Illinois labor market review

Volume 3, No.4
Winter 1997

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Health Care Strong in Illinois

Skills Employers Seek, Or Who Will Be the Hot Workers of The 21st Century

Numbers Tell the Story

Mass Layoffs

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Mass Layoff Statistics: 4th Quarter 1997

During October through December 1997, there were a total of 129 mass layoffs in Illinois resulting in 20,823 separations. By comparison, during the fourth quarter of 1996, there were 150 mass layoffs in Illinois which resulted in 28,183 separations.

The largest percentage of separations in the fourth quarter of 1997 (59 percent) was caused by seasonal layoffs (see chart at right). Construction had 36 percent of all separations, the largest share of all the industries (see chart below).

Of the mass layoffs during the fourth quarter of 1997, 11 were as the result of partial of full closures of establishments. These closures produced 1,914 or 9 percent of the quarterly separations.

Of the majority of employers contacted, 28 percent indicated that they would recall 100 percent of their workers, within nine months. There were no recall plans for 2,728 workers or 13 percent of those separated during the fourth quarter 1997.

ILLINOIS MASS LAYOFFS DURING THE 4th QUARTER 1997- BY PRIMARY REASON
LAYOFFS
WORKERS SEPARATED
PRIMARY REASONS # % # %
TOTALS
129
100%
20,823
100%
Seasonal
79
61%
12,190
59%
Contract Completed
20
16%
4,116
20%
Slack Work
9
7%
1,261
6%
Reorganization
6
5%
1,127
5%
Contract Cancellation
4
3%
516
2%
Bankruptcy
3
2%
621
3%
Financial Difficulty
3
3%
257
2%
Environment Related
2
2%
140
1%
New Ownership
1
0%
419
2%
Labor Dispute
1
0%
96
1%
Product Line Discontinued
1
0%
80
1%

*Data may not add to 100% due to rounding



Illinois Mass Layoffs At Establishments With Employment Of 20 Or More 3rd Quarter 1997-By Industry
ESTABLISHMENTS
TOTAL
With Layoffs
Workers Seperated
INDUSTRY
#
%
#
%
#
%
TOTALS
37,437
100%
61
100%
11,296
100%
Mining
78
1%
0
0%
0
0%
Construction
2,356
7%
4
7%
510
5%
Manufacturing
Non-Durable Goods
2,285
7%
10
17%
1,467
13%
Durable Goods
3,816
11%
21
35%
5,079
45%
Transportation-Communications-
Public Utilities
1,620
5%
3
5%
428
4%
Wholesale Trade
3,287
9%
0
0%
0
0%
Retail Trade
6,872
19%
5
9%
665
6%
Finance-Insurance-Real Estate
2,373
7%
0
0%
0
0%
Services
12,160
33%
10
17%
1,465
13%
Government
2,261
6%
7
12%
1,589
14%




What Is Mass Layoff Statistics?

Mass Layoff Statistics is a State-Federal cooperative statistical program designed to identify, describe, and track large job cutbacks. The program relies on establishment and unemployment claims data from State Unemployment Insurance (UI) systems, as well as, information from employers. The program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been terminated for more than two years due to loss of funding. MLS program data produced before April 1995 are not comparable due to changes in program definitions.

Please keep in mind that, by law, we are not permitted to disclose the names of companies which have had mass layoffs. We can only provide summary layoff data by industry, geographic area, or displaced worker.


Interested in obtaining layoff data not presented here? Please contact:
Rich Reinhold
Phone: (312) 793-5896
FAX: (312)793-2192

SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKERS SEPARATED IN ILLINOIS MASS LAYOFFS DURING THE 3rd QUARTER 1997*
RACE/ETHNICITY % TOTAL
White/non-Hispanic
64%
Black/non-Hispanic
24%
Hispanic
11%
Asian or Pacific Islander
0%
Information Not Available
1%
GENDER
Men
51%
Women
49%
AGE GROUP
Under 30 years old
25%
30-44 years old
43%
45-54 and older
21%
Age 55 and older
11%

*Data were taken from State Unemployment Insurance Claims Records


last updated: May 1, 2001