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Mass Layoff Statistics
Table 2. Business processes involved in extended mass layoff events, by reason for layoff, fourth 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
Fourth quarter 2012(p)                      

Total business process

1,674 2,186 32 162 1,423 113 81 114 180 53 28
Business demand
529 728 8 60 512 40 16 19 45 18 10
Contract cancellation
23 49 1 3 21 1 2 5 10 5 1
Contract
completion
 
350 414 3 27 347 15 1 5 10 5 1
Domestic competition
(2) 9 1 2 3 2 - - 1 - -
Excess inventory/
saturated market
 
5 12 - 2 5 3 - - 1 1 -
Import
competition
 
(2) 1 - - 1 - - - - - -
Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown
147 243 3 26 135 19 13 9 23 7 8
Organizational changes
55 107 3 4 47 7 7 9 19 7 4
Business-
ownership
change
19 37 1 2 16 3 4 - 8 2 1
Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company
36 70 2 2 31 4 3 9 11 5 3
Financial issues
97 249 9 30 84 12 24 14 52 15 9
Bankruptcy
43 117 4 19 38 3 14 7 22 8 2
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability
29 69 2 6 23 6 5 5 13 6 3
Financial difficulty
25 63 3 5 23 3 5 2 17 1 4
Production
specific
 
19 44 3 5 16 5 2 3 6 2 2
Disaster/Safety
34 66 - 2 33 6 1 17 3 4 -
Seasonal
736 957 9 60 714 43 27 51 48 4 1
Other/
Miscellaneous
 
204 35 - 1 17 - 4 1 7 3 2
Fourth quarter 2011                      

Total business process

1,903 2,306 19 127 1,594 120 77 94 191 63 21
Business demand
633 800 7 28 614 26 17 12 63 29 4
Contract cancellation
21 28 1 - 19 1 1 1 3 1 1
Contract
completion
 
428 503 1 9 419 9 3 3 34 24 1
Domestic competition
(2) 1 - - 1 - - - - - -
Excess inventory/
saturated market
 
(2) 4 - 1 2 - - 1 - - -
Import
competition
 
- - - - - - - - - - -
Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown
181 264 5 18 173 16 13 7 26 4 2
Organizational changes
73 164 4 12 66 5 11 13 34 11 8
Business-
ownership
change
18 35 1 3 18 1 1 2 8 1 -
Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company
55 129 3 9 48 4 10 11 26 10 8
Financial issues
76 173 3 18 70 16 10 14 33 5 4
Bankruptcy
15 40 1 5 15 1 3 5 8 2 -
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability
33 80 2 11 28 6 6 6 16 2 3
Financial difficulty
28 53 - 2 27 9 1 3 9 1 1
Production
specific
 
(2) 40 1 3 19 3 2 2 6 3 1
Disaster/Safety
(2) 7 - 1 4 1 - - - - 1
Seasonal
818 1,081 4 64 797 67 36 46 51 13 3
Other/
Miscellaneous
 
279 41 - 1 24 2 1 7 4 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.