Mass Layoffs In April 2004 — 2004-05-26

In April 2004, employers took 1,458 mass layoff actions, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 157,314. (See table 1.) The number of events was the lowest for any April since 2001, and the number of initial claims was the lowest for April since 2000. From January through April 2004, the total number of events, at 5,747, and of initial claims, at 573,523, were lower than in January-April 2003 (6,466 and 624,833, respectively). School and employee bus transportation, with 16,589 initial claims, and temporary help services, with 12,254 initial claims, together accounted for over 18 percent of all initial claims in April.