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Mass Layoff Statistics
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.