BLS: 2013 Major Work Stoppages Down from 2012

Author: Melissa Gonzalez Boyce, XpertHR Legal Editor

Date: February 14, 2014

According to a news release issued by the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 15 major work stoppages in 2013, down from 19 work stoppages in 2012. The term "work stoppage," as used by the BLS, includes strikes initiated by workers as well as lockouts initiated by employers that involve 1,000 or more workers and last at least one shift.

Specifically, the BLS found that major work stoppages in 2013 idled 55,000 workers, considerably less than the 148,000 idled workers in 2012. In addition, the BLS reports that there were 290,000 days idle from work stoppages in 2013, lower than 1.13 million days idle in 2012. Two-thirds of the work stoppages in 2013 lasted three workdays or less. Sixty percent of major work stoppages in 2013 involved state and local governments. Further, over 50 percent of the major work stoppages occurred in California.

In order to determine the number of days of idleness, the BLS multiplied the number of workers involved in the strike or lockout by the number of days workers were off the job. The BLS used a five day workweek (Monday to Friday) when determining the number of workdays lost in a work stoppage.