Extended Mass Layoffs In The Second Quarter Of 2003 — 2003-08-20

In the second quarter of 2003, 1,894 mass layoff actions were taken by employers that resulted in the separation of 372,426 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both the total number of layoff events and the number of separations were lower than in April-June 2002 and were the lowest for a second quarter since 2000. (See table A.) The decline from second quarter 2002 was most notable in professional and technical services, agriculture and forestry support activities, and crop production. Through the first half of 2003, the number of worker separations, at 705,686, and the number of layoff events, at 3,594, were lower than the same period a year ago. Additional information on the first half of 2003 is provided in the review of 2003 section, beginning on page 6.