illinois labor market review

Volume 4, No.4
Winter 1998


Go Home

Archive Articles:
Understanding Labor Force Statistics

Riverboat Helps Keep Small Community Afloat

Mass Layoffs

Archives

MASS LAYOFF STATISTICS IN ILLINOIS DURING THE 4TH QUARTER OF 1998

During October 1998, there were a total of 172 mass layoffs in Illinois resulting in 38,130 separations. By comparison, during the 4th quarter of 1997, there were 130 mass layoffs in Illinois which resulted in 22,340 separations. For all of 1998, a total of 96,734 workers were separated in Illinois but 71 percent were expected to be recalled by their previous employers

The largest percentage of separations in the 4th quarter of 1998 (47 percent) was caused by seasonal layoffs. Manufacturing had 35 percent of all separations, the largest share of all the industries (see chart below).

Also, of the mass layoffs during the 4th quarter of 1998, 12 were as the result of partial or full closures of establishments. These closures produced 4,776 or 13 percent of the quarterly separations.

Among all employers reporting layoffs, 79 percent indicated that they would recall at least half of their displaced workers within six months. There were no recall plans for 8,461 workers or 22 percent of all those separated during the 4th quarter 1998.

 

ILLINOIS MASS LAYOFFS DURING THE 4th QUARTER 1998 BY PRIMARY REASON
LAYOFFS WORKERS SEPARATED
PRIMARY REASONS
#
%
#
%
TOTALS
172
100%
38,130
100%
Seasonal
93
54%
17,908
47%
Contract Completed
31
18%
7,743
20%
Slack Work
24
14%
3,680
10%
Import Competition
6
3%
3,187
8%
Model Changeover
2
1%
2,600
7%
Labor Dispute
2
1%
400
1%
Domestic Relocation
2
1%
333
1%
Product Discontinued
2
1%
294
1%
Financial Difficulty
2
1%
275
1%

*Data may not add to 100% due to rounding




Illinois Mass Layoffs At Establishments With Employment Of 20 Or More 4th Quarter 1998 By Industry
# of Establishments
Total Layoffs
Workers Separated
INDUSTRY
w/Layoffs
#
%
#
%
TOTALS
171
172
100%
38,130
100%
Agriculture
16
16
9%
2,343
6%
Mining
2
2
1%
425
1%
Construction
59
59
34%
11,263
30%
Manufacturing
Non-Durable Goods
19
19
11%
4,128
11%
Durable Goods
25
26
15%
8,975
24%
Transportation-Communications-Public Utilities
6
6
3%
1,740
5%
Wholesale Trade
5
5
3%
1,132
3%
Retail Trade
6
6
3%
1,000
3%
Finance-Insurance-Real Estate
1
1
1%
220
1%
Services
25
25
15%
5,301
14%
Government
7
7
4%
1,603
4%

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 employer interviews.Establishments that have 50 or more initial UI claims filed against them within a five consecutive week period are identified as having potential mass layoffs. Once identified, employers are interviewed by phone or sent a survey form to determine the size and duration of the layoffs. Mass layoffs are defined as layoffs involving at least 50 separations and lasting more than 30 days.



Interested in obtaining layoff data not presented here? Please contact:
Rich Reinhold
Phone: (312) 793-5896
FAX: (312)793-2192
E-Mail Rreinho@ides.state.il.us




last updated: May 1, 2001