Table 2. Business processes involved in extended mass layoff events, by reason for layoff, third 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
Third quarter 2012(p)

Total business process

 885 1,125 14 57 702 54 30 76 112 60 20

Business demand

 393 520 7 18 381 24 8 19 39 16 8

Contract cancellation

 26 54 1 4 25 1 1 4 9 5 4

Contract
completion

 263 300 1 7 260 9 2 5 8 8 -

Domestic competition

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

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 (2) 4 - - 3 - - - 1 - -

Import
competition

 - - - - - - - - - - -

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 99 158 5 7 91 13 5 9 21 3 4

Organizational changes

 62 149 5 11 48 7 10 18 32 10 8

Business-
ownership
change

 11 28 1 3 10 1 2 4 5 2 -

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 51 121 4 8 38 6 8 14 27 8 8

Financial issues

 63 122 2 6 56 10 5 16 19 6 2

Bankruptcy

 9 16 - 2 7 - - 3 3 1 -

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 29 59 1 1 26 5 5 9 8 2 2

Financial difficulty

 25 47 1 3 23 5 - 4 8 3 -

Production
specific

 (2) 37 - 5 18 1 1 2 5 3 2

Disaster/Safety

 (2) 8 - 2 3 1 - 1 - 1 -

Seasonal

 179 259 - 15 174 9 4 20 13 24 -

Other/
Miscellaneous

 167 30 - - 22 2 2 - 4 - -
Third quarter 2011

Total business process

 1,393 1,712 10 99 1,100 73 56 82 179 90 23

Business demand

 629 811 4 33 600 37 20 24 57 26 10

Contract cancellation

 36 68 1 7 33 3 2 3 12 5 2

Contract
completion

 419 466 - 5 406 12 5 7 12 15 4

Domestic competition

 (2) 4 - - 3 - - - 1 - -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 4 7 - 1 4 - - 1 1 - -

Import
competition

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

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 166 265 3 20 153 22 13 13 31 6 4

Organizational changes

 76 146 2 6 67 5 8 11 36 5 6

Business-
ownership
change

 18 30 1 1 14 3 - 2 8 - 1

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 58 116 1 5 53 2 8 9 28 5 5

Financial issues

 102 250 4 31 93 15 13 20 51 17 6

Bankruptcy

 21 47 1 6 17 2 1 6 10 4 -

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 44 116 1 14 41 9 9 8 22 8 4

Financial difficulty

 37 87 2 11 35 4 3 6 19 5 2

Production
specific

 17 27 - 2 16 1 2 1 5 - -

Disaster/Safety

 9 19 - 1 9 1 3 1 4 - -

Seasonal

 303 419 - 24 291 14 8 22 20 40 -

Other/
Miscellaneous

 257 40 - 2 24 - 2 3 6 2 1

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.