Table 2. Business processes involved in extended mass layoff events, by reason for layoff, first quarters 2011 and 2012 (1)
Reason Extended mass layoff events Total business process Core processes Support processes
Strat. Mgmt. Procurement, logistics, distribution Ops. Product development Marketing, sales, account management Customer and after-sales service General managment and firm infra-structure Human resource management Technology and process development
First quarter 2012(p)

Total business process

 1,077 1,449 17 103 874 76 65 100 147 39 28

Business demand

 423 592 7 28 408 40 17 21 43 20 8

Contract cancellation

 17 30 1 2 16 1 2 2 4 2 -

Contract
completion

 273 326 2 9 262 11 8 4 19 9 2

Domestic competition

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

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 (2) 3 - - 3 - - - - - -

Import
competition

 - - - - - - - - - - -

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 129 231 4 17 126 27 7 15 20 9 6

Organizational changes

 62 149 4 14 53 3 13 13 37 4 8

Business-
ownership
change

 14 34 3 3 13 - 2 2 9 1 1

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 48 115 1 11 40 3 11 11 28 3 7

Financial issues

 98 214 4 22 89 13 13 23 34 9 7

Bankruptcy

 12 31 2 3 12 1 3 3 4 2 1

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 46 90 - 10 38 7 5 8 15 2 5

Financial difficulty

 40 93 2 9 39 5 5 12 15 5 1

Production
specific

 14 23 1 2 13 1 1 - 2 - 3

Disaster/Safety

 3 5 - - 3 - - 1 1 - -

Seasonal

 297 423 - 36 282 17 19 38 25 5 1

Other/
Miscellaneous

 180 43 1 1 26 2 2 4 5 1 1
First quarter 2011

Total business process

 1,490 1,886 21 141 1,111 109 62 144 215 58 25

Business demand

 564 756 8 40 505 42 11 62 65 19 4

Contract cancellation

 30 54 1 4 27 2 - 6 9 4 1

Contract
completion

 271 326 - 7 248 20 6 24 16 4 1

Domestic competition

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

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 4 12 - 3 4 - 1 - 3 1 -

Import
competition

 (2) 4 - 1 2 - - - 1 - -

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 256 359 7 25 224 19 4 32 36 10 2

Organizational changes

 94 197 6 14 74 3 13 19 41 15 12

Business-
ownership
change

 22 39 1 2 21 - 1 2 8 3 1

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 72 158 5 12 53 3 12 17 33 12 11

Financial issues

 120 278 5 32 108 17 16 24 60 11 5

Bankruptcy

 14 38 3 6 10 2 3 4 8 2 -

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 73 172 1 20 68 10 12 14 35 7 5

Financial difficulty

 33 68 1 6 30 5 1 6 17 2 -

Production
specific

 24 39 1 4 19 2 2 5 4 1 1

Disaster/Safety

 7 16 - 2 7 2 1 - 2 2 -

Seasonal

 391 551 1 48 372 42 16 30 34 7 1

Other/
Miscellaneous

 290 49 - 1 26 1 3 4 9 3 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.