Mass Layoff Statistics: 1st Quarter of 1998

Volume 4, No.1
Spring 1998

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Mass Layoffs

During January through March 1998, there were a total of 83 mass layoffs in Illinois resulting in 14,137 separations. By comparison, during the first quarter of 1997, there were 103 mass layoffs in Illinois which resulted in 15,703 separations.

The largest percentage of separations in the first quarter of 1998, 38 percent, was caused by seasonal layoffs (see chart at right). Manufacturing had 34 percent of all separations, the largest share of all the industries (see chart below).

Of the mass layoffs during the first quarter of 1998, 12 were as the result of partial of full closures of establishments. These closures produced 3,177 or 23 percent of the quarterly separations.

Of the employers contacted, 20 percent indicated that they would recall 100 percent of their workers, within nine months. There were no recall plans for 4,944 workers or 35 percent of those separated during the 1st quarter 1998.

ILLINOIS MASS LAYOFFS DURING THE 1st QUARTER 1998- BY PRIMARY REASON
	LAYOFFS		WORKERS SEPARATED
PRIMARY REASONS	#	%	#	%
TOTALS	83	100%	14,137	100%
Seasonal	37	45%	5,374	38%
Reorganization	12	14%	2,418	17%
Contract Completed	10	12%	1,967	14%
Slack Work	10	12%	1,578	11%
Financial Difficulty	3	4%	978	7%
Ownership Change	3	4%	657	5%
Contract Cancellation	3	4%	412	3%
Domestic Relocation	1	1%	300	2%
Product Line Discontinued	1	1%	189	1%
Import Competition	1	1%	103	1%
Defense-Related Cutbacks	1	1%	86	1%
Plant or Machine Repair	1	1%	75	1%

*Data may not add to 100% due to rounding

Illinois Mass Layoffs At Establishments With Employment Of 20 Or More 1st Quarter 1998 By Industry
	# of Establishments	Total Layoffs		Workers Separated
INDUSTRY	w/Layoffs	#	%	#	%
TOTALS	81	83	100%	14,137	100%
Mining	1	1	1%	95	1%
Construction	14	14	17%	1,526	11%
Manufacturing
Non-Durable Goods	11	11	13%	2,048	14%
Durable Goods	18	19	23%	2,868	20%
Transportation-Communications-Public Utilities	4	4	5%	790	6%
Wholesale Trade	4	4	5%	445	3%
Retail Trade	13	14	17%	2,535	18%
Finance-Insurance-Real Estate	2	2	2%	560	4%
Services	9	9	11%	2,164	15%
Government	5	5	6%	1,106	8%

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 1st QUARTER 1998*
RACE/ETHNICITY	% TOTAL
White/non-Hispanic	60%
Black/non-Hispanic	21%
Hispanic	16%
Information Not Available	3%
GENDER
Men	59%
Women	41%
AGE GROUP
Under 30 years old	21%
30-44 years old	43%
45-54 and older	22%
Age 55 and older	14%

*Data were taken from State Unemployment Insurance Claims Records

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last updated: May 1, 2001