March 22, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Number of major work stoppages in 2003

Fourteen major work stoppages began during 2003, compared with 19 in 2002. However, the number of workers idled, the number of days idle, and the percent of estimated working time lost because of strikes and lockouts rose.

[Chart data—TXT]

Of the major work stoppages beginning in 2003, 12 were in private industry and two were in state and local government. In private industry, the largest number of stoppages occurred in the manufacturing sector (three) and in the retail trade sector (three). In state and local government, one stoppage was in the transportation and warehousing sector and one was in public administration.

These data are from the BLS Collective Bargaining Agreements program. Learn more about work stoppages from "Major Work Stoppages in 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-418. Major work stoppages are defined as strikes or lockouts that idle 1,000 or more workers and last at least one shift.