US Strikes and Work Stoppages
Industrial conflict in the United States, month by month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts every strike or lockout involving 1,000 workers or more that lasts at least one full shift, separating those that begin in the month from those merely in effect during it, and measuring the labour lost as days of idleness - both in thousands of days and as a share of all estimated working time, which is the only figure here that is comparable across decades.
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | 06-2025 | 05-2025 | 04-2025 | 03-2025 | 02-2025 | 01-2025 | 12-2024 | 11-2024 | 10-2024 | 09-2024 | 08-2024 | 07-2024 | 06-2024 | 05-2024 | 04-2024 | 03-2024 | 02-2024 | 01-2024 | 12-2023 | 11-2023 | 10-2023 | 09-2023 | 08-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days of idleness from work stoppages in effect | 18.7 | 57.3 | 45.7 | 116 | 79.8 | 96.8 | 674.6 | 384.4 | 92.3 | 137.9 | 194.9 | 72.8 | 64 | 70.8 | 47.6 | 158.4 | 252 | 212.8 | 507.7 | 180 | 194.7 | 354.9 | 1,151.9 | 735.7 | 344.7 | 79.6 | 196.5 | 160.6 | 91.4 | 25.1 | 0 | 29 | 49 | 1,201.6 | 4,452.9 | 3,624.1 | 4,065.4 | |
| Workers involved in stoppages beginning in the period | 0 | 7.3 | 1 | 5.2 | 6.9 | 10 | 7.1 | 47.7 | 2.9 | 50.3 | 34.5 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 14.5 | 4.6 | 27.6 | 79 | 2.5 | 81.3 | 5 | 12.5 | 42.9 | 56.4 | 48.9 | 24.5 | 4.2 | 19 | 21.2 | 4.8 | 8.1 | 0 | 29 | 6.5 | 13.1 | 110.9 | 26.4 | 12.7 | |
| Workers involved in stoppages in effect in the period | 1.7 | 9 | 6.7 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 10 | 53.8 | 48.7 | 7.4 | 51.5 | 37.7 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 17.8 | 8.4 | 36.6 | 84 | 21.8 | 91.3 | 10 | 21.7 | 83.4 | 105.1 | 76.5 | 30.1 | 7.2 | 37.1 | 25.2 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 0 | 29 | 10.9 | 183.6 | 299 | 199.6 | 187.9 | |
| Work stoppages of 1,000 workers or more beginning in the period | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | |
| Work stoppages of 1,000 workers or more in effect in the period | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 6 |
Latest reading
Days of idleness from work stoppages in effect stood at 18.7 Thousand days in Aug 2026. That is −67.4% from Jul 2026 and −70.8% from a year earlier. The series on this page is monthly and runs from Jan 1981 to Aug 2026. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Work Stoppages Program.
- Latest
- 18.7 Thousand days
- Aug 2026
- vs previous period
- −67.4%
- Jul 2026
- vs a year earlier
- −70.8%
About this data
Industrial conflict in the United States, month by month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts every strike or lockout involving 1,000 workers or more that lasts at least one full shift, separating those that begin in the month from those merely in effect during it, and measuring the labour lost as days of idleness - both in thousands of days and as a share of all estimated working time, which is the only figure here that is comparable across decades. A single large dispute can dominate a month, so the series is spiky by nature. Since 1947. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Frequently asked questions
- What do US work stoppage statistics measure?
- They measure major strikes and lockouts involving 1,000 workers or more — the number beginning and in effect each month, the workers involved, and days of idleness.
- Who publishes this data and how far back does it go?
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes it monthly through its Work Stoppages Program, with the series on this page running from January 1981.
- Does this cover all strikes in the United States?
- No. Only stoppages involving at least 1,000 workers and lasting a full shift or longer are counted, so small and short actions are excluded.
- What is the difference between stoppages beginning and in effect?
- Stoppages beginning counts new actions that started in the period. Stoppages in effect counts every action ongoing during the period, including those that began earlier.
