For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, February 20, 2025 USDL-25-0226
Technical information: (202) 691-6199 * workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/wsp
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * pressoffice@bls.gov
MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2024
In 2024, there were 31 major work stoppages beginning in the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. The lowest annual total of major work stoppages was 5 in 2009 and the
highest was 470 in 1952. Between the years 2005-2024, there have been an average of 17.4 work
stoppages beginning in the year. 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.
There were 271,500 workers involved in major work stoppages that began in 2024. Service-providing
industries accounted for 232,500 workers, or 85.6 percent of idled workers over the year. Within
service-providing industries, the education and health services sector accounted for the idling of
126,500 workers, the other services (except for public administration) sector for 47,000 workers,
and the other sectors for 59,000 workers.
In 2024, work stoppages in the manufacturing sector within goods-producing industries accounted
for 38,000 workers, or 14.0 percent of idled workers over the year.
In 2024, one local government and nine state government work stoppages began, idling 113,300
workers and resulting in 366,700 cumulative days of idleness. In the private industry, 158,200
workers were idled beginning in the year, resulting in 2,997,400 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 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 include 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 1880 to 1980
at www.bls.gov/wsp/questions-and-answers.htm.
The latest Union Members report is available at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf.
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United States Department of Labor
