2000 Major Work Stoppages (Annual) — 2001-02-09

Major work stoppage activity rose in 2000 after hitting record lows in 1999, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Thirty-nine major work stoppages began during the year, idling 394,000 workers and resulting in 20 million workdays of idleness (about 6 out of every 10,000 available workdays). Comparable figures for 1999 were 17 stoppages, 73,000 workers idled, and 2 million days of idleness. (See table 1 and charts 1-3.) The series, which dates back to 1947, covers strikes and lockouts involving 1,000 workers or more and lasting at least one shift. Of the 39 major work stoppages beginning in 2000, 31 were in the private sector; the remainder occurred in State and local government. In the private sector, 14 stoppages occurred in goods-producing industries and 17 occurred in service-producing industries, including 8 in the health services industry. In the public sector, 4 of the 8 stoppages were in education.