Table 2. Business processes involved in extended mass layoff events, by reason for layoff, third quarters 2008 and 2009 (1)
Reason Extended mass layoff events Total bus. process. Core processes Support processes
Procure., logistics, dist. Operations Product develop. Mktg., sales, account mgmt. Customer and after-
sales
service		 General mgmt. and firm infra-structure HR mgmt. Tech. and process develop.
Third quarter 2009 (p)

Total business process

1,776 2,198 170 1,342 57 79 92 308 82 68

Business demand

850 1,215 84 812 24 33 38 146 40 38

Contract cancellation

45 68 3 40 2 3 4 10 2 4

Contract
completion

 254 297 15 248 1 4 3 21 4 1

Domestic competition

4 5 - 4 - - - 1 - -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 17 28 5 16 3 3 - 1 - -

Import
competition

 3 3 - 3 - - - - - -

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

527 814 61 501 18 23 31 113 34 33

Organizational changes

106 236 25 86 6 13 21 54 19 12

Business-
ownership
change

21 55 7 20 1 3 6 11 5 2

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

85 181 18 66 5 10 15 43 14 10

Financial issues

165 337 33 154 17 18 18 63 19 15

Bankruptcy

19 39 3 19 - 1 2 9 4 1

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

97 198 20 90 13 12 11 36 10 6

Financial difficulty

49 100 10 45 4 5 5 18 5 8

Production
specific

 14 32 2 14 2 3 2 8 - 1

Disaster/Safety

4 6 - 4 1 - - 1 - -

Seasonal

258 317 22 245 7 8 8 25 2 -

Other/
Miscellaneous

 379 55 4 27 - 4 5 11 2 2
Third quarter 2008 (p)

Total business process

1,581 2,035 160 1,147 45 89 94 329 103 68

Business demand

642 947 68 610 23 29 24 131 37 25

Contract cancellation

44 71 3 42 2 2 3 13 3 3

Contract
completion

 195 217 6 190 1 1 3 10 2 4

Domestic competition

(2) 5 1 2 1 - - 1 - -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 (2) 17 4 6 1 1 - 4 1 -

Import
competition

 12 30 7 12 1 - 1 5 2 2

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

382 607 47 358 17 25 17 98 29 16

Organizational changes

122 294 27 100 11 16 29 69 21 21

Business-
ownership
change

20 43 3 16 1 3 2 11 4 3

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

102 251 24 84 10 13 27 58 17 18

Financial issues

192 435 40 170 8 33 30 97 37 20

Bankruptcy

42 113 10 40 2 9 9 25 12 6

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

92 196 21 75 3 15 13 46 13 10

Financial
difficulty

 58 126 9 55 3 9 8 26 12 4

Production
specific

 30 48 5 28 - 3 - 8 2 2

Disaster/Safety

32 16 1 6 1 2 1 3 2 -

Seasonal

216 251 16 207 2 4 7 13 2 -

Other/
Miscellaneous

 347 44 3 26 - 2 3 8 2 -
Footnotes:
(1) Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
(2) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero. For unabbreviated business process titles, see Table 3.