September 26, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Mass layoffs in August

Employers initiated 1,258 mass layoff actions in August 2003, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 133,839.

[Chart data—TXT]

Compared with August 2002, the number of initial claims due to mass layoffs increased, marking the first over-the-year increase in this series since May 2002. From January through August 2003, the number of initial claims was lower than for the same period a year ago.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 39 percent of all mass-layoff initial claims filed in August. Within manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in transportation equipment, followed by textile mills, machinery, and food manufacturing.

The administrative and waste services sector accounted for 12 percent of initial claims associated with mass layoffs in August, with layoffs mostly in temporary help services. The retail trade, information, and transportation and warehousing sectors each accounted for 7 percent.

These data are from the Mass Layoff Statistics program. Data for August 2003 are preliminary and subject to revision. For more information, see news release, "Mass Layoffs in August 2003" (PDF) (TXT), USDL 03-506.