Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm Technical information: (202) 691-6392 USDL 00-83 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 691-5902 Thursday, March 23, 2000 EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1999 In the fourth quarter of 1999, there were 1,571 mass layoff actions by employers that resulted in the separation of 310,954 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 sharply lower than in October-December 1998. (See table A.) For all of 1999, the total of extended mass layoff events, at 5,624, and the total number of worker separations, at 1,126,278, declined to pre-1998 levels. Additional information on the 1999 annual data is provided in the review of 1999 section beginning on page 4 of this release. The completion of seasonal work was the major reason cited for layoffs in the fourth quarter and accounted for 59 percent of all events and 60 percent of all separations. These percentages were the highest since the mass layoff program was resumed in the second quarter of 1995. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring resulted in 37,928 separations, the lowest level in 8 quarters. Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 9 percent of all events and affected 41,296 workers, about unchanged from 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 establish- ment filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a consecutive 5-week period. Data for the fourth 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 October-December 1999, agriculture accounted for 25 percent of all layoff events and separations. The layoff activity occurred in agricultural services, primarily farm labor contractors, and was almost entirely due to the end of seasonal work. (See table 1.) Twenty-nine percent of all layoff events and separations occurred in manufacturing industries. Layoffs from nondurable goods manufacturers were most numerous in food and kindred products (primarily in canned and frozen fruits and vegetables). Among durable goods industries, layoffs were most prevalent in transportation equipment (motor vehicle parts and accessories) and industrial machinery and equipment (mostly construction machinery). - 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 | 248,054 | 256,803 October-December(r)..| 1,736 | 380,256 | 326,122 1999 | | | January-March(r).....| 1,509 | 277,767 | 252,060 April-June(r)........| 1,445 | 295,268 | 242,197 July-September(r)....| 1,099 | 242,289 | 189,366 October-December(p)..| 1,571 | 310,954 | 212,196 -------------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. r=revised. Cutbacks in construction accounted for 20 percent of events and 16 percent of separations, primarily in heavy construction, excluding building. Services accounted for 13 percent of all layoff events and 14 percent of separations, mainly in business services (primarily help supply) and amusement and recreation services (mostly in amusement parks). Retail trade accounted for 5 percent of all layoff events and 8 percent of all separations, largely in general merchandise stores (department stores) and building material and garden supplies (lumber and other building materials). Layoffs in government establishments accounted for 3 percent of total events and 5 percent of all separations. Reasons for Extended Layoff Sixty percent of the separations and 59 percent of the events in the fourth quarter were due to seasonal work. These layoffs were most numerous among workers in agricultural services (such as farm labor contractors and crop preparation services), agricultural production crops (mostly in vegetables and melons and grapes), food and kindred products (largely in canned fruits and vegetables), and heavy construction, excluding buildings (mostly highway and street construction). Layoffs due to internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) comprised 12 percent of all layoff events and separations; the 37,928 separations due to restructuring were the lowest fourth-quarter level on record. (See table 2.) - 3 - Table B. Distribution of layoff events by size of layoff, October-December 1999p ------------------------------------------------------------ | Layoff events | Separations Size |---------------------|----------------------- | Number | Percent | Number | Percent --------------|----------|----------|----------|------------ Total......| 1,571 | 100.0 | 310,954 | 100.0 | | | | 50-99..........| 581 | 37.0 | 40,954 | 13.2 100-149........| 319 | 20.3 | 37,245 | 12.0 150-199........| 186 | 11.8 | 30,882 | 9.9 200-299........| 227 | 14.4 | 52,904 | 17.0 300-499........| 160 | 10.2 | 57,576 | 18.5 500-999........| 72 | 4.6 | 45,513 | 14.6 1,000 or more..| 26 | 1.7 | 45,880 | 14.8 -------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. Size of Extended Layoff Layoff events during the fourth quarter continued to be concentrated at the lower end of the layoff-size spectrum, with 57 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 29 percent of all separations, down from 37 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 85 separations in membership organizations to 889 in apparel and accessory stores. Initial Claimant Characteristics A total of 212,196 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with mass layoffs in the fourth quarter of 1999. Of these claimants, 9 percent were black, 35 percent were women, 33 percent were Hispanic, and 13 percent were 55 years of age or older. (See table 3.) Over 2 out of 5 claimants were 30 to 44 years of age. Among the civilian labor force, 12 percent were black, 47 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. Geographic Distribution In the fourth quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass layoff events was higher in the West (134,956) than in any of the other regions. (See table 4.) Contributing to extended mass layoffs in the West were agricultural services and agricultural production crops. The lowest number of worker separations was reported in the Northeast region (29,931). All four regions reported over-the-year decreases in separations, with the largest decline occurring in the Northeast (-27,382), primarily in apparel and electronic and other electric equipment. Lower levels of separations this year were reported mainly by employers in the Middle Atlantic and Pacific divisions, with sharply fewer layoffs in depository institutions, agricultural services, and motion pictures. Separations rose in the West North Central division (+4,138). Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of worker separations occurred in California (110,168), followed by Illinois (35,590). These two states accounted for 41 percent of total layoff events and 47 percent of all separations during the fourth quarter of 1999. (See table 5.) After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work, California still reported the most laid-off workers (23,464), primarily in business services. Over the year, the largest decreases in laid-off workers occurred in California (-21,595) and New York (-11,651). The largest increase occurred in Michigan (+5,685), primarily in business services and wholesale trade. - 4 - Table C. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from layoff, fourth quarter 1998-fourth quarter 1999 --------------------------------------------------------------------- | Percentage of events |---------------------------------------------- Nature of the recall | IV | I | II | III | IV | 1998 | 1999 | 1999 | 1999r | 1999p ----------------------|--------|--------|-------|-------|------------ Anticipate a recall...| 58.1 | 57.3 | 60.1 | 50.4 | 69.3 | | | | | Timeframe | | | | | | | | | | Within 6 months.......| 86.6 | 84.1 | 84.2 | 82.7 | 81.7 Within 3 months.....| 35.5 | 47.3 | 51.1 | 56.7 | 30.5 | | | | | Size | | | | | | | | | | At least half.........| 96.5 | 89.5 | 91.5 | 88.6 | 88.8 All workers.........| 52.4 | 53.0 | 60.3 | 39.7 | 42.2 -------------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. r=revised. Recall Expectations Sixty-nine percent of employers reporting a layoff in the fourth quarter of 1999 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, up from 58 percent a year earlier and the highest rate for any quarter since fourth quarter 1997. (See table C.) The large proportion of employers expecting recall in the fourth quarter of 1999 reflects, primarily, the dominance of seasonal layoffs in this quarter's data. Among establishments expecting a recall, most employers expected to recall over one-half of the separated employees and to do so within 6 months. Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period (in which 93 percent of the employers expected a recall), employers expected to recall laid-off workers in 35 percent of the events, higher than during the same period a year ago (31 percent). In layoff events due to internal company restructuring, employers anticipated a recall in only 6 percent of the events. Review of 1999 For all of 1999, there were 5,624 extended mass layoff actions and 1,126,278 workers separated from their jobs for more than 30 days in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the lowest annual totals reported since the resumption of the Mass Layoff Statistics program in April 1995. A year earlier, in 1998, employers reported the largest number of laid-off workers, totaling 1,227,853 separations in 5,853 extended layoff events. This level of activity was due in large part to the automobile strike- related plant shutdowns in the transportation equipment and related industries. (See table D.) - 5 - Table D. Selected measures of mass layoff activity, 1996-1999 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Period | Layoff events | Separations | Initial claimants ------------|---------------|---------------|-------------------- 1996........| 5,697 | 1,184,270 | 957,745 1997........| 5,683 | 1,146,115 | 1,041,907 1998........| 5,853 | 1,227,853 | 1,232,516 1999(p).....| 5,624 | 1,126,278 | 895,819 ---------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. In the private sector during 1999, manufacturing accounted for 32 percent of all mass layoff events and 33 percent of all separations, lower than in 1998 (37 percent and 41 percent, respectively). The largest number of separations occurred in food processing (81,530) and transportation equipment (56,037). Transportation equipment had the sharpest decrease in laid-off workers (-88,196) compared with 1998, when there were large strike-related plant shutdowns. The largest over-the-year increase occurred in food processing (+11,970). In 1999, seasonal work continued to be the most cited reason for layoff, accounting for 41 percent of all layoff events and 43 percent of all separations. The number of workers separated due to internal company restructuring rose 30 percent over the year to 244,564 separations, slightly exceeding the 1996 figure as the highest level for this series. In 1999, the number of laid-off workers was higher in the West (434,879) than in any other region. Layoffs in food production (agriculture and food processing) accounted for 50 percent of the separations in the West and were due primarily to seasonal work. The fewest number of separations continued to be reported in the Northeast region (167,854). Compared with 1998, three of the four regions reported a decrease in laid-off workers, with the largest occurring in the Midwest (-107,060). The West reported the only rise in separations (+58,921). Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California continued to report the largest number of separated workers (325,713), reflecting an over-the-year increase of 33,197. Ohio had the largest over-the-year decline in separations (-55,823). 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: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339. 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 IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p Total( 1 )..................................... 1,736 1,099 1,571 380,256 242,289 310,954 326,122 189,366 212,196 Total, private ........................................ 1,677 1,042 1,529 366,703 222,841 295,953 313,519 177,465 205,266 Agriculture ........................................ 312 137 382 93,478 37,321 75,317 46,847 21,478 46,489 Nonagriculture ...................................... 1,358 899 1,141 272,383 184,930 219,959 265,862 155,432 158,061 Manufacturing ................................... 572 409 440 118,412 92,479 85,950 119,510 75,166 66,718 Durable goods ................................ 293 215 219 59,095 46,259 35,900 63,304 37,499 33,778 Lumber and wood products ................... 20 12 26 3,216 1,218 2,730 3,644 1,313 2,033 Furniture and fixtures ..................... 6 9 7 592 1,157 940 517 1,125 1,329 Stone, clay, and glass products ............ 17 8 22 2,484 964 3,537 2,703 1,708 2,673 Primary metal industries ................... 38 22 16 6,091 3,831 2,752 7,936 4,375 2,821 Fabricated metal products .................. 23 27 24 2,811 4,618 3,081 3,681 4,324 2,740 Industrial machinery and equipment ......... 63 41 39 11,821 7,652 7,572 12,837 7,523 7,482 Electronic and other electrical equipment .. 49 28 26 13,167 14,527 4,065 12,477 4,595 4,355 Transportation equipment ................... 35 52 40 11,193 10,093 8,474 12,237 10,931 8,068 Instruments and related products ........... 18 8 5 3,618 1,370 554 2,619 990 591 Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ..... 24 8 14 4,102 829 2,195 4,653 615 1,686 Nondurable goods ............................. 279 194 221 59,317 46,220 50,050 56,206 37,667 32,940 Food and kindred products .................. 106 65 102 27,231 21,107 28,293 25,690 11,270 16,303 Tobacco products ........................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - Textile mill products ...................... 26 18 18 4,384 4,088 4,833 5,309 5,522 2,878 Apparel and other textile products ......... 73 52 42 15,434 10,136 7,312 14,386 10,895 6,848 Paper and allied products .................. 18 11 8 4,023 2,141 961 3,379 1,666 741 Printing and publishing .................... 12 5 8 1,938 1,304 1,383 1,663 879 865 Chemicals and allied products .............. 7 11 7 862 1,995 1,027 891 1,687 702 Petroleum and coal products ................ 14 ( 2 ) 14 2,158 ( 2 ) 2,345 2,137 ( 2 ) 2,024 Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products . 15 26 14 1,738 4,231 2,418 1,417 4,875 1,453 Leather and leather products ............... ( 2 ) 3 8 ( 2 ) 290 1,478 ( 2 ) 339 1,126 Nonmanufacturing ................................ 786 490 701 153,971 92,451 134,009 146,352 80,266 91,343 Mining ....................................... 37 12 19 5,560 4,583 3,224 6,635 5,718 2,139 Construction .................................. 328 74 307 51,638 11,012 46,856 51,136 12,075 37,118 Transportation and public utilities ........... 37 87 47 8,090 20,605 6,970 7,311 14,963 5,208 Wholesale and retail trade .................... 112 101 111 21,973 22,521 31,161 19,935 14,443 14,469 Wholesale trade ........................... 36 29 36 6,723 5,552 6,648 5,581 3,260 4,146 Retail trade .............................. 76 72 75 15,250 16,969 24,513 14,354 11,183 10,323 Finance, insurance, and real estate ........... 40 43 25 8,232 5,438 2,948 6,533 6,009 3,057 Services ...................................... 232 173 192 58,478 28,292 42,850 54,802 27,058 29,352 Not identified ..................................... 7 6 6 842 590 677 810 555 716 Government ............................................ 59 57 42 13,553 19,448 15,001 12,603 11,901 6,930 Federal ....................................... 16 10 6 4,049 3,110 1,677 3,779 2,997 1,143 State ......................................... 21 5 19 4,782 1,835 8,812 4,374 1,433 2,726 Local ......................................... 22 42 17 4,722 14,503 4,512 4,450 7,471 3,061 1 For the fourth quarter of 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. p = preliminary. r = revised. 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 IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p Total, all reasons( 1 )........ 1,736 1,099 1,571 380,256 242,289 310,954 326,122 189,366 212,196 Automation ....................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Bankruptcy ....................... 21 24 25 8,625 10,471 6,799 3,948 3,163 2,540 Business ownership change ........ 40 55 32 8,485 19,248 8,824 7,398 7,395 4,167 Contract cancellation ............ 15 17 18 3,979 2,655 2,500 1,988 2,000 2,249 Contract completed ............... 190 140 152 48,076 21,095 28,940 52,624 26,455 25,033 Domestic relocation .............. 29 16 7 5,660 3,001 1,830 3,354 2,294 1,025 Energy-related ................... 18 - - 2,793 - - 4,282 - - Environment-related .............. 4 - 6 664 - 1,306 1,234 - 843 Financial difficulty ............. 32 58 37 5,261 13,106 6,750 4,641 10,517 4,407 Import competition ............... 40 24 24 9,794 8,624 6,428 11,483 6,524 3,658 Labor dispute .................... 11 3 8 2,665 829 2,615 1,798 495 1,615 Material shortage ................ ( 2 ) 6 - ( 2 ) 1,368 - ( 2 ) 2,843 - Model changeover ................. 5 - ( 2 ) 3,174 - ( 2 ) 3,018 - ( 2 ) Natural disaster ................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - Overseas relocation .............. 8 5 9 1,108 988 1,525 871 594 939 Plant or machine repair .......... 10 ( 2 ) 3 1,210 ( 2 ) 368 1,858 ( 2 ) 344 Product line discontinued ........ 10 8 5 1,183 1,042 1,406 1,288 1,024 1,581 Reorganization within company .... 115 110 88 26,372 22,042 15,555 25,145 22,792 12,018 Seasonal work .................... 804 357 924 195,232 85,695 185,063 135,088 56,365 116,439 Slack work ....................... 201 122 113 27,876 18,068 19,533 38,620 21,616 18,288 Vacation period .................. 4 25 6 576 13,129 921 925 3,712 1,089 Weather-related .................. 39 5 21 4,212 995 3,061 5,299 494 2,407 Other ............................ 56 27 43 10,801 4,946 11,381 8,363 4,876 7,443 Not reported ..................... 80 92 47 11,314 14,367 5,704 11,905 15,635 5,663 1 See footnote 1, table 1. 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. p = preliminary. r = revised. NOTE: Dash represents zero. Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, third and fourth quarters, 1999 Percent of total Total Layoff events initial Hispanic claimants Black origin Women Persons age 55 and over State III IV III IV III IV III IV III IV III IV 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p 1999r 1999p Total( 1 )......... 1,099 1,571 189,366 212,196 15.6 9.4 24.3 32.7 45.1 35.0 13.4 12.7 Alabama ............... 20 15 2,309 1,837 48.2 30.0 .4 .3 50.9 46.0 7.3 16.5 Alaska ................ ( 2 ) 7 ( 2 ) 796 1.6 2.3 17.0 16.5 27.3 27.0 15.0 14.7 Arizona ............... 24 7 4,680 671 2.4 2.4 59.9 33.4 23.7 33.7 12.7 13.7 Arkansas .............. 4 10 1,353 1,253 30.3 14.1 1.8 2.0 65.5 48.4 7.8 10.4 California ............ 247 501 44,956 65,215 6.4 2.2 55.0 73.4 42.9 37.4 11.4 10.6 Colorado .............. ( 2 ) 18 ( 2 ) 1,626 3.3 5.0 16.5 32.4 5.5 31.4 5.5 12.5 Connecticut ........... 9 5 913 448 15.4 13.6 13.0 6.0 41.9 32.4 21.8 14.7 Delaware .............. - - - - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia .. - ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 75.2 - 9.0 - 26.1 - 7.7 Florida ............... 44 21 5,081 1,824 33.0 20.9 21.5 22.0 45.9 53.1 18.7 22.8 Georgia ............... 17 8 2,109 842 49.3 50.1 .8 1.3 55.4 55.9 14.1 7.7 Hawaii ................ 8 7 717 972 3.6 .6 1.8 .4 23.8 17.6 11.0 19.1 Idaho ................. 8 11 1,080 998 .4 .3 36.2 34.7 54.8 26.1 17.1 12.2 Illinois .............. 56 148 10,967 20,002 18.9 17.3 10.2 16.8 37.0 27.0 12.3 12.4 Indiana ............... 18 27 2,190 3,279 24.4 8.2 4.2 3.2 37.4 21.6 15.7 14.0 Iowa .................. ( 2 ) 33 ( 2 ) 5,775 5.5 1.2 1.6 4.2 26.4 25.5 10.1 12.4 Kansas ................ 6 7 511 821 21.7 7.9 3.9 11.1 53.2 19.6 10.0 15.6 Kentucky .............. 7 6 615 652 11.1 3.5 .5 - 46.0 72.2 11.1 15.0 Louisiana ............. 5 7 814 790 40.5 53.7 .2 1.3 32.9 21.4 10.3 13.0 Maine ................. ( 2 ) 12 ( 2 ) 1,358 1.3 .1 .4 .1 40.6 16.4 16.2 10.7 Maryland .............. 5 4 797 347 34.3 36.6 .6 - 51.7 16.7 26.6 40.1 Massachusetts ......... 23 35 3,014 4,135 11.9 6.1 11.3 10.8 65.5 49.2 19.0 22.0 Michigan .............. 88 87 16,302 12,399 17.3 16.0 4.1 9.7 41.1 34.6 9.2 12.2 Minnesota ............. 8 72 1,904 8,105 5.5 1.3 .9 6.7 35.0 21.8 12.2 13.7 Mississippi ........... 3 10 532 941 67.7 66.1 .8 .7 45.5 59.0 4.5 5.5 Missouri .............. 8 15 1,633 2,048 16.9 11.5 2.1 2.4 64.1 56.5 17.2 13.4 Montana ............... - 4 - 458 - .7 - 1.5 - 5.9 - 13.8 Nebraska .............. ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 46.9 - 22.9 - 65.6 - 4.2 - Nevada ................ 8 10 709 1,227 8.2 8.1 23.6 20.9 29.8 26.8 19.0 18.0 New Hampshire ......... ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - - - - - 96.1 - 24.5 - New Jersey ............ 50 31 7,233 4,055 25.8 16.8 17.3 28.7 65.3 48.0 24.8 21.1 New Mexico ............ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) .3 2.9 52.8 78.5 7.4 26.7 7.4 18.6 New York .............. 104 41 15,624 4,259 18.4 11.6 10.1 9.3 59.7 49.4 19.6 20.5 North Carolina ........ 17 22 2,302 3,013 37.7 37.6 1.1 .8 48.7 51.9 13.6 11.8 North Dakota .......... - - - - - - - - - - - - Ohio .................. 43 80 8,244 9,709 13.1 9.2 .7 4.9 41.6 23.4 14.4 11.4 Oklahoma .............. 7 ( 2 ) 633 ( 2 ) 11.8 13.2 2.2 2.6 42.0 46.9 14.8 27.6 Oregon ................ 18 14 1,705 1,764 5.2 1.2 11.6 26.0 54.2 37.9 10.0 14.6 Pennsylvania .......... 59 66 12,885 13,268 10.0 7.4 1.3 2.0 42.5 43.3 16.1 16.9 Rhode Island .......... 6 ( 2 ) 671 ( 2 ) 2.8 1.1 13.0 18.3 52.9 68.8 17.1 29.0 South Carolina ........ 11 6 4,431 565 54.0 59.3 1.5 - 60.5 62.1 .8 5.1 South Dakota .......... - - - - - - - - - - - - Tennessee ............. 13 5 2,530 572 19.3 18.2 1.0 .2 74.6 41.3 16.8 8.4 Texas ................. 98 87 20,795 18,112 13.7 16.8 45.7 42.8 34.8 34.3 12.2 10.2 Utah .................. 4 11 307 1,322 1.6 1.2 7.5 13.5 47.9 18.7 4.2 6.5 Vermont ............... - 3 - 362 - - - .3 - 30.1 - 25.7 Virginia .............. 11 14 1,436 1,933 32.0 37.1 .8 1.1 80.5 61.6 13.9 14.3 Washington ............ 20 29 4,232 4,520 3.8 2.5 22.0 38.1 35.4 33.2 12.0 12.0 West Virginia ......... - ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) - 5.6 - - - 29.0 - 15.9 Wisconsin ............. 12 67 1,770 8,966 5.6 4.3 4.7 8.3 37.5 23.5 12.0 12.3 Wyoming ............... - - - - - - - - - - - - Puerto Rico ........... 18 14 2,726 1,359 ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 54.3 68.0 11.6 6.7 1 See footnote 1, table 1. 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 3 Data are not available. p = preliminary. r = revised 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 IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p United States( 1 )..... 1,736 1,099 1,571 380,256 242,289 310,954 326,122 189,366 212,196 Northeast ..................... 350 254 194 57,313 56,727 29,931 68,318 40,676 27,978 New England ............... 60 41 56 12,644 17,117 11,292 10,128 4,934 6,396 Middle Atlantic ........... 290 213 138 44,669 39,610 18,639 58,190 35,742 21,582 South ......................... 311 262 220 59,202 47,135 43,899 56,100 45,737 33,238 South Atlantic ............ 132 105 78 26,547 19,128 20,067 17,896 16,156 8,853 East South Central ........ 44 43 36 7,207 7,341 5,226 6,394 5,986 4,002 West South Central ........ 135 114 106 25,448 20,666 18,606 31,810 23,595 20,383 Midwest ....................... 532 242 536 108,192 45,613 102,168 94,849 43,924 71,104 East North Central ........ 415 217 409 88,857 40,940 78,695 78,284 39,473 54,355 West North Central ........ 117 25 127 19,335 4,673 23,473 16,565 4,451 16,749 West .......................... 543 341 621 155,549 92,814 134,956 106,855 59,029 79,876 Mountain .................. 59 46 63 11,104 19,443 11,240 10,193 7,166 6,609 Pacific ................... 484 295 558 144,445 73,371 123,716 96,662 51,863 73,267 1 See footnote 1, table 1. p = preliminary. r = revised. 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 IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p 1998r 1999r 1999p Total( 1 )............ 1,736 1,099 1,571 380,256 242,289 310,954 326,122 189,366 212,196 Alabama .................. 21 20 15 3,678 3,001 1,821 3,480 2,309 1,837 Alaska ................... 10 ( 2 ) 7 2,228 ( 2 ) 5,183 1,322 ( 2 ) 796 Arizona .................. 9 24 7 2,006 16,014 577 3,009 4,680 671 Arkansas ................. 5 4 10 880 1,726 1,463 1,084 1,353 1,253 California ............... 426 247 501 131,763 59,689 110,168 87,045 44,956 65,215 Colorado ................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 18 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,878 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,626 Connecticut .............. 7 9 5 2,110 1,804 947 1,362 913 448 Delaware ................. - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia ..... - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) - - ( 2 ) Florida .................. 50 44 21 11,340 6,855 5,897 6,589 5,081 1,824 Georgia .................. 15 17 8 3,182 3,649 1,267 2,707 2,109 842 Hawaii ................... 10 8 7 1,508 665 932 1,648 717 972 Idaho .................... 15 8 11 2,310 1,222 1,538 1,631 1,080 998 Illinois ................. 172 56 148 38,135 14,944 35,590 30,283 10,967 20,002 Indiana .................. 32 18 27 4,783 3,139 5,334 5,101 2,190 3,279 Iowa ..................... 11 ( 2 ) 33 1,212 ( 2 ) 5,857 1,103 ( 2 ) 5,775 Kansas ................... 5 6 7 498 792 1,221 500 511 821 Kentucky ................. 11 7 6 1,684 899 1,435 1,443 615 652 Louisiana ................ 15 5 7 2,248 862 1,024 1,989 814 790 Maine .................... 11 ( 2 ) 12 1,796 ( 2 ) 3,412 1,306 ( 2 ) 1,358 Maryland ................. 7 5 4 872 717 380 630 797 347 Massachusetts ............ 39 23 35 8,403 13,404 6,371 7,108 3,014 4,135 Michigan ................. 29 88 87 4,164 14,916 9,849 3,477 16,302 12,399 Minnesota ................ 65 8 72 10,294 1,782 12,805 8,987 1,904 8,105 Mississippi .............. 9 3 10 1,318 1,567 1,305 981 532 941 Missouri ................. 35 8 15 7,256 1,633 3,590 5,900 1,633 2,048 Montana .................. 5 - 4 1,286 - 461 1,053 - 458 Nebraska ................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - Nevada ................... 14 8 10 2,910 853 1,907 2,537 709 1,227 New Hampshire ............ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - New Jersey ............... 56 50 31 10,321 6,027 3,832 6,726 7,233 4,055 New Mexico ............... 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,310 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 525 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) New York ................. 109 104 41 17,399 23,413 5,748 16,989 15,624 4,259 North Carolina ........... 23 17 22 4,776 4,923 4,409 2,537 2,302 3,013 North Dakota ............. - - - - - - - - - Ohio ..................... 100 43 80 23,809 6,584 14,561 19,555 8,244 9,709 Oklahoma ................. 9 7 ( 2 ) 776 633 ( 2 ) 1,592 633 ( 2 ) Oregon ................... 15 18 14 3,051 2,808 2,081 3,023 1,705 1,764 Pennsylvania ............. 125 59 66 16,949 10,170 9,059 34,475 12,885 13,268 Rhode Island ............. ( 2 ) 6 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,540 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 671 ( 2 ) South Carolina ........... 10 11 6 1,291 1,371 669 1,256 4,431 565 South Dakota ............. - - - - - - - - - Tennessee ................ 3 13 5 527 1,874 665 490 2,530 572 Texas .................... 106 98 87 21,544 17,445 15,891 27,145 20,795 18,112 Utah ..................... 10 4 11 1,181 770 2,712 1,346 307 1,322 Vermont .................. - - 3 - - 362 - - 362 Virginia ................. 16 11 14 3,703 1,613 6,925 2,910 1,436 1,933 Washington ............... 23 20 29 5,895 4,095 5,352 3,624 4,232 4,520 West Virginia ............ 11 - ( 2 ) 1,383 - ( 2 ) 1,267 - ( 2 ) Wisconsin ................ 82 12 67 17,966 1,357 13,361 19,868 1,770 8,966 Wyoming .................. - - - - - - - - - Puerto Rico .............. 33 18 14 9,024 2,937 1,344 6,025 2,726 1,359 1 See footnote 1, table 1. 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. p = preliminary. r = revised. NOTE: Dash represents zero.