May 25, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Fewer information technology layoffs in first quarter

Information technology-producing industries accounted for 6 percent of extended mass layoff events and 10,556 worker separations in the first quarter, down from 11 percent of layoff events and 28,582 separations a year earlier.

Extended mass layoff events, information-technology producing industries, first quarters, 1996-2004
[Chart data—TXT]

This was the lowest number of separations in the industry grouping since the first quarter of 2000.

Layoffs in the information technology-producing industries were most numerous in communications services and computer hardware.

These data are products of the Mass Layoff Statistics program. The information technology-producing industries are communication equipment, communications services, computer hardware, and software and computer services. "Extended mass layoffs" last more than 30 days and involve 50 or more individuals from a single establishment filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a consecutive 5-week period. For more information, see "Extended Mass Layoffs in the First Quarter of 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-895.

Of interest

Spotlight on Statistics: The Recession of 2007–2009

The most recent recession in the United States began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, though many of the statistics that describe the U.S. economy have yet to return to their pre-recession values. In this Spotlight, we present BLS data that compare the recent recession to previous recessions. Read more »