Strikes hit 23-year high last year, Labor Dept. says

Though labor disruptions have been on a downswing, 2023 marked the first year to surpass pre-pandemic strike activity.

By Grace Yarrow

02/21/2024 11:51 AM EST

The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracked 33 strikes and lockouts in 2023, according to its annual report of work stoppages, the largest number since 39 stoppages in 2000.

There was also a big uptick in the number of workers involved in those actions, to 458,900 from 120,600 in 2022.

The annual data marks a substantial jump from 2022, when BLS tracked 23 major strikes and lockouts involving more than 120,000 workers. It’s also almost double the 20-year average of 16.7 work stoppages per year.

Strike activity had dropped off after 2020, but 2023 surpassed pre-pandemic levels of strikes and lockouts for the first time.

FULL story here: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/21/labor-statistics-agency-tracks-high-number-of-strikes-and-lockouts-in-2023-00142394