2015 Major Work Stoppages (Annual) — 2016-02-10

In 2015, there were 12 major work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers and lasting at least one shift, one more than in 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Since the series began in 1947 the lowest annual total was 5 in 2009. (See table 1 and chart 1.) Major work stoppages beginning in 2015 idled 47,000 workers, higher than the 34,000 workers of 2014. In 2015, there were 740,000 days idle from major work stoppages in effect, also higher than 2014 with 200,000 days idle. In 2015, private industry organizations accounted for over 92 percent of the total days idle, consisting of 684,000 days of idleness. In 2015, oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, and educational services industries accounted for approximately 89 percent of all days idle for major work stoppages in 2015.