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173 major work stoppages in manufacturing since 1993
August 04, 2025
From 1993 to 2024, there were 694 major work stoppages, involving 5.5 million workers total. Among industries, manufacturing had the most major work stoppages, 173 stoppages, followed by health care and social assistance (126 stoppages), and educational services (122 stoppages).
Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, by industry, 1993–2024
Industry
Cumulative number of workers
Cumulative days idle
Number of work stoppages
Manufacturing
1,224,200
30,769,400
173
Health care and social assistance
734,000
2,963,900
126
Educational services
1,205,000
7,048,300
122
Construction
152,800
1,462,500
63
Transportation and warehousing
615,800
9,300,600
56
Retail trade
255,400
8,075,600
29
Information
680,500
22,790,800
27
Public administration
158,300
638,000
24
Accommodation and food services
76,400
1,005,300
15
Administrative and waste services
57,200
421,100
15
Utilities
39,800
982,000
14
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
41,500
3,461,300
10
Finance and insurance
8,600
237,400
5
Wholesale trade
5,600
143,900
4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
7,100
284,100
3
Professional and technical services
140,400
17,287,500
3
Real estate and rental and leasing
39,000
651,000
3
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
1,200
39,600
1
Other services (except public administration)
47,000
141,000
1
Manufacturing and educational services each had 1.2 million workers involved in stoppages. While the information industry had had far fewer stoppages (27), its stoppages involved a total of 680,500 workers.
The professional and technical services industry had three stoppages total over the 1993–2024 period, but had over 17 million cumulative days idle. Days idle are calculated by multiplying the number of workers involved in the strike or lockout by the number of days workers are off the job, based on a 5-day workweek excluding federal holidays.
These data are from Work Stoppages Program. Major work stoppages include both worker-initiated strikes and employer-initiated lockouts that involve 1,000 or more workers and last at least one shift during the work week, Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. To learn more, see "Major Work Stoppages in 2024." We have historical work stoppages analysis factsheets available as well.
United States Department of Labor
