First Quarter — 2000-06-01

In the first quarter of 2000, there were 1,268 mass layoff actions by employers that resulted in the separation of 232,874 workers from their jobs for more than 30 days, according to preliminary figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both the number of layoff events and the number of separations were sharply lower than in January-March 1999, with separations at their lowest level in two years. (See table A.) With this release, the mass layoff statistics program has reported statistics for five years. The completion of seasonal work was the major reason cited for layoffs in the first quarter and accounted for 41 percent of all events and 39 percent of all separations. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring resulted in 63,048 separations. Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 13 percent of all events and affected 40,449 workers, down from a year earlier (50,633).