 11 7 1,980 1,133 1,232 1,480 1,320 818 Miscellaneous manufacturing industries .... 13 11 9 1,500 1,329 992 1,750 1,399 659 Nondurable goods ............................ 222 197 187 40,002 40,256 45,229 37,670 32,754 29,908 Food and kindred products ................. 71 82 63 14,453 19,286 21,023 15,346 13,523 8,944 Tobacco products .......................... ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) Textile mill products ..................... 23 23 19 4,697 5,010 4,160 4,257 4,452 4,597 Apparel and other textile products ........ 52 41 48 7,875 7,795 9,851 6,478 7,435 8,586 Paper and allied products ................. 17 12 10 3,437 1,864 1,870 3,105 1,323 1,236 Printing and publishing ................... 8 13 4 1,451 1,840 1,037 1,349 2,140 366 Chemicals and allied products ............. ( 2 ) 8 12 ( 2 ) 1,196 2,083 ( 2 ) 1,062 1,607 Petroleum and coal products ............... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products. 34 12 26 5,297 2,222 4,209 4,367 1,941 4,014 Leather and leather products .............. 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,012 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,091 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Nonmanufacturing ............................... 496 808 496 95,329 158,123 95,702 120,203 136,177 71,911 Mining ...................................... 24 23 12 3,830 3,807 4,450 4,534 3,595 5,031 Construction ................................. 62 138 76 9,558 24,537 10,519 10,941 22,886 10,356 Transportation and public utilities .......... 88 89 86 20,506 19,595 20,371 21,281 18,735 14,212 Wholesale and retail trade ................... 91 172 102 19,094 36,020 26,782 18,292 28,500 13,676 Wholesale trade .......................... 26 35 29 3,954 4,905 5,542 3,211 3,440 3,048 Retail trade ............................. 65 137 73 15,140 31,115 21,240 15,081 25,060 10,628 Finance, insurance, and real estate .......... 28 28 46 7,424 4,893 5,325 5,739 4,217 5,156 Services ..................................... 203 358 174 34,917 69,271 28,255 59,416 58,244 23,480 Not identified .................................... 4 3 6 307 230 581 312 305 480 Government ........................................... 75 67 54 18,140 10,628 17,035 15,692 10,871 9,057 Federal ...................................... 13 9 8 3,308 2,048 2,586 3,624 1,929 2,148 State ........................................ 8 11 4 1,637 2,159 335 1,466 1,487 542 Local ........................................ 54 47 42 13,195 6,421 14,114 10,602 7,455 6,367 1 For the third 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 III II III III II III III II III 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p Total, all reasons( 1 ) ... 1,234 1,445 1,072 248,055 295,215 237,777 256,805 241,828 153,142 Automation ................... - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Bankruptcy ................... 21 31 24 8,673 9,148 10,422 3,638 5,104 2,884 Business ownership change .... 34 49 53 8,766 12,409 18,909 4,034 8,109 6,624 Contract cancellation ........ 15 24 15 2,664 3,854 2,463 4,293 3,071 1,621 Contract completed ........... 145 214 140 27,104 37,260 20,119 53,854 39,610 22,168 Domestic relocation .......... 23 16 15 3,466 2,984 2,801 2,994 2,270 1,648 Energy-related ............... 11 4 - 2,131 395 - 2,893 707 - Environment-related .......... ( 2 ) 4 - ( 2 ) 1,578 - ( 2 ) 897 - Financial difficulty ......... 29 54 60 7,818 13,223 17,769 4,313 8,087 11,078 Import competition ........... 26 23 24 4,746 5,694 8,598 4,102 3,763 5,610 Labor dispute ................ 15 5 3 10,927 7,653 829 6,594 1,189 469 Material shortage ............ 32 ( 2 ) 6 4,486 ( 2 ) 1,368 4,790 ( 2 ) 2,053 Model changeover ............. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - Natural disaster ............. ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) Overseas relocation .......... 11 14 5 3,520 2,427 980 2,665 1,822 537 Plant or machine repair ...... 5 ( 2 ) 3 1,193 ( 2 ) 318 816 ( 2 ) 280 Product line discontinued .... 10 11 9 1,413 1,498 1,114 1,232 1,793 940 Reorganization within company. 139 114 108 25,945 28,695 21,151 25,815 25,801 16,604 Seasonal work ................ 347 536 338 69,138 116,404 80,409 63,170 84,414 41,333 Slack work ................... 222 142 117 42,099 19,132 16,921 46,424 23,984 16,798 Vacation period .............. 22 83 24 2,619 13,345 13,032 2,746 13,854 3,420 Weather-related .............. ( 2 ) 17 6 ( 2 ) 2,414 1,095 ( 2 ) 1,476 496 Other ........................ 73 50 27 12,257 6,859 5,662 13,279 6,747 3,935 Not reported ................. 47 44 92 7,987 8,650 13,422 8,154 8,016 14,296 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, second and third quarters, 1999 Percent of total Total Layoff events initial Hispanic Persons age 55 claimants Black origin Women and over State II III II III II III II III II III II III 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p Total( 1 ) ...... 1,445 1,072 241,828 153,142 17.6 16.3 21.5 21.8 50.3 46.5 14.7 13.7 Alabama .............. 32 20 4,522 1,940 46.6 52.1 .2 .5 54.0 54.1 16.9 6.8 Alaska ............... 6 - 815 - 4.2 - 8.5 - 45.5 - 14.8 - Arizona .............. 27 24 4,803 4,445 1.0 2.4 77.3 60.3 35.4 23.8 11.9 12.4 Arkansas ............. 8 4 993 790 40.3 40.3 .6 2.9 75.7 55.7 10.2 7.6 California ........... 305 238 44,979 30,794 5.8 7.9 51.3 47.3 41.9 48.0 12.8 12.0 Colorado ............. 4 ( 2 ) 389 ( 2 ) 3.3 1.4 23.9 9.8 73.5 33.2 15.4 18.5 Connecticut .......... 11 9 1,938 874 11.2 16.0 4.3 13.2 66.8 42.2 16.2 22.1 Delaware ............. - - - - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia . - - - - - - - - - - - - Florida .............. 94 42 13,073 3,989 31.3 34.9 35.5 22.1 51.6 43.9 21.3 19.5 Georgia .............. 15 13 3,023 1,370 60.3 51.2 3.5 .7 70.3 55.3 9.1 15.0 Hawaii ............... 15 8 1,499 633 .8 3.5 .6 1.6 43.0 25.8 14.7 9.5 Idaho ................ 8 8 804 1,016 .2 .4 27.2 37.7 65.3 57.6 12.4 18.0 Illinois ............. 107 56 21,752 8,505 25.3 17.0 8.4 10.6 51.4 37.1 15.0 12.9 Indiana .............. 20 18 3,440 1,955 13.5 26.4 2.1 4.5 54.3 40.3 15.2 14.9 Iowa ................. 4 ( 2 ) 698 ( 2 ) 5.2 5.9 1.3 2.1 68.6 30.8 9.5 9.7 Kansas ............... 10 5 1,226 425 7.4 25.2 3.3 3.3 57.1 57.9 11.3 9.6 Kentucky ............. 6 7 538 584 3.5 11.6 - .5 11.3 47.6 6.7 10.6 Louisiana ............ 20 5 3,822 813 45.9 40.6 2.9 .2 48.7 33.0 13.7 10.3 Maine ................ 7 ( 2 ) 863 ( 2 ) .2 1.3 1.6 .4 39.5 40.6 9.0 16.2 Maryland ............. 7 5 692 704 51.6 32.2 .9 .7 76.9 52.8 21.8 28.6 Massachusetts ........ 35 23 6,610 2,737 12.9 12.7 9.8 12.2 62.7 64.9 22.6 18.1 Michigan ............. 66 88 12,577 14,733 19.5 17.7 2.4 4.3 51.0 42.0 11.5 8.9 Minnesota ............ 26 7 2,843 1,475 2.3 5.5 1.5 1.0 47.5 31.9 16.0 11.1 Mississippi .......... 6 3 746 527 68.4 67.9 .1 .6 69.3 45.7 10.6 4.6 Missouri ............. 15 8 2,540 1,599 18.5 17.2 1.0 2.1 65.4 63.7 15.8 17.2 Montana .............. 8 - 642 - .3 - 1.6 - 31.0 - 14.3 - Nebraska ............. - ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 46.9 - 22.9 - 65.6 - 4.2 Nevada ............... 22 8 3,029 646 11.3 8.4 19.4 23.8 21.5 31.9 14.0 19.2 New Hampshire ........ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) .9 - .9 - 36.3 96.1 10.6 24.5 New Jersey ........... 41 50 5,928 6,367 19.4 26.7 19.1 17.1 69.3 67.6 23.8 24.9 New Mexico ........... 12 ( 2 ) 1,298 ( 2 ) 1.5 .4 47.1 52.7 62.1 6.8 14.0 7.5 New York ............. 21 104 3,503 14,975 14.0 18.2 11.6 10.1 61.8 59.9 14.5 19.8 North Carolina ....... 23 17 3,459 2,215 36.5 37.2 .7 1.2 61.1 48.8 16.2 13.5 North Dakota ......... ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - - - 1.3 - 82.5 - 12.5 - Ohio ................. 77 41 11,525 6,642 17.6 13.6 2.1 .8 52.3 38.4 13.0 14.1 Oklahoma ............. 11 7 1,900 612 11.2 12.3 2.1 2.3 53.8 42.6 11.5 15.4 Oregon ............... 28 18 3,437 1,622 1.3 5.4 18.0 11.8 63.0 55.7 17.4 9.7 Pennsylvania ......... 82 58 21,140 9,951 11.7 10.1 1.9 1.3 59.2 43.9 19.6 16.1 Rhode Island ......... 3 6 254 671 4.7 2.8 3.9 13.0 57.1 52.9 16.1 17.1 South Carolina ....... 24 11 4,625 3,518 66.3 53.4 .2 1.8 71.4 64.7 2.2 .9 South Dakota ......... ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - - - - - 66.5 - 15.9 - Tennessee ............ 17 9 2,129 905 32.5 14.4 .3 1.5 73.9 65.6 14.8 17.7 Texas ................ 120 98 25,820 18,367 15.2 13.3 43.8 45.3 37.3 34.9 11.7 11.8 Utah ................. 7 4 609 307 .7 1.6 3.0 7.5 36.0 47.9 10.7 4.2 Vermont .............. - - - - - - - - - - - - Virginia ............. 20 11 3,103 1,091 52.2 33.5 .5 .7 54.8 76.0 12.3 14.2 Washington ........... 26 20 7,274 2,920 3.2 3.7 20.3 27.9 36.8 37.9 13.5 14.4 West Virginia ........ ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 1.6 - - - - - 26.2 - Wisconsin ............ 43 10 6,303 1,189 17.5 1.9 1.2 2.9 55.7 50.0 19.9 10.2 Wyoming .............. ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - - - 15.4 - 1.5 - 15.4 - Puerto Rico .......... 12 18 3,029 2,245 ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 50.2 55.8 13.7 11.3 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 III II III III II III III II III 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p United States( 1 )..... 1,234 1,445 1,072 248,055 295,215 237,777 256,805 241,828 153,142 Northeast ..................... 287 201 253 53,440 36,451 56,223 55,789 40,349 35,911 New England ............... 41 57 41 8,108 11,153 17,116 7,290 9,778 4,618 Middle Atlantic ........... 246 144 212 45,332 25,298 39,107 48,499 30,571 31,293 South ......................... 279 404 252 58,183 80,740 45,461 43,149 68,506 37,425 South Atlantic ............ 133 184 99 30,058 42,302 17,998 17,038 28,036 12,887 East South Central ........ 38 61 39 7,725 8,769 6,833 5,273 7,935 3,956 West South Central ........ 108 159 114 20,400 29,669 20,630 20,838 32,535 20,582 Midwest ....................... 290 371 236 69,966 78,773 43,610 60,113 63,330 36,856 East North Central ........ 249 313 213 58,986 70,219 39,281 51,994 55,597 33,024 West North Central ........ 41 58 23 10,980 8,554 4,329 8,119 7,733 3,832 West .......................... 378 469 331 66,466 99,251 92,483 97,754 69,643 42,950 Mountain .................. 48 89 47 7,353 17,282 20,206 6,529 11,639 6,981 Pacific ................... 330 380 284 59,113 81,969 72,277 91,225 58,004 35,969 1 See footnote 1, table 1. 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 III II III III II III III II III 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p Total( 1 ) .......... 1,234 1,445 1,072 248,055 295,215 237,777 256,805 241,828 153,142 Alabama .................. 11 32 20 2,682 4,376 3,001 2,203 4,522 1,940 Alaska ................... ( 2 ) 6 - ( 2 ) 1,578 - ( 2 ) 815 - Arizona .................. 16 27 24 1,946 6,135 16,009 2,044 4,803 4,445 Arkansas ................. 13 8 4 2,262 1,547 1,726 1,707 993 790 California ............... 292 305 238 51,861 64,970 64,816 85,794 44,979 30,794 Colorado ................. 6 4 ( 2 ) 688 373 ( 2 ) 708 389 ( 2 ) Connecticut .............. 7 11 9 1,563 2,541 1,803 972 1,938 874 Delaware ................. - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia ..... - - - - - - - - - Florida .................. 67 94 42 17,085 19,078 6,615 8,980 13,073 3,989 Georgia .................. 17 15 13 5,883 3,382 2,759 2,019 3,023 1,370 Hawaii ................... 8 15 8 793 1,562 608 873 1,499 633 Idaho .................... 10 8 8 1,340 1,059 1,222 1,126 804 1,016 Illinois ................. 56 107 56 17,624 31,630 14,839 11,737 21,752 8,505 Indiana .................. 28 20 18 5,699 4,366 3,137 4,498 3,440 1,955 Iowa ..................... 6 4 ( 2 ) 605 482 ( 2 ) 1,211 698 ( 2 ) Kansas ................... ( 2 ) 10 5 ( 2 ) 1,183 718 ( 2 ) 1,226 425 Kentucky ................. 9 6 7 1,216 962 898 961 538 584 Louisiana ................ 12 20 5 2,279 4,368 862 2,288 3,822 813 Maine .................... 9 7 ( 2 ) 1,483 1,541 ( 2 ) 1,917 863 ( 2 ) Maryland ................. 5 7 5 499 628 717 471 692 704 Massachusetts ............ 21 35 23 4,519 6,422 13,404 3,975 6,610 2,737 Michigan ................. 76 66 88 14,848 12,499 14,113 16,092 12,577 14,733 Minnesota ................ 7 26 7 1,977 3,846 1,546 1,118 2,843 1,475 Mississippi .............. 16 6 3 3,347 917 1,567 1,604 746 527 Missouri ................. 25 15 8 7,074 2,541 1,599 5,083 2,540 1,599 Montana .................. ( 2 ) 8 - ( 2 ) 691 - ( 2 ) 642 - Nebraska ................. ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) Nevada ................... 4 22 8 872 3,613 821 719 3,029 646 New Hampshire ............ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) New Jersey ............... 37 41 50 7,034 6,497 6,027 5,397 5,928 6,367 New Mexico ............... 6 12 ( 2 ) 1,627 1,989 ( 2 ) 1,067 1,298 ( 2 ) New York ................. 115 21 104 21,733 4,502 22,960 21,397 3,503 14,975 North Carolina ........... 14 23 17 3,056 6,493 4,923 1,449 3,459 2,215 North Dakota ............. - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - Ohio ..................... 67 77 41 18,511 12,662 6,006 16,550 11,525 6,642 Oklahoma ................. 12 11 7 1,458 1,906 612 1,467 1,900 612 Oregon ................... 11 28 18 1,734 5,546 2,758 1,239 3,437 1,622 Pennsylvania ............. 94 82 58 16,565 14,299 10,120 21,705 21,140 9,951 Rhode Island ............. ( 2 ) 3 6 ( 2 ) 549 1,540 ( 2 ) 254 671 South Carolina ........... 13 24 11 1,467 2,471 1,371 2,213 4,625 3,518 South Dakota ............. - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - Tennessee ................ ( 2 ) 17 9 ( 2 ) 2,514 1,367 ( 2 ) 2,129 905 Texas .................... 71 120 98 14,401 21,848 17,430 15,376 25,820 18,367 Utah ..................... 5 7 4 820 2,522 770 806 609 307 Vermont .................. - - - - - - - - - Virginia ................. 12 20 11 1,683 10,189 1,613 1,433 3,103 1,091 Washington ............... 17 26 20 4,463 8,313 4,095 3,109 7,274 2,920 West Virginia ............ 5 ( 2 ) - 385 ( 2 ) - 473 ( 2 ) - Wisconsin ................ 22 43 10 2,304 9,062 1,186 3,117 6,303 1,189 Wyoming .................. - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - Puerto Rico ................. 14 12 18 3,466 2,771 2,937 2,397 3,029 2,245 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.