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The American Workplace

Job Security

Following the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001, the BLS reported significant disruptions to local economies and an increase in layoffs, particularly in the last quarter of that year. Table 2.17 reports on the period from 2001 to TABLE 2.13 Flexible schedules among full-time wage and salary workers by sex, occupation, and industry, May 20042005, which encompasses September 11, 2001. The rate of layoffs tapered off by the first quarter of 2002 to lower than 2001 levels. This trend continued through the third quarter of 2005. (See Table 2.17.)

TABLE 2.13
Flexible schedules among full-time wage and salary workers by sex, occupation, and industry, May 2004
[Numbers in thousands]
Occupation and industry Both sexes Men Women
Totala With flexible shedules Totala With flexible schedules Totala With flexible schedules
Number Percent of total Number Percent of total Number Percent of total
Occupation
   Total, 16 years and over 99.778 27,411 27.5 56,412 15,853 28.1 43,366 11,558 26.7
Management, professional, and related occupations 36,200 13,325 36.8 17,911 7,832 43.7 18,289 5,492 30.0
   Management, business, and financial operations occupations 14,496 6,483 44.7 7,969 3,741 46.9 6,527 2,742 42.0
      Management occupations 10,036 4,598 45.8 6,000 2,862 47.7 4,035 1,736 43.0
      Business and financial operations occupations 4,461 1,885 42.3 1,969 879 44.7 2,492 1,006 40.4
    Professional and related occupations 21,704 6,842 31.5 9,942 4,091 41.1 11,762 2,751 23.4
      Computer and mathematical occupations 2,683 1,405 52.4 2,023 1,085 53.6 660 320 48.5
      Architecture and engineering occupations 2,478 1,080 43.6 2,147 917 42.7 330 163 49.3
      Life, physical, and social science occupations 1,016 483 47.5 640 285 44.6 376 198 52.6
      Community and social services occupations 1,866 860 46.1 786 430 54.7 1,080 430 39.8
      Legal occupations 1,118 497 44.5 536 312 58.2 582 185 31.8
      Education, training, and library occupations 6,414 843 13.1 1,779 374 21.0 4,635 469 10.1
      Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations 1,502 613 40.8 915 396 43.3 587 217 37.0
      Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations 4,626 1,060 22.9 1,115 291 26.1 3,511 769 21.9
Service occupations 13,423 2,849 21.2 6,858 1,339 19.5 6,566 1,510 23.0
    Healthcare support occupations 1,908 315 16.5 199 37 18.7 1,708 278 16.3
    Protective service occupations 2,224 419 18.8 1,807 312 17.2 417 107 25.7
    Food preparation and serving related occupations 3,881 972 25.0 2,086 524 25.1 1,795 448 25.0
    Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupation 3,481 531 15.2 2,260 318 14.1 1,221 213 17.4
    Personal care and service occupations 1,929 612 31.7 505 148 29.2 1,424 465 32.6
Sales and office occupations 24,359 7,196 29.5 9,561 3,069 32.1 14,798 4,127 27.9
    Sales and related occupations 9,634 3,669 38.1 5,683 2,305 40.6 3,952 1,364 34.5
    Office and administrative support occupations 14,724 3,527 24.0 3,878 764 19.7 10,847 2,763 25.5
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 10,848 1,908 17.6 10,403 1,820 17.5 445 88 19.8
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 744 172 23.1 591 132 22.4 152 39 25.7
    Construction and extraction occupations 5,825 942 16.2 5,750 925 16.1 74 17 b
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 4,280 795 18.6 4,061 762 18.8 218 32 14.7
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 14,948 2,133 14.3 11,679 1,793 15.3 3,268 340 10.4
    Production occupations 8,281 1,030 12.4 5,928 806 13.6 2,353 224 9.5
    Transportation and material moving occupations 6,666 1,102 16.5 5,751 986 17.1 915 116 12.7
Industry
Private sector 82,870 23,978 28.9 48,724 14,119 29.0 34,145 9,859 28.9
    Agriculture and related industries 888 233 26.3 702 180 25.6 186 53 28.7
    Nonagricultural industries 81,982 23,745 29.0 48,023 13,939 29.0 33,959 9,806 28.9
        Mining 446 102 22.9 416 84 20.2 30 18 b
        Construction 6,617 1,341 20.3 6,059 1,153 19.0 558 188 33.7
        Manufacturing 15,125 3,631 24.0 10,659 2,638 24.7 4,466 993 22.2
            Durable goods 9,249 2,351 25.4 6,881 1,794 26.1 2,368 558 23.6
            Nondurable goods 5,875 1,280 21.8 3,777 844 22.3 2,098 436 20.8
        Wholesale and retail trade 14,008 4,100 29.3 8,717 2,544 29.2 5,291 1,557 29.4
            Wholesale trade 3,771 1,209 32.1 2,698 910 33.7 1,072 300 27.9
            Retail trade 10,237 2,891 28.2 6,019 1,634 27.1 4,219 1,257 29.8
        Transportation and utilities 4,226 1,086 25.7 3,454 906 26.2 771 179 23.2
          Transportation and warehousing 3,482 912 26.2 2,858 767 26.8 624 145 23.3
            Utilities 744 173 23.3 596 139 23.4 147 34 23.0
        Informationc 2,716 948 34.9 1,674 600 35.8 1,041 348 33.4
            Publishing, except internet 648 274 42.3 364 165 45.4 284 109 38.4
            Motion picture and sound recording industries 211 74 35.3 162 62 38.5 49 12 b
            Broadcasting, except internet 512 116 22.7 319 79 24.7 193 37 19.4
            Telecommunications 1,180 419 35.5 732 254 34.7 448 164 36.7
        Financial activities 7,341 2,767 37.7 3,117 1,323 42.4 4,224 1,444 34.2
            Finance and insurance 5,537 2,056 37.1 2,100 943 44.9 3,437 1,113 32.4
                Finance 3,633 1,218 33.5 1,443 584 40.5 2,190 633 28.9
                Insurance 1,904 838 44.0 657 359 54.6 1,247 480 38.5
            Real estate and rental and leasing 1,805 711 39.4 1,017 380 37.3 787 332 42.1

Based on new claims for unemployment insurance, the effect of mass layoffs generally declined from 2002 through 2005, according to the BLS in Mass Layoffs (Monthly). The highest number of initial claims was filed TABLE 2.13 Flexible schedules among full-time wage and salary workers by sex, occupation, and industry, May 2004 (CONTINUED) "Table 2. Flexible Schedules: Full-time Wage and Salary Workers by Sex, Occupation, and Industry, May 2004," in Workers on Flexible and Shift Schedules in May 2004, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1, 2005, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/flex.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)in September 2005 (283, 772) and included those registering for benefits as a result of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi in late August 2005. The September 2005 total was markedly above the other months of that year; claims in August 2005 totaled 127, 592, and in October 2005 they were 104,584. The monthly average over the period January-December 2005, not including September 2005, was 130,789.

TABLE 2.13
Flexible schedules among full-time wage and salary workers by sex, occupation, and industry, May 2004 (CONTINUED)
[Numbers in thousands]
Occupation and industry Both sexes Men Women
Totala With flexible schedules Totala With flexible schedules Totala With flexible schedules
Number Percent of total Number Percent of total Number Percent of total
aIncludes persons who did not provide information on flexible schedules.
bPercent not shown where base is less than 75,000.
cIncludes other industries not shown separately.
Note: Data relate to the sole or principal job of full-time wage and salary workers and exclude all self-employed person, regardless of whether or not their businesses were incorporated.
SOURCE: "Table 2. Flexible Schedules: Full-time Wage and Salary Workers by Sex, Occupation, and Industry, May 2004," in Workers on Flexible and Shift Schedules in May 2004, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1, 2005, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/flex.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)
       Professional and business services 8,997 3,381 37.6 5,342 2,072 38.8 3,655 1,309 35.8
          Professional and technical services 5,476 2,570 46.9 3,113 1,596 51.3 2,364 974 41.2
          Management, administrative, and waste services 3,521 811 23.0 2,229 477 21.4 1,292 335 25.9
      Education and health services 12,485 3,202 25.6 2,969 862 29.0 9,517 2,339 24.6
          Educational services 2,260 541 23.9 812 246 30.3 1,448 295 20.4
          Health care and social assistance 10,226 2,661 26.0 2,157 616 28.6 8,069 2,045 25.3
      Leisure and hospitality 6,111 1,686 27.6 3,458 956 27.6 2,653 730 27.5
          Arts, entertainment, and recreation 1,134 312 27.5 630 165 26.2 504 147 29.2
          Accommodation and food services 4,977 1,374 27.6 2,828 791 28.0 2,149 583 27.1
              Accomodation 1,123 252 22.4 546 147 26.9 577 105 18.2
              Food services and drinking places 3,854 1,122 29.1 2,282 644 28.2 1,572 478 30.4
        Other services 3,911 1,502 38.4 2,158 801 37.1 1,753 701 40.0
            Other services, except private households 3,584 1,370 38.2 2,140 792 37.0 1,444 577 40.0
            Other services, private households 327 132 40.4 18 9 b 309 123 39.9
Public sector 16,909 3,433 20.3 7,688 1,734 22.6 9,221 1,699 18.4
    Federal government 2,786 803 28.8 1,617 453 28.0 1,169 351 30.0
    State government 4,724 1,340 28.4 2,089 640 30.7 2,635 700 26.6
    Local government 9,399 1,289 13.7 3,982 641 16.1 5,417 648 12.0

TABLE 2.14 Displaced workersa by demographic characteristics, January 2004 "Table 1. Displaced Workers by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, and Employment Status in January 2004," in Worker Displacement, 2001–03, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 30, 2004, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disp.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)

TABLE 2.14
Displaced workersa by demographic characteristics, January 2004
Age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Total (thousands) Percent distribution by employment status
Total Employed Unemployed Not in the labor force
aData refer to persons who had 3 or more years of tenure on a job they had lost or left between January 2001 and December 2003 because of plant or company closings or moves, insufficient work, or the abolishment of their positions or shifts.
bData not shown where base is less than 75,000.
Note: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
SOURCE: "Table 1. Displaced Workers by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, and Employment Status in January 2004," in Worker Displacement, 2001–03, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 30, 2004, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disp.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)
Total
    Total, 20 years and over 5,329 100.0 64.8 20.2 15.0
20 to 24 years 149 100.0 65.0 19.6 15.3
25 to 54 years 4,087 100.0 68.9 19.5 11.6
55 to 64 years 887 100.0 55.5 24.9 19.6
65 years and over 206 100.0 23.8 12.9 63.3
Men
    Total, 20 years and over 3,010 100.0 67.7 20.8 11.5
20 to 24 years 96 100.0 59.8 24.5 15.7
25 to 54 years 2,372 100.0 71.0 20.8 8.1
55 to 64 years 461 100.0 58.1 22.3 19.6
65 years and over 81 100.0 33.5 8.5 57.9
Women
    Total, 20 years and over 2,319 100.0 61.1 19.3 19.6
20 to 24 years 53 100.0 b b b
25 to 54 years 1,715 100.0 65.9 17.7 16.4
55 to 64 years 426 100.0 52.7 27.7 19.6
65 years and over 125 100.0 17.5 15.8 66.7
White
    Total, 20 years and over 4,273 100.0 65.6 18.9 15.5
Men 2,463 100.0 68.4 19.8 11.8
Women 1,810 100.0 61.9 17.5 20.6
Black or African American
    Total, 20 years and over 695 100.0 61.6 27.1 11.2
Men 345 100.0 66.3 26.4 7.3
Women 350 100.0 57.1 27.9 15.0
Asian
    Total, 20 years and over 215 100.0 63.2 22.6 14.2
Men 115 100.0 64.5 27.5 8.0
Women 100 100.0 61.6 16.9 21.5
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
    Total, 20 years and over 608 100.0 64.6 20.8 14.6
Men 372 100.0 70.5 19.4 10.1
Women 236 100.0 55.3 23.0 21.7

TABLE 2.15 Displaced workersa by industry and class of worker of lost job and employment status, January 2004 "Table 4. Displaced Workers by Industry and Class of Worker of Lost Job and Employment Status in January 2004," in Worker Displacement, 2001–03, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 30, 2004, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disp.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)

TABLE 2.15
Displaced workersa by industry and class of worker of lost job and employment status, January 2004
Industry and class of worker of lost job Total (thousands) Percent distribution by employment status
Total Employed Unemployed Not in the labor force
aData refer to persons who had 3 or more years of tenure on a job they had lost or left between January 2001 and December 2003 because of plant or company closings or moves, insufficient work, or the abolishment of their positions or shifts.
bTotal includes a small number of unpaid family workers and persons who did not report industry or class of worker.
cData not shown where base is less than 75,000.
dIncludes other industries, not shown separately.
SOURCE: "Table 4. Displaced Workers by Industry and Class of Worker of Lost Job and Employment Status in January 2004," in Worker Displacement, 2001–03, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 30, 2004, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disp.pdf (accessed January 9, 2006)
    Total, 20 years and overb 5,329 100.0 64.8 20.2 15.0
Agriculture and related industries wage and salar y workers 36 100.0 c c c
Nonagricultural industries wage and salary workers 5,235 100.0 65.0 20.0 15.1
Private nonagricultural wage and salary workers 4,996 100.0 65.1 19.9 15.1
    Mining 21 100.0
    Construction 315 100.0 66.7 19.9 13.4
    Manufacturing 1,697 100.0 59.8 22.6 17.5
        Durable goods manufacturing 1,173 100.0 58.2 24.8 17.0
            Primary metals and fabricated metal products 225 100.0 57.6 19.9 22.6
            Machinery manufacturing 142 100.0 57.8 21.6 20.6
            Computers and electronic products 294 100.0 63.8 26.0 10.3
            Electrical equipment and appliances 78 100.0 41.5 32.0 26.5
            Transportation equipment 165 100.0 56.7 35.6 7.7
            Miscellaneous manufacturing 98 100.0 48.5 25.8 25.6
            Other durable goods industries 169 100.0 64.3 17.5 18.2
        Nondurable goods manufacturing 525 100.0 63.5 17.8 18.6
            Food manufacturing 75 100.0 59.8 27.4 12.9
            Textiles, apparel, and leather 152 100.0 63.8 19.0 17.2
            Paper and printing 143 100.0 71.2 13.2 15.6
            Other nondurable goods industries 154 100.0 58.0 16.3 25.7
    Wholesale and retail trade 765 100.0 66.1 20.4 13.5
        Wholesale trade 245 100.0 62.4 20.3 17.3
        Retail trade 521 100.0 67.9 20.5 11.7
    Transportation and utilitiesd 233 100.0 73.8 15.2 11.0
        Transportation and warehousing 215 100.0 72.6 15.5 11.9
    Informationd 309 100.0 69.2 14.3 16.5
        Telecommunications 182 100.0 64.0 17.7 18.3
    Financial activities 355 100.0 60.1 25.2 14.7
        Finance and insurance 291 100.0 61.4 26.7 11.9
            Finance 185 100.0 59.7 24.5 15.8
            Insurance 106 100.0 64.6 30.4 5.1
        Real estate and rental and leasing 64 100.0 c c c
    Professional and business services 595 100.0 70.2 18.5 11.3
        Professional and technical services 410 100.0 74.6 15.9 9.5
        Management, administrative, and waste services 185 100.0 60.4 24.4 15.2
    Education and health services 346 100.0 68.6 15.7 15.7
        Educational services 55 100.0 c c c
        Health care and social assistanced 291 100.0 67.5 16.9 15.6
            Hospitals 88 100.0 69.9 12.4 17.7
            Health services, except hospitals 164 100.0 69.1 14.6 16.3
    Leisure and hospitalityd 216 100.0 65.4 18.1 16.5
        Accommodation and food servicesd 174 100.0 64.9 20.2 14.9
            Food services and drinking places 144 100.0 66.5 20.4 13.1
    Other services 139 100.0 76.1 8.6 15.3
Government workers 239 100.0 63.1 21.4 15.6

TABLE 2.16 Displaced workersa by occupation of lost job and employment status, January 2004 "Table 5. Displaced Workers by Occupation of Lost Job and Employment Status in January 2004," in Worker Displacement, 2001–03, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 30, 2004, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disp.pdf (accessed January 10, 2006)

TABLE 2.16
Displaced workersa by occupation of lost job and employment status, January 2004
Occupation of lost job Total (thousands) Percent distribution by employment status
Total Employed Unemployed Not in the labor force
aData refer to persons who had 3 or more years of tenure on a job they had lost or left between January 2001 and December 2003 because of plant or company closings or moves, insufficient work, or the abolishment of their positions or shifts.
bTotal includes a small number who did not report occupation.
cData not shown where base is less than 75,000.
SOURCE: "Table 5. Displaced Workers by Occupation of Lost Job and Employment Status in January 2004," in Worker Displacement, 2001–03, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 30, 2004, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disp.pdf (accessed January 10, 2006)
    Total, 20 years and overb 5,329 100.0 64.8 20.2 15.0
Management, professional, and related occupations 1,726 100.0 66.8 19.7 13.4
    Management, business, and financial operations occupations 913 100.0 65.4 20.8 13.7
    Professional and related occupations 813 100.0 68.4 18.5 13.1
Service occupations 356 100.0 57.5 20.1 22.4
Sales and office occupations 1,330 100.0 65.5 19.4 15.1
    Sales and related occupations 558 100.0 73.5 13.9 12.5
    Office and administrative support occupations 772 100.0 59.7 23.3 17.0
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 581 100.0 69.5 18.3 12.2
    Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 37 100.0 c c c
    Construction and extraction occupations 288 100.0 71.9 15.0 13.1
    Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 257 100.0 68.6 20.8 10.6
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 1,290 100.0 61.5 22.0 16.5
    Production occupations 936 100.0 61.7 19.9 18.4
    Transportation and material moving occupations 354 100.0 61.3 27.4 11.3

TABLE 2.17 Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity, 2001–05 "Table A. Selected Measures of Extended Mass Layoff Activity," in Extended Mass Layoffs in the Third Quarter of 2005, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 17, 2005, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/mslo.pdf (accessed January 10, 2006)

TABLE 2.17
Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity, 2001–05
Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants
aRevised.
bPreliminary.
SOURCE: "Table A. Selected Measures of Extended Mass Layoff Activity," in Extended Mass Layoffs in the Third Quarter of 2005, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 17, 2005, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/mslo.pdf (accessed January 10, 2006)
2001
January-March 1,546 304,171 306,535
April-June 1,828 430,499 358,611
July-September 1,629 330,391 336,298
October-December 2,372 459,771 456,068
2002
January-March 1,611 299,266 292,998
April-June 1,624 344,606 299,598
July-September 1,186 255,152 254,955
October-December 1,916 373,307 370,592
2003
January-March 1,502 286,947 297,608
April-June 1,799 368,273 348,966
July-September 1,190 236,333 227,909
October-December 1,690 325,333 326,328
2004
January-March 1,339 276,503 238,392
April-June 1,358 278,831 254,063
July-Septembera 886 164,608 148,575
October-December 1,427 273,967 262,049
2005
January-Marcha 1,142 187,128 185,374
April-Junea 1,203 245,422 212,671
July-Septemberb 742 136,280 108,647

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