Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm Technical information:(202) 606-6396 USDL 99-95 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT Media contact: 606-5902 Wednesday, April 14, 1999 EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1998 In October through December of 1998, there were 1,660 mass layoff actions by employers that resulted in the separation of 342,010 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. While layoff events were essentially unchanged from the fourth quarter of 1997, the number of separations was higher and the proportion of events with expectations of worker recall was lower in fourth quarter 1998. For the 4 quarters of 1998, the total of extended layoff events, at 5,759, and worker separations, at 1,163,805, were slightly higher than in 1997 (5,645 and 1,112,513, respectively). Seasonal work was the major reason cited and accounted for 45 percent of all fourth-quarter 1998 layoff events and 50 percent of all separations. Seasonal layoffs peak each year during the fourth quarter. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring resulted in 44,509 separations. Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 10 percent of all events and affected 39,189 workers, up from 36,459 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 fourth quarter are preliminary and subject to revision. This release also includes revised data for previous quarters. Data are not seasonally adjusted, but earlier surveys 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 1998, agriculture accounted for 17 percent of all layoff events and 24 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-five percent of all layoff events and 34 percent of all separations occurred in manufacturing industries. Layoffs from durable goods manufacturers were most numerous in electronic and other electrical equipment (mostly in semiconductors and electron tubes) and industrial - 2 - Table A. Selected measures of mass layoff activity -------------------------------------------------------------------- Period | Layoff events| Separations | Initial claimants --------------------|--------------|--------------|------------------ 1995 | | | April-June .........| 1,724 | 401,789 | 332,731 July-September .....| 950 | 191,398 | 154,226 October-December | 1,761 | 337,537 | 311,748 1996 | | | January-March.......| 1,408 | 266,465 | 224,393 April-June..........| 1,350 | 253,389 | 207,873 July-September......| 1,020 | 227,672 | 200,163 October-December....| 1,915 | 412,729 | r384,456 1997 | | | January-March.......| 1,317 | 252,295 | r253,221 April-June | 1,574 | 340,371 | r318,417 July-September. ...| 1,077 | 213,133 | 216,844 October-December....| 1,677 | 306,714 | r314,387 1998 | | | January-March(r)....| 1,310 | 200,012 | 244,639 April-June(r).......| 1,559 | 374,492 | 401,469 July-September(r)...| 1,230 | 247,291 | 252,421 October-December(p).| 1,660 | 342,010 | 237,483 -------------------------------------------------------------------- p=preliminary. r=revised. machinery and equipment (largely in farm machinery and equipment). In nondurable goods industries, layoffs were most prevalent in food processing (canned fruits and vegetables). Cutbacks in construction accounted for 20 percent of events and 15 percent of separations, primarily in highway and street construction and other heavy construction. Services accounted for 14 percent of all layoff events and 15 percent of all separations, mainly in amusement and recreation services (mostly amusement parks) and business services (primarily help supply). Retail trade accounted for 5 percent of all layoff events and 4 percent of all separations, largely in eating and drinking places and furniture and home furnishings stores. Layoffs in government establishments accounted for 3 percent of total events and separations. Reasons for Extended Layoff Fifty percent of the separations and 45 percent of events in the fourth quarter were due to seasonal work. These layoffs were largely the result of the end of the growing season and were most numerous among workers in agricultural services (such as farm labor contractors), agricultural production crops (mostly in grape crops and vegetables and melons), and heavy construction (primarily highway and street construction). Layoffs - 3 - Table B. Distribution of layoff events by size of layoff, October- December 1998 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Layoff events Separations Size |----------------------------------------------------- | Number | Percent | Number | Percent ----------------|------------|-----------|------------|--------------- | | | | Total...........| 1,660 | 100.0 | 342,010 | 100.0 | | | | 50-99...........| 623 | 37.5 | 43,888 | 12.8 100-149.........| 330 | 19.9 | 39,126 | 11.4 150-199.........| 207 | 12.5 | 34,458 | 10.1 200-299.........| 219 | 13.2 | 49,289 | 14.4 300-499.........| 157 | 9.5 | 57,055 | 16.7 500-999.........| 87 | 5.2 | 55,989 | 16.4 1,000 or more...| 37 | 2.2 | 62,205 | 18.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- due to internal company restructuring (business ownership change, bankruptcy, financial difficulty, and reorganization) comprised 11 percent of all layoff events and 13 percent of all separations; these 44,509 separations were higher than fourth-quarter separations for 1997 (38,117). (See table 2.) 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 24 percent of all separations. (See table B.) Separations involving 500 or more workers accounted for 35 percent of all separations, up from 28 percent a year ago. Seasonal layoffs in agricultural services and agricultural crop production contributed to the high percentage of laid-off workers in the larger size categories. The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per layoff event) differed widely by industry, ranging from an average of 83 separations in security and commodity brokers to 554 in motion pictures. Initial Claimant Characteristics A total of 237,483 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with mass layoffs in the fourth quarter of 1998. Of these claimants, 10 percent were black, 36 percent were women, 26 percent were Hispanic, and 13 percent were 55 years of age or older. (See table 3.) Over 2 out of 5 claimants were between the ages of 30 to 44. Among the civilian labor force for the same period, 12 percent were black, 46 percent were women, 10 percent were Hispanic, and 13 percent were 55 years of age or older. Thirty-nine percent of the civilian labor force were between the ages of 30 to 44. - 4 - Table C. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from layoff, October-December 1998 ----------------------------------------------------------- Nature of recall | Percentage of events --------------------------|-------------------------------- Anticipate a recall.......| 57.0 | Timeframe | | Within 6 months...........| 83.6 Within 3 months.........| 38.1 | Size | | At least half.............| 95.8 All workers.............| 55.8 ----------------------------------------------------------- Geographic Distribution The largest number of worker separations occurred in California (109,741), followed by Illinois (38,128), Ohio (22,111), and Texas (20,777). These four states accounted for 46 percent of total layoff events and 56 percent of all separations during the fourth quarter of 1998. (See table 4.) After excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work, California still reported the most laid-off workers (26,550), primarily in motion pictures. Over the year, the largest increases in laid-off workers occurred in California (26,162 workers), Illinois (16,486), and Texas (10,469). The largest decrease occurred in Wisconsin (-8,440 workers), primarily in miscellaneous retail establishments. Recall Expectations Fifty-seven percent of employers reporting a layoff in the fourth quarter of 1998 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, down from 71 percent a year earlier and the lowest fourth quarter percentage since 1995. (See table C.) There were sharp increases among the proportion of employers who either expressed uncertainty about recalling workers or indicated they would not do so. Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period (in which 89 percent of the employers expected a recall), employers expected to recall laid-off workers in 30 percent of the events, the lowest percentage for any fourth quarter period. (This series began in the second quarter of 1995.) Among establishments expecting a recall, most employers expected to recall over one-half of the separated employees and to do so within 6 months. 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. In addition to this quarterly release, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also issues a monthly release on mass layoffs. This covers mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration. Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later for the quarterly series, which includes only mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days and provides more information on the establishment classification and location and on the demographics of the laid-off workers. 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 Defense-related industries. Industries that have been identified as vulnerable to Department of Defense budget reductions and the elimination of defense weapons systems. "Ordnance and accessories," "aircraft and parts," "shipbuilding and repairing," "guided missiles and space vehicles," "tanks and tank components," and "search and navigation equipment" industries have been identified as defense-related industries based on analysis that at least 50 percent of industry output was consumed by the U.S. Department of Defense. 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. - 2 - 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. 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, 1997 and 1998 Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for unemployment insurance Industry IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV 1997 1998r 1998p 1997 1998r 1998p 1997r 1998r 1998p Total( 1 )................................... 1,677 1,230 1,660 306,714 247,291 342,010 314,387 252,421 237,483 Total, private ........................................ 1,613 1,155 1,605 293,200 229,151 331,623 300,697 236,826 228,581 Agriculture ........................................ 275 129 266 41,137 28,574 79,596 40,002 20,350 33,797 Nonagriculture ...................................... 1,337 1,022 1,333 251,836 200,270 251,307 260,206 216,162 194,399 Manufacturing ................................... 496 528 556 93,704 105,345 112,516 91,111 98,752 90,021 Durable goods ................................ 203 307 286 33,829 65,448 56,187 38,590 61,253 47,463 Lumber and wood products .................. 17 9 21 2,368 1,187 3,141 3,245 910 2,756 Furniture and fixtures .................... 8 7 6 969 1,139 538 1,577 1,398 505 Stone, clay, and glass products ........... 27 6 17 4,070 1,055 2,306 5,228 666 1,626 Primary metal industries .................. 9 27 38 1,433 5,391 6,112 1,620 5,664 6,527 Fabricated metal products ................. 24 46 21 3,000 5,947 2,618 3,353 5,747 2,999 Industrial machinery and equipment ........ 29 53 60 5,847 9,229 11,144 5,349 8,673 10,446 Electronic and other electrical equipment . 30 70 48 5,016 13,376 12,660 4,238 15,453 8,119 Transportation equipment .................. 37 61 35 7,081 24,644 10,512 10,523 19,515 9,045 Instruments and related products .......... 6 15 16 780 1,980 3,166 550 1,477 1,934 Miscellaneous manufacturing industries .... 16 13 24 3,265 1,500 3,990 2,907 1,750 3,506 Nondurable goods ............................. 293 221 270 59,875 39,897 56,329 52,521 37,499 42,558 Food and kindred products .................. 130 71 98 34,267 14,453 25,456 25,582 15,300 16,133 Tobacco products ........................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Textile mill products ...................... 16 23 26 4,325 4,697 4,315 3,607 4,231 3,963 Apparel and other textile products ......... 66 51 73 9,890 7,770 15,020 10,345 6,408 13,303 Paper and allied products .................. 15 17 18 1,353 3,437 3,907 2,444 3,105 3,146 Printing and publishing .................... 10 8 12 1,908 1,451 1,861 3,204 1,349 1,283 Chemicals and allied products .............. 9 7 7 1,537 1,480 859 1,131 1,485 920 Petroleum and coal products ................ 21 ( 2 ) 14 2,688 ( 2 ) 1,978 2,805 ( 2 ) 1,505 Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products . 18 34 14 2,501 5,297 1,622 2,074 4,364 1,134 Leather and leather products ............... ( 2 ) 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,012 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,091 ( 2 ) Nonmanufacturing ................................ 841 494 777 158,132 94,925 138,791 169,095 117,410 104,378 Mining ....................................... 22 24 37 2,899 3,830 5,082 3,070 4,521 4,312 Construction .................................. 392 62 326 52,539 9,558 50,069 61,074 10,884 38,363 Transportation and public utilities ........... 39 88 35 10,858 20,506 7,556 7,640 21,214 5,472 Wholesale and retail trade .................... 137 91 109 34,096 19,094 19,482 28,921 18,242 13,348 Wholesale trade ........................... 36 26 36 4,109 3,954 5,951 4,420 3,200 4,218 Retail trade .............................. 101 65 73 29,987 15,140 13,531 24,501 15,042 9,130 Finance, insurance, and real estate ........... 26 28 40 4,904 7,424 7,680 4,488 5,669 5,610 Services ...................................... 225 201 230 52,836 34,513 48,922 63,902 56,880 37,273 Not identified ..................................... 1 4 6 227 307 720 489 314 385 Government ............................................ 64 75 55 13,514 18,140 10,387 13,690 15,595 8,902 Federal ....................................... 19 13 14 2,796 3,308 2,007 4,988 3,552 2,275 State ......................................... 21 8 20 4,904 1,637 3,946 3,797 1,466 3,283 Local ......................................... 24 54 21 5,814 13,195 4,434 4,905 10,577 3,344 1 For the fourth quarter 1998, 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. Table 2. Reason for separation: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, selected quarters, 1997 and 1998 Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for unemployment insurance Reason for separation IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV 1997 1998r 1998p 1997 1998r 1998p 1997r 1998r 1998p Total, all reasons( 1 )....... 1,677 1,230 1,660 306,714 247,291 342,010 314,387 252,421 237,483 Automation ....................... ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) Bankruptcy ........................ 26 20 21 6,293 8,373 8,516 3,116 3,511 3,616 Business ownership change ......... 30 33 31 5,796 8,662 5,814 4,932 3,898 4,229 Contract cancellation ............. 15 15 15 2,463 2,664 3,792 1,721 4,293 1,557 Contract completion ............... 193 145 195 37,433 27,104 40,756 58,611 51,752 37,762 Domestic relocation ............... 11 23 27 1,435 3,466 5,380 908 2,994 2,667 Energy-related..................... - 11 18 - 2,131 2,734 - 2,893 2,837 Environment-related................( 2 ) ( 2 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 664 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 966 Financial difficulty .............. 38 29 29 8,613 7,818 4,827 6,226 4,312 2,452 Import competition ................ 12 26 40 2,072 4,746 9,794 2,066 4,102 8,571 Labor dispute ..................... 3 15 11 506 10,927 2,665 511 6,594 1,637 Material shortage ................. 4 32 ( 2 ) 575 4,486 ( 2 ) 544 4,790 ( 2 ) Model changeover .................. 3 ( 2 ) 5 715 ( 2 ) 3,174 2,312 ( 2 ) 2,622 Natural disaster ..................( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Overseas relocation ............... 8 11 8 3,042 3,520 1,108 1,649 2,665 723 Plant or machine repair ........... 6 5 9 668 1,193 1,018 1,071 816 1,626 Product line discontinued ......... 16 10 10 2,653 1,413 1,183 2,220 1,232 993 Reorganization within company ..... 108 139 109 17,415 25,911 25,352 16,901 25,745 18,977 Seasonal work ..................... 889 347 744 173,047 69,084 172,575 150,826 61,995 94,400 Slack work ........................ 172 220 198 21,851 41,881 27,737 31,874 45,889 30,666 Vacation period ................... 3 22 3 659 2,619 436 733 2,746 398 Weather-related ................... 34 ( 2 ) 35 3,841 ( 2 ) 3,457 4,402 ( 2 ) 2,993 Other ............................. 66 73 63 12,228 12,203 10,743 15,911 13,050 7,458 Not reported ...................... 36 47 81 4,489 7,987 9,259 6,324 8,154 9,519 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, third and fourth quarters, 1998 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 1998r 1998p 1998r 1998p 1998r 1998p 1998r 1998p 1998r 1998p 1998r 1998p Total( 1 )........1,230 1,660 252,421 237,483 14.0 10.1 19.4 26.0 44.7 35.8 13.4 12.9 Alabama ............. 11 21 2,203 3,178 26.0 30.4 - .3 34.4 49.8 10.8 13.9 Alaska ..............( 2 ) 9 ( 2 ) 1,002 1.0 1.5 14.8 14.6 42.4 25.0 11.0 14.0 Arizona ............. 16 7 2,044 2,241 1.3 2.2 75.0 58.3 32.6 31.0 10.1 11.3 Arkansas ............ 11 5 1,525 1,029 20.5 27.5 6.0 2.4 57.0 54.5 10.0 8.6 California .......... 291 378 82,007 59,394 6.4 2.9 37.3 60.5 40.9 34.5 11.0 9.9 Colorado ............ 6 ( 2 ) 708 ( 2 ) 7.3 9.6 15.8 19.9 59.2 79.4 10.5 11.0 Connecticut ......... 7 7 848 1,024 16.2 6.6 5.8 9.2 31.4 35.4 19.0 18.5 Delaware ............ - - - - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia - - - - - - - - - - - - Florida ............. 67 50 8,980 5,137 29.1 18.9 21.0 26.8 43.6 53.4 22.6 19.6 Georgia ............. 17 15 2,019 2,060 48.8 54.8 1.0 .9 56.0 48.3 11.5 13.4 Hawaii .............. 8 12 873 1,299 - .4 3.9 .1 48.5 36.6 15.9 15.1 Idaho ............... 10 15 1,126 1,547 .4 .4 28.7 31.3 56.7 33.9 15.6 13.4 Illinois ............ 56 172 11,737 20,914 26.5 15.3 10.7 17.1 52.3 24.7 14.6 13.3 Indiana ............. 28 32 4,498 3,696 6.1 14.0 2.8 3.2 42.6 34.2 10.5 12.6 Iowa ................ 6 11 1,211 993 2.1 .8 .3 2.3 43.8 21.7 8.1 12.4 Kansas ..............( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 7.5 6.3 1.7 .9 67.4 43.2 8.8 8.1 Kentucky ............ 9 11 961 1,430 9.6 7.1 - .2 57.5 39.0 12.7 12.0 Louisiana ........... 12 15 2,288 1,659 51.8 36.8 1.0 3.3 53.1 19.5 7.8 8.4 Maine ............... 9 11 1,917 1,096 .3 .2 .2 .2 37.2 26.8 11.2 9.8 Maryland ............ 5 7 471 556 30.6 36.9 1.1 .4 41.0 26.8 30.6 26.8 Massachusetts ....... 21 39 3,951 5,260 9.3 5.5 7.6 7.8 58.6 48.4 18.8 18.5 Michigan ............ 76 29 16,091 2,862 15.4 15.5 1.5 15.8 47.3 42.5 8.6 11.6 Minnesota ........... 7 65 1,088 6,224 6.8 .7 15.9 5.9 57.1 21.0 15.3 14.5 Mississippi ......... 16 9 1,604 1,001 61.0 76.9 .2 .3 58.7 71.8 11.7 9.5 Missouri ............ 25 31 5,083 4,323 20.3 15.7 1.4 1.1 70.7 48.6 15.6 17.8 Montana .............( 2 ) 5 ( 2 ) 1,053 1.7 .3 3.4 .6 93.2 15.2 16.9 14.3 Nebraska ............( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2.8 16.1 50.2 1.6 26.3 62.9 11.3 1.6 Nevada .............. 4 14 719 2,025 14.6 5.0 20.0 9.2 46.0 19.2 20.6 14.1 New Hampshire .......( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2.2 - 5.1 - 75.4 65.3 11.6 10.2 New Jersey .......... 37 55 5,397 6,510 29.3 14.5 21.1 30.0 64.3 56.8 18.8 18.6 New Mexico .......... 6 ( 2 ) 1,041 ( 2 ) 2.3 1.5 53.3 88.1 60.4 28.3 5.5 13.0 New York ............ 115 109 21,397 13,907 18.5 13.4 8.8 13.6 58.7 44.4 19.3 16.9 North Carolina ...... 14 23 1,449 2,229 42.1 41.5 2.1 1.1 65.8 52.9 9.6 13.7 North Dakota ........ - - - - - - - - - - - - Ohio ................ 67 100 16,550 12,850 13.5 10.3 2.1 3.5 34.4 25.3 14.1 11.8 Oklahoma ............ 12 6 1,467 777 6.5 4.2 3.9 5.0 25.6 46.7 10.0 15.8 Oregon .............. 10 3 1,112 225 1.1 .4 11.8 48.9 33.3 48.4 17.6 8.0 Pennsylvania ........ 94 125 21,705 26,206 10.2 7.9 1.5 1.4 40.2 41.9 18.4 16.4 Rhode Island ........( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 6.6 3.8 11.1 18.4 47.2 47.5 21.2 27.8 South Carolina ...... 13 10 2,213 1,012 54.8 53.7 .3 .8 61.7 55.1 7.7 8.1 South Dakota ........ - - - - - - - - - - - - Tennessee ...........( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) 245 16.0 12.7 .2 - 65.4 40.8 21.5 18.8 Texas ............... 71 106 15,376 21,237 15.0 13.1 44.4 46.7 30.0 31.5 8.9 8.7 Utah ................ 5 10 806 963 .4 .5 5.0 13.0 28.3 20.5 8.2 7.6 Vermont ............. - - - - - - - - - - - - Virginia ............ 12 16 1,433 2,481 43.1 26.9 .8 .6 66.7 52.4 13.5 15.1 Washington .......... 17 23 3,094 3,370 2.6 2.8 8.1 21.5 52.7 31.5 14.4 12.1 West Virginia ....... 5 11 473 1,201 1.7 3.7 - - 63.2 23.8 12.3 9.7 Wisconsin ........... 22 80 3,117 12,433 9.5 4.0 4.8 10.4 25.8 29.5 12.7 13.4 Wyoming ............. - - - - - - - - - - - - Puerto Rico ......... 14 33 2,397 4,779 ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 62.3 52.6 9.6 9.0 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. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, selected quarters, 1997 and 1998 Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for unemployment insurance State IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV 1997 1998r 1998p 1997 1998r 1998p 1997r 1998r 1998p Total( 1 )...... 1,677 1,230 1,660 306,714 247,291 342,010 314,387 252,421 237,483 Alabama ............ 5 11 21 631 2,682 3,678 625 2,203 3,178 Alaska ............. 8 ( 2 ) 9 1,375 ( 2 ) 2,159 1,000 ( 2 ) 1,002 Arizona ............ 13 16 7 1,574 1,946 1,816 1,920 2,044 2,241 Arkansas ........... 11 11 5 1,970 2,044 880 1,900 1,525 1,029 California ......... 474 291 378 83,579 51,703 109,741 105,787 82,007 59,394 Colorado ........... 23 6 ( 2 ) 3,497 688 ( 2 ) 5,065 708 ( 2 ) Connecticut ........ 16 7 7 3,499 1,517 2,110 2,129 848 1,024 Delaware ........... - - - - - - - - - District of Columbia - - - - - - - - - Florida ............ 74 67 50 12,299 17,085 10,339 6,949 8,980 5,137 Georgia ............ 26 17 15 4,062 5,883 3,182 3,610 2,019 2,060 Hawaii ............. 5 8 12 1,760 793 1,299 666 873 1,299 Idaho .............. 13 10 15 2,505 1,340 2,310 2,609 1,126 1,547 Illinois ........... 129 56 172 21,642 17,624 38,128 20,452 11,737 20,914 Indiana ............ 34 28 32 4,793 5,699 4,780 4,910 4,498 3,696 Iowa ............... 4 6 11 500 605 1,212 665 1,211 993 Kansas ............. 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,082 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,110 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Kentucky ........... 7 9 11 1,847 1,216 1,684 810 961 1,430 Louisiana .......... 13 12 15 3,413 2,279 2,163 2,475 2,288 1,659 Maine .............. 10 9 11 4,275 1,483 1,796 2,012 1,917 1,096 Maryland ........... 13 5 7 1,101 499 849 1,469 471 556 Massachusetts ...... 43 21 39 6,251 4,519 7,243 6,366 3,951 5,260 Michigan ........... 69 76 29 8,231 14,848 4,096 12,740 16,091 2,862 Minnesota .......... 72 7 65 12,873 1,977 10,294 10,569 1,088 6,224 Mississippi ........ 5 16 9 730 3,347 1,318 516 1,604 1,001 Missouri ........... 36 25 31 5,747 7,074 6,598 5,449 5,083 4,323 Montana ............ 4 ( 2 ) 5 464 ( 2 ) 1,286 517 ( 2 ) 1,053 Nebraska ........... - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Nevada ............. 8 4 14 2,705 872 2,502 2,494 719 2,025 New Hampshire ...... 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 400 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 407 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) New Jersey ......... 50 37 55 12,674 7,034 9,816 9,550 5,397 6,510 New Mexico ......... 5 6 ( 2 ) 2,766 1,627 ( 2 ) 789 1,041 ( 2 ) New York ........... 47 115 109 10,315 21,733 14,356 6,438 21,397 13,907 North Carolina ..... 21 14 23 5,234 3,056 4,776 3,272 1,449 2,229 North Dakota ....... - - - - - - - - - Ohio ............... 96 67 100 19,838 18,511 22,111 17,365 16,550 12,850 Oklahoma ........... 4 12 6 675 1,458 429 693 1,467 777 Oregon ............. 4 10 3 1,306 1,434 276 489 1,112 225 Pennsylvania ....... 86 94 125 14,325 16,565 16,916 21,345 21,705 26,206 Rhode Island ....... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) South Carolina ..... 10 13 10 907 1,467 1,287 1,116 2,213 1,012 South Dakota ....... - - - - - - - - - Tennessee .......... 21 ( 2 ) 3 2,228 ( 2 ) 289 4,769 ( 2 ) 245 Texas .............. 69 71 106 10,308 14,401 20,777 15,902 15,376 21,237 Utah ............... 8 5 10 955 820 1,181 1,290 806 963 Vermont ............ - - - - - - - - - Virginia ........... 17 12 16 4,174 1,683 3,675 3,225 1,433 2,481 Washington ......... 25 17 23 3,325 4,463 5,895 2,791 3,094 3,370 West Virginia ...... 5 5 11 514 385 1,383 555 473 1,201 Wisconsin .......... 81 22 80 24,015 2,304 15,575 19,488 3,117 12,433 Wyoming ............ - - - - - - - - - Puerto Rico ........ 19 14 33 2,845 3,466 9,024 3,019 2,397 4,779 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.