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Economic News Release
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MLS MLS Program Links

Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release

Technical information:  (202) 691-6392     USDL 08-1497
               http://www.bls.gov/mls/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. (EDT)
Media contact:          (202) 691-5902     Wednesday, October 22, 2008
                                   
                                   
                    MASS LAYOFFS IN SEPTEMBER 2008
  
     In September, employers took 2,269 mass layoff actions, seasonally
adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance bene-
fits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. 
Department of Labor reported today.  Each action involved at least 50
persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled
235,681, on a seasonally adjusted basis.  The number of mass layoff
events this September increased by 497 from the prior month, while the
number of associated initial claims rose by 61,726.  Layoff events
reached their highest level since September 2001, a month that experi-
enced substantial layoff activity due to the September 11 attacks.  Mass 
layoff initial claims reached their highest level since September 2005, 
which was a month with high layoff activity due to Hurricane Katrina.  
The effects of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike contributed to the higher 
September 2008 layoff activity.  In September, 603 mass layoff events 
were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, result-
ing in 81,414 initial claims.  Over the month, mass layoff events in 
manufacturing increased by 4 and initial claims increased by 9,170.  
(See table 1.)

   From January through September 2008, the total number of events
(seasonally adjusted), at 14,811, and initial claims (seasonally
adjusted), at 1,510,446, were the highest for the January-September
period since 2003 and 2002, respectively.
   
   The national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in September, sea-
sonally adjusted, unchanged from the prior month and up from 4.7 per-
cent a year earlier.  In September, total nonfarm payroll employment 
decreased by 159,000 over the month and by 519,000 from a year earlier.
   
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
   
   The number of mass layoff events in September was 1,292 on a not
seasonally adjusted basis; the number of associated initial claims was
129,586.  (See table 2.)  Over the year, increases were recorded in
both the number of layoff events (+575) and initial claims (+62,201).
In 2008, three major sectors reported program highs in terms of mass
layoff initial claims for the month of September--construction, pro-
fessional and technical services, and finance and insurance (with
data available back to 1995).
   
   The manufacturing sector accounted for 28 percent of all mass layoff 
events and 36 percent of initial claims filed in September 2008; a year 
earlier, manufacturing made up 34 percent of events and 44 percent of 
initial claims.  In September, the number of manufacturing claimants was 
greatest in transportation equipment manufacturing (19,278), followed by 
machinery manufacturing (4,058).  (See table 3.)  Administrative and 
waste services accounted for 14 percent of mass layoff events and associ-
ated initial claims during the month, primarily from temporary help serv-
ices.
   
   The six-digit NAICS industry with the largest number of initial claims 
was temporary help services (9,491), followed by professional employer or-
ganizations (4,520).  Among the 10 industries with the highest levels of 
initial claims, 2 of the 10--professional employer organizations and air-
craft manufacturing--reached program highs in 2008 for the month of 
September (with data available back to 1995).  (See table A.)


                               - 2 -

Table A. Industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims in   
September 2008
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               |         |                     
                                               | Initial |    September peak   
             Industry                          |  claims |---------------------
                                               |         |      |              
                                               |         | Year |Initial claims
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               |         |      |              
Temporary help services .......................|   9,491 | 2001 |      12,752  
Professional employer organizations ...........|   4,520 | 2008 |       4,520  
Aircraft manufacturing ........................|    (1)  | 2008 |        (1)   
Payroll services ..............................|   3,707 | 1999 |       4,737  
Automobile manufacturing ......................|   3,464 | 2004 |        (1)   
Light truck and utility vehicle manufacturing .|   2,877 | 2000 |       3,688  
Motion picture and video production ...........|   2,757 | 1997 |      11,176  
Elementary and secondary schools ..............|   2,259 | 2005 |      15,815  
Limited-service restaurants ...................|   2,042 | 2005 |       6,097  
Ship building and repairing ...................|   1,897 | 2005 |       8,811  
                                               |         |      |              
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.


Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

   Of the 4 census regions, the West had the highest number of initial 
claims in September due to mass layoffs (47,522), followed by the South 
(43,772).  (See table 5.)  Initial claimants in mass layoffs increased 
over the year in all 4 regions with the South (+27,859) and the West 
(+21,983) experiencing the largest increases, followed by the Midwest 
(+9,373) and the Northeast (+2,986).

   Of the 9 divisions, the Pacific had the highest number of initial
claims in September due to mass layoffs (43,847), followed by the West
South Central (26,693).  (See table 5.)  Eight of the 9 divisions ex-
perienced over-the-year increases in initial claims, led by the West
South Central (+22,101) and the Pacific (+20,474).
   
   California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due
to mass layoff events in September with 34,584.  The next highest
states reporting mass layoff initial claims were Louisiana (14,929)
and Texas (10,616).  (See table 6.)  Six states reached program highs
in 2008 for the month of September--Indiana, Ohio, Texas, Washington, 
Wisconsin, and Wyoming.  Thirty-five states registered over-the-year
increases in initial claims associated with mass layoffs, led by
Louisiana (+14,366), California (+13,440), and Texas (+8,010).  The
effects of Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana and of Hurricane Ike in Texas
contributed to the higher September 2008 layoff activity in those two
states.
   
                    ______________________________

                                   
   The report on Extended Mass Layoffs in the Third Quarter 2008 is 
scheduled to be released on Thursday, November 13.

                              - 3 -


Technical Note

   The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program
that uses a standardized automated approach to identifying, describing,
and tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each
state's unemployment insurance database.  Each month, states report on
employers which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them during
a consecutive 5-week period.  These employers then are contacted by the
state agency to determine whether these separations lasted 31 days or
longer, and, if so, other information concerning the layoff is collected.
States report on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a quarterly basis.

   A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment
insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that
month.  All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the
first day of the month falls on Saturday.  In this case, the week is
included in the prior month's tabulations.  This means that some months
will contain 4 weeks and others, 5 weeks, the number of weeks in a given 
month may be different from year to year, and the number of weeks in a
year may vary.  Therefore, analysis of over-the-month and over-the-year
change in not seasonally adjusted series should take this calendar effect
into consideration.

   The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been
terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding.  Prior to April 1995,
monthly layoff statistics were not available.

   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.

Definitions

   Employer.  Employers in the MLS program include those covered by state
unemployment insurance laws.  Information on employers is obtained from the
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, which is adminis-
tered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

   Initial claimant.  A person who files any notice of unemployment to
initiate a request either for a determination of entitlement to and
eligibility for compensation, or for a subsequent period of unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.
   
   Mass layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment 
insurance benefits filed against an employer during a 5-week period,
regardless of duration.

                                  - 4 -
   
Seasonal adjustment

   Effective with the release of data for January 2005, BLS began publish-
ing six seasonally adjusted monthly MLS series.  The six series are the
numbers of mass layoff events and mass layoff initial claims for the total,
private nonfarm, and manufacturing sectors.
   
   Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and removing the effect
on time series data of regularly recurring seasonal events such as changes
in the weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
The use of seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes
in time series, particularly those associated with general economic expan-
sions and contractions.
   
   The MLS data are seasonally adjusted using the X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjust-
ment method on a concurrent basis.  Concurrent seasonal adjustment uses all
available monthly estimates, including those for the current month, in devel-
oping seasonal adjustment factors.  Revisions to the most recent 5 years
of seasonally adjusted data will be made once a year with the issuance of
December data.  Before the data are seasonally adjusted, prior adjustments
are made to the original data to adjust them for differences in the number
of weeks used to calculate the monthly data.  Because weekly unemployment
insurance claims are aggregated to form monthly data, a particular month's
value could be calculated with 5 weeks of data in one year and 4 weeks
in another.  The effects of these differences could seriously distort the
seasonal factors if they were ignored in the seasonal adjustment process.
These effects are modeled in the X-12-ARIMA program and are permanently
removed from the final seasonally adjusted series.






Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, October 2004 to 
September 2008, seasonally adjusted

                                      Total            Private nonfarm         Manufacturing  
             Date                                                                             
                                          Initial               Initial                Initial
                                Events   claimants    Events   claimants     Events   claimants
                                                                                              
             2004                                                                             

October ....................     1,283     132,766     1,169     123,471       363      47,046
November ...................     1,320     130,873     1,174     119,029       380      45,416
December ...................     1,148     111,060       991      99,784       287      31,935

             2005                                                                             

January ....................     1,475     160,725     1,346     151,028       382      61,324
February ...................     1,146     121,455     1,020     110,480       353      43,568
March ......................     1,207     131,271     1,066     120,945       372      53,673
April ......................     1,252     136,752     1,125     126,550       401      60,681
May ........................     1,248     136,420     1,104     123,495       398      54,999
June .......................     1,196     127,084     1,078     118,012       368      58,300
July .......................     1,250     132,445     1,103     119,566       357      46,602
August .....................     1,144     125,686     1,000     113,762       341      47,598
September ..................     2,248     297,544     2,028     251,185       417      55,304
October ....................     1,101     110,035       982     100,934       321      43,230
November ...................     1,176     114,965     1,042     103,535       332      42,071
December ...................     1,261     134,461     1,132     123,418       360      46,863

             2006                                                                             

January ....................     1,107     110,800       988     101,494       283      34,037
February ...................     1,031     109,798       940     101,828       322      43,147
March ......................     1,084     119,049       983     110,668       323      48,119
April ......................     1,171     121,580     1,043     112,175       368      49,568
May ........................     1,124     117,115     1,005     107,181       314      43,087
June .......................     1,146     123,827     1,030     114,080       352      44,869
July .......................     1,179     121,017     1,051     111,336       372      48,534
August .....................     1,270     135,400     1,107     124,427       377      60,906
September ..................     1,173     123,767     1,056     114,677       385      45,767
October ....................     1,191     121,827     1,076     113,123       399      53,601
November ...................     1,232     133,803     1,121     124,559       414      58,385
December ...................     1,194     131,062     1,092     121,796       374      51,408

             2007                                                                             

January ....................     1,254     128,223     1,118     117,824       391      52,858
February ...................     1,352     143,837     1,238     135,066       416      61,749
March ......................     1,277     130,981     1,169     122,488       412      52,606
April ......................     1,243     126,977     1,116     116,926       382      43,930
May ........................     1,199     120,587     1,096     113,069       370      48,910
June .......................     1,238     129,858     1,116     120,165       351      40,670
July .......................     1,247     127,687     1,140     119,614       392      51,333
August .....................     1,228     121,886     1,128     114,628       335      36,518
September ..................     1,307     128,487     1,204     121,294       430      53,432
October ....................     1,347     136,124     1,224     127,163       430      57,695
November ...................     1,329     139,671     1,215     131,390       414      56,965
December ...................     1,433     141,750     1,315     133,024       462      58,108

             2008                                                                             

January ....................     1,438     144,111     1,317     134,347       427      55,488
February ...................     1,672     177,374     1,539     166,782       529      66,913
March ......................     1,571     157,156     1,460     147,537       482      64,088
April ......................     1,308     133,914     1,186     124,053       483      60,552
May ........................     1,626     171,387     1,496     161,912       528      72,058
June .......................     1,643     165,697     1,491     153,568       541      76,514
July .......................     1,512     151,171     1,368     140,116       443      57,470
August .....................     1,772     173,955     1,622     163,800       599      72,244
September ..................     2,269     235,681     2,092     221,538       603      81,414






Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,  October 2004 to
September 2008, not seasonally adjusted

                                       Total           Private nonfarm         Manufacturing  
             Date                                                                             
                                           Initial              Initial                Initial
                                Events    claimants   Events   claimants     Events   claimants
                                                                                              
             2004                                                                             

October ....................     1,242     127,918     1,101     117,375       372      48,265
November ...................     1,399     130,423     1,201     115,549       412      44,243
December ...................     1,614     161,271     1,487     152,092       436      50,726

             2005                                                                             

January ....................     2,564     263,952     2,421     253,409       823     108,985
February ...................       810      74,644       722      68,372       230      24,931
March ......................       806      88,937       733      83,793       246      33,030
April ......................     1,373     158,582     1,263     148,133       395      59,129
May ........................       986     101,358       891      93,332       249      30,424
June .......................     1,157     120,463       941     103,307       216      32,783
July .......................     1,981     244,216     1,745     222,377       856     136,210
August .....................       645      67,582       598      63,484       188      22,531
September ..................     1,662     213,281     1,505     179,042       318      47,497
October ....................       905      91,941       757      80,694       249      37,276
November ...................     1,254     116,127     1,079     102,182       363      41,442
December ...................     2,323     254,258     2,168     242,753       706      96,382

             2006                                                                             

January ....................     1,245     117,946     1,123     108,701       331      35,097
February ...................       719      66,555       658      62,208       210      24,892
March ......................       921     111,838       856     106,177       285      44,688
April ......................     1,140     121,589     1,038     112,964       296      39,538
May ........................       872      84,809       794      78,663       192      23,570
June .......................     1,489     164,761     1,224     140,687       319      41,095
July .......................     1,511     166,857     1,335     154,342       648      96,152
August .....................       708      72,844       656      69,054       203      28,494
September ..................       865      87,699       785      81,274       296      39,076
October ....................       964      98,804       820      88,133       311      46,737
November ...................     1,315     136,186     1,172     125,009       455      58,473
December ...................     2,249     254,503     2,126     244,783       735     105,462

             2007                                                                             

January ....................     1,407     134,984     1,263     124,475       456      53,615
February ...................       935      86,696       861      82,097       273      36,170
March ......................     1,082     123,974     1,015     118,431       367      49,886
April ......................     1,219     127,444     1,115     118,040       309      35,229
May ........................       923      85,816       856      81,153       224      26,527
June .......................     1,599     172,810     1,318     148,669       313      36,571
July .......................     1,599     175,419     1,450     164,939       684     101,390
August .....................       963      93,458       908      88,345       220      23,361
September ..................       717      67,385       667      64,026       246      29,381
October ....................     1,083     108,455       929      97,716       338      50,918
November ...................     1,799     198,220     1,593     181,184       514      75,413
December ...................     2,167     224,214     2,071     216,898       699      91,754

             2008                                                                             

January ....................     1,647     154,503     1,520     144,191       488      54,418
February ...................     1,269     119,508     1,178     113,587       361      42,527
March ......................     1,089     114,541     1,039     110,147       333      43,740
April ......................     1,272     130,810     1,172     121,625       394      48,188
May ........................     1,552     159,471     1,438     150,462       388      51,698
June .......................     1,622     166,742     1,315     140,916       309      42,097
July .......................     1,891     200,382     1,687     186,018       760     108,733
August .....................     1,427     139,999     1,343     133,146       414      51,912
September ..................     1,292     129,586     1,202     122,505       361      46,391






Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance


                                                                                                    Initial claimants for          
                                                              Mass layoff events                    unemployment insurance         
                     Industry                                                                                                     
                                                    September   July    August  September  September    July     August   September
                                                      2007      2008     2008      2008       2007      2008      2008      2008   
                                                                                                                                   
                Seasonally adjusted                                                                                                


      Total .....................................    1,307     1,512    1,772     2,269     128,487    151,171   173,955    235,681

  Total, private nonfarm ........................    1,204     1,368    1,622     2,092     121,294    140,116   163,800    221,538
    Manufacturing ...............................      430       443      599       603      53,432     57,470    72,244     81,414

              Not seasonally adjusted                                                                                              

      Total (1) .................................      717     1,891    1,427     1,292      67,385    200,382   139,999    129,586

Total, private ..................................      688     1,765    1,373     1,227      65,205    191,309   134,871    124,096
    Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ..       21        78       30        25       1,179      5,291     1,725      1,591

  Total, private nonfarm ........................      667     1,687    1,343     1,202      64,026    186,018   133,146    122,505
    Mining ......................................     (2)       (2)         3         6       (2)        (2)         207        728
    Utilities ...................................      -        (2)      (2)       (2)          -        (2)       (2)        (2)  
    Construction ................................       70        72      142       144       4,283      4,941     9,717     10,763
    Manufacturing ...............................      246       760      414       361      29,381    108,733    51,912     46,391
        Food ....................................       31        49       40        33       2,873      4,844     3,510      3,068
        Beverage and tobacco products ...........     (2)       (2)         8         7       (2)        (2)         630        648
        Textile mills ...........................        4        15       10        13         448      1,286     1,013      1,422
        Textile product mills (3) ...............        4         5        4         3         410        560       487        347
        Apparel (3) .............................       12        24       10         7       1,180      2,048       981        688
        Leather and allied products .............      -           3     (2)       (2)         -           184     (2)        (2)  
        Wood products ...........................       27        38       35        32       2,461      4,044     2,980      2,901
        Paper ...................................        5        10        3         8         389      1,239       516        603
        Printing and related support activities .     (2)         12       10         5       (2)          947       938        341
        Petroleum and coal products .............      -        (2)      (2)        -          -         (2)       (2)         -   

        Chemicals ...............................        3        13        5         8         186        999       268        527
        Plastics and rubber products (3) ........       13        62       30        16       1,066      6,804     3,625      1,224
        Nonmetallic mineral products ............        9        16        8        12         941      1,412     1,161        861
        Primary metals ..........................       15        41       19        13       1,678      4,606     1,709      1,582
        Fabricated metal products ...............       16        71       25        35       1,473      7,007     2,179      2,357
        Machinery (3) ...........................       19        45       30        28       3,021      5,042     4,887      4,058
        Computer and electronic products ........       15        30       26        15       1,381      2,498     2,446      1,556
        Electrical equipment and appliances .....       10        21       11        22       2,881      3,052     1,485      3,453
        Transportation equipment (3) ............       51       269      112        87       7,759     57,761    19,787     19,278
        Furniture and related products (3) ......        7        18       20        13         791      2,397     2,566      1,153
        Miscellaneous manufacturing (3) .........     (2)         15        5      (2)        (2)        1,751       520      (2)  

    Wholesale trade .............................       17        22       27        20       1,053      1,926     1,765      1,642
    Retail trade ................................       67       116      142       112       5,657      9,450    12,674     10,345
    Transportation and warehousing ..............       17       107      100        54       1,415     11,182     9,077      4,383
    Information .................................       32        42       48        45       5,420      4,069     6,640      6,021
    Finance and insurance (3) ...................       40        55       45        38       2,649      4,256     3,192      3,104
    Real estate and rental and leasing (3) ......        3        11       13         7         285        792       742        396
    Professional and technical services (3) .....       23        40       45        35       2,683      3,147     4,458      5,623
    Management of companies and enterprises .....     (2)          4     (2)       (2)        (2)          313     (2)        (2)  
    Administrative and waste services (3) .......       85       259      214       181       6,325     22,921    19,682     18,557
    Educational services ........................     (2)         18        9         5       (2)        1,388     1,462        346
    Health care and social assistance ...........       13        65       35        54         998      4,263     2,584      4,021
    Arts, entertainment, and recreation .........       11        27       18        30         716      2,136     1,320      2,043
    Accommodation and food services .............       37        78       74        99       2,681      5,803     6,221      7,552
    Other services, except public administration      (2)          7        9         6       (2)          419     1,185        297
    Unclassified ................................      -         -        -           2        -          -         -            73

Government ......................................       29       126       54        65       2,180      9,073     5,128      5,490
    Federal .....................................        5         4        8         9         408        306       800        764
    State .......................................        7        26       13        12         777      2,179     1,464        922
    Local .......................................       17        96       33        44         995      6,588     2,864      3,804
                                                                                                                                   
 
    1 Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    3 Data beginning in 2008 are not strictly comparable to prior years due to a change in NAICS versions.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.






Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, July 2006 to September 2008, not seasonally adjusted

                                                                                   Private nonfarm                                   
                                                                                   
                                Total mass layoffs                              Extended mass layoffs                                
             Date                                        Mass layoffs          lasting more than 30 days        Realization rates (1)
             
                                           Initial               Initial                       Initial                      Initial 
                               Events    claimants    Events    claimants       Events        claimants           Events   claimants
             2006                                                                                                                 

July .......................    1,511      166,857     1,335     154,342                                                          
August .....................      708       72,844       656      69,054                                                          
September ..................      865       87,699       785      81,274                                                          

Third Quarter ..............    3,084      327,400     2,776     304,670           929         161,764             33.5       53.1

October ....................      964       98,804       820      88,133                                                          
November ...................    1,315      136,186     1,172     125,009                                                          
December ...................    2,249      254,503     2,126     244,783                                                          

Fourth Quarter .............    4,528      489,493     4,118     457,925         1,640         330,954             39.8       72.3

             2007                                                                                                                 

January ....................    1,407      134,984     1,263     124,475                                                          
February ...................      935       86,696       861      82,097                                                          
March ......................    1,082      123,974     1,015     118,431                                                          

First Quarter ..............    3,424      345,654     3,139     325,003         1,110         199,250             35.4       61.3

April ......................    1,219      127,444     1,115     118,040                                                          
May ........................      923       85,816       856      81,153                                                          
June .......................    1,599      172,810     1,318     148,669                                                          

Second Quarter .............    3,741      386,070     3,289     347,862         1,421         259,234             43.2       74.5

July .......................    1,599      175,419     1,450     164,939                                                          
August .....................      963       93,458       908      88,345                                                          
September ..................      717       67,385       667      64,026                                                          

Third Quarter ..............    3,279      336,262     3,025     317,310         1,018         173,077             33.7       54.5

October ....................    1,083      108,455       929      97,716                                                          
November ...................    1,799      198,220     1,593     181,184                                                          
December ...................    2,167      224,214     2,071     216,898                                                          

Fourth Quarter .............    5,049      530,889     4,593     495,798         1,814         347,146             39.5       70.0

             2008                                                                                                                 

January ....................    1,647      154,503     1,520     144,191                                                          
February ...................    1,269      119,508     1,178     113,587                                                          
March ......................    1,089      114,541     1,039     110,147                                                          

First Quarter ..............    4,005      388,552     3,737     367,925         1,340         256,697             35.9       69.8

April ......................    1,272      130,810     1,172     121,625                                                          
May ........................    1,552      159,471     1,438     150,462                                                          
June .......................    1,622      166,742     1,315     140,916                                                          

Second Quarter .............    4,446      457,023     3,925     413,003   (2)(p)1,534   (2)(p)215,808          (p)39.1    (p)52.3

July .......................    1,891      200,382     1,687     186,018                                                          
August .....................    1,427      139,999     1,343     133,146                                                          
September ..................    1,292      129,586     1,202     122,505                                                          

Third Quarter ..............    4,610      469,967     4,232     441,669                                                          
 
 
                                                                                                                                  
     1 The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days.  The 
 initial claimant realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial claimants associated with
 layoffs lasting more than 30 days.
     2 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more data on these layoffs become available.
 Experience suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by less than 10 percent and
 the number of initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent.
    p = preliminary.
    
    
    
    
    

Table 5. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division,
not seasonally adjusted

                                                                                   Initial claimants for           
                                           Mass layoff events                      unemployment insurance          
  
  Census region and division                                                                                       
  
                                  September   July     August  September  September    July      August   September
                                    2007      2008      2008     2008       2007       2008       2008       2008  
                                                                                                                   
        United States (1) ...        717     1,891     1,427    1,292      67,385    200,382     139,999    129,586

Northeast ...................         96       281       226      142       8,660     25,506      22,736     11,646
    New England .............         10        34        24       15         756      2,658       2,304      1,180
    Middle Atlantic .........         86       247       202      127       7,904     22,848      20,432     10,466

South .......................        160       450       362      475      15,913     48,440      38,188     43,772
    South Atlantic ..........         78       218       212      153       6,303     17,556      20,313     12,291
    East South Central ......         38       161        90       54       5,018     21,721      11,179      4,788
    West South Central ......         44        71        60      268       4,592      9,163       6,696     26,693

Midwest .....................        156       606       307      225      17,273     84,535      33,238     26,646
    East North Central ......        119       528       254      189      13,995     75,373      26,689     23,087
    West North Central ......         37        78        53       36       3,278      9,162       6,549      3,559

West ........................        305       554       532      450      25,539     41,901      45,837     47,522
    Mountain ................         23        49        50       43       2,166      4,519       4,688      3,675
    Pacific .................        282       505       482      407      23,373     37,382      41,149     43,847
                                                                                                                   
 
    1 See footnote 1, table 3.
    NOTE:  The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are: New England:
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, 
and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South 
Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South 
Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and 
Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain:
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii,  
Oregon, and Washington.





Table 6. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
not seasonally adjusted

                                                                                      Initial claimants for           
                                         Mass layoff events                           unemployment insurance          
           State                                                                                                      
                            September      July      August   September   September       July       August   September
                              2007         2008       2008       2008        2007         2008        2008       2008  

   Total (1) ............      717        1,891      1,427      1,292       67,385      200,382     139,999    129,586
                                 
Alabama .................       18           67         24         12        1,836        7,072       3,288      1,090
Alaska ..................      (2)          -          -            3        (2)           -           -           241
Arizona .................      (2)           15          7          8        (2)          1,422         488        586
Arkansas ................        6           13          8          3          565        1,606         613        359
California ..............      256          460        439        358       21,144       33,250      36,120     34,584
Colorado ................        3            4          3          3          261          343         258        196
Connecticut .............      (2)            6          4          6        (2)            579         368        402
Delaware ................      (2)         (2)           3       (2)         (2)          (2)           694      (2)  
District of Columbia ....       -           -         (2)         -           -            -          (2)         -   
Florida .................       47          123        126         96        2,985        7,555       9,849      5,988
Georgia .................       18           39         32         20        1,633        3,949       2,938      1,885
Hawaii ..................      (2)            4          4          9        (2)            271         408        919
Idaho ...................        3            7         10          4          222          619       1,120        324

Illinois ................       31           56         55         43        3,486        7,674       6,164      4,941
Indiana .................       11           67         40         34        2,826        8,787       4,359      4,314
Iowa ....................        8           16         18         10          840        2,068       3,727      1,455
Kansas ..................        4            8          4          6          295          731         291        478
Kentucky ................       14           63         34         24        2,611       11,907       5,487      2,351
Louisiana ...............        8           10         10        163          563        1,645         851     14,929
Maine ...................      (2)            5          3       (2)         (2)            359         217      (2)  
Maryland ................        6            5          8          5          431          443         762        349
Massachusetts ...........        3           16          6          4          196        1,107         495        310
Michigan ................       24          212         48         40        2,844       27,672       3,669      4,130
Minnesota ...............        4           12          5          4          524        1,452         334        430
Mississippi .............        4           13         15          6          471        1,330         908        463
Missouri ................       16           39         21         16        1,141        3,763       1,490      1,196

Montana .................      (2)            4       (2)        (2)         (2)            234       (2)        (2)  
Nebraska ................        5         (2)           3        -            478        (2)           271       -   
Nevada ..................        7           15         23         18          529        1,637       1,912      1,604
New Hampshire ...........       -             4          3       (2)          -             426         170      (2)  
New Jersey ..............       19           56         38         17        1,985        4,110       3,151      1,663
New Mexico ..............        3         (2)           5          4          644        (2)           728        440
New York ................       24          103         94         36        1,914       10,764      10,760      2,905
North Carolina ..........      (2)           12         25          9        (2)          1,128       3,123        793
North Dakota ............       -          (2)        (2)         -           -           (2)         (2)         -   
Ohio ....................       29          117         62         32        2,579       19,402       7,994      5,912
Oklahoma ................        5            5       (2)           5          858          575       (2)          789
Oregon ..................       15           25         28         21        1,324        2,498       3,741      2,942
Pennsylvania ............       43           88         70         74        4,005        7,974       6,521      5,898

Rhode Island ............       -          (2)           5       (2)          -           (2)           390      (2)  
South Carolina ..........        3           29         12         16          242        2,958       2,232      1,793
South Dakota ............       -           -          -          -           -            -           -          -   
Tennessee ...............      (2)           18         17         12        (2)          1,412       1,496        884
Texas ...................       25           43         40         97        2,606        5,337       5,124     10,616
Utah ....................        3         (2)        (2)           3          220        (2)         (2)          243
Vermont .................        4         (2)           3       (2)           331        (2)           664      (2)  
Virginia ................      (2)            9          4          4        (2)          1,475         361        546
Washington ..............        8           16         11         16          616        1,363         880      5,161
West Virginia ...........       -           -         (2)        (2)          -            -          (2)        (2)  
Wisconsin ...............       24           76         49         40        2,260       11,838       4,503      3,790
Wyoming .................       -           -          -         (2)          -            -           -         (2)  

Puerto Rico .............        8           12         18         18          750        1,227       1,958      1,715

    1  See footnote 1, table 3.
    2  Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    NOTE:  Dash represents zero.






Last Modified Date: October 22, 2008