Technical information: (202) 691-6392 USDL 08-1829
http://www.bls.gov/mls/
For release: 10:00 A.M. (EST)
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Friday, December 19, 2008
MASS LAYOFFS IN NOVEMBER 2008
In November, employers took 2,328 mass layoff actions, seasonally
adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance
benefits 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
224,079 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of mass layoff
events in November increased by 188 from the prior month, while the
number of associated initial claims decreased by 8,389. Over the
year, the number of mass layoff events increased by 999, and the
number of associated initial claims increased by 84,408. In November,
874 mass layoff events reported in the manufacturing sector, season-
ally adjusted, resulting in 98,408 initial claims. Over the month,
mass layoff events in manufacturing increased by 239, and initial
claims increased by 11,005, the fourth consecutive over-the-month
increase for both. (See table 1.)
From the start of the recession in December 2007 through November
2008, the total number of mass layoff events (seasonally adjusted) was
20,712, and the number of initial claims (seasonally adjusted) was
2,108,743.
The national unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in November, season-
ally adjusted, up from 6.5 percent the prior month and from 4.7 percent
a year earlier. In November, total nonfarm payroll employment decreased
by 533,000 over the month and by 1,870,000 from a year earlier.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in November was 2,574 on a not sea-
sonally adjusted basis; the number of associated initial claims was
241,589. (See table 2.) Average weekly layoff events rose from 360
in November 2007 to 644 in November 2008, and average weekly initial
claimants increased from 39,644 to 60,397. In 2008, both average
weekly events and initial claimants reached their highest November
levels in program history (with data available back to 1995). Eight
major industry sectors reported program highs in terms of average
weekly initial claimants for the month of November--accommodation and
food services; construction; finance and insurance; real estate and
rental and leasing; retail trade; transportation and warehousing;
utilities; and wholesale trade.
The manufacturing sector accounted for 39 percent of all mass layoff
events and 45 percent of initial claims filed in November 2008; a year
earlier, manufacturing made up 29 percent of events and 38 percent of
initial claims. This November, the number of manufacturing claimants
was greatest in transportation equipment manufacturing (25,042), fol-
lowed by wood products manufacturing (9,439). (See table 3.) The
construction industry accounted for 15 percent of mass layoff events
and 12 percent of associated initial claims during the month.
- 2 -
Table A. Industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial
claims in November 2008
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| Initial | November peak
Industry | claims |----------------
| | | Initial
| | Year | claims
---------------------------------------------------------------------
| | |
Temporary help services ..................| 14,430 | 2000 | 19,023
Highway, street, and bridge construction .| 12,563 | 2001 | 14,805
Professional employer organizations ......| 5,873 | 2008 | 5,873
Food service contractors .................| 3,932 | 2007 | 6,163
Travel trailer and camper manufacturing ..| 3,237 | 2006 | 3,548
Motion picture and video production ......| 3,157 | 2000 | 8,664
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders ..| 2,935 | 1999 | 11,613
Motor vehicle metal stamping .............| 2,901 | 2008 | 2,901
Heavy duty truck manufacturing ...........| 2,858 | 2001 | 3,267
Discount department stores ...............| 2,823 | 2008 | 2,823
| | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The six-digit NAICS industry with the largest number of initial
claims was temporary help services (14,430), followed by highway,
street, and bridge construction (12,563). Among the 10 industries
with the highest levels of initial claims, 3 of the 10--professional
employer organizations, motor vehicle metal stamping, and discount
department stores--reached program highs in 2008 for the month of
November (with data available back to 1995). (See table A.)
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Of the 4 census regions, the Midwest had the highest number of
initial claims in November due to mass layoffs (85,730), followed by
the West (70,460) and the South (56,608). (See table 5.) Average
weekly initial claims associated with mass layoffs increased over the
year in all 4 regions, with the Midwest (+9,000) and the West (+5,785)
experiencing the largest increases. In 2008, the Midwest and the
South regions reported their highest November levels of average weekly
initial claims in program history.
Of the 9 divisions, the East North Central (65,287) and the Pacific
(59,410) had the highest numbers of initial claims in November due to
mass layoffs. (See table 5.) All 9 divisions experienced over-the-
year increases in average weekly initial claims, led by the East North
Central (+5,931) and the Pacific (+4,401). In 2008, the East North
Central, East South Central, and West North Central divisions reached
their highest November levels of average weekly initial claims in
program history.
California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due
to mass layoff events in November with 47,690. The states with the
next highest number of mass layoff initial claims were Michigan
(14,657), Wisconsin (13,966), and Indiana (13,420). (See table 6.) In
2008, 15 states reached program highs in average weekly initial claims
for the month of November--Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa,
Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, and Tennessee. Thirty-nine states
and the District of Columbia registered over-the-year increases in
average weekly initial claims associated with mass layoffs, led by
California (+3,097), Indiana (+1,827), and Florida (+1,746).
___________________________
The report on Mass Layoffs in December 2008 and Annual Totals for
2008 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Mass
Layoff release dates for the balance of 2009 can be found on the BLS
Web site at http://www.bls.gov/schedule/news_release/mmls.htm.
- 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.
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, December 2004 to
November 2008, seasonally adjusted
Total Private nonfarm Manufacturing
Date
Initial Initial Initial
Events claimants Events claimants Events claimants
2004
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
October .................... 2,140 232,468 1,976 218,131 635 87,403
November ................... 2,328 224,079 2,180 211,658 874 98,408
Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, December 2004 to
November 2008, not seasonally adjusted
Total Private nonfarm Manufacturing
Date
Initial Initial Initial
Events claimants Events claimants Events claimants
2004
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
October .................... 2,125 221,784 1,917 205,553 689 100,457
November ................... 2,574 241,589 2,389 226,657 997 107,620
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
Mass layoff events unemployment insurance
Industry
November September October November November September October November
2007 2008 2008 2008 2007 2008 2008 2008
Seasonally adjusted
Total ..................................... 1,329 2,269 2,140 2,328 139,671 235,681 232,468 224,079
Total, private nonfarm ........................ 1,215 2,092 1,976 2,180 131,390 221,538 218,131 211,658
Manufacturing ............................... 414 603 635 874 56,965 81,414 87,403 98,408
Not seasonally adjusted
Total (1) ................................. 1,799 1,292 2,125 2,574 198,220 129,586 221,784 241,589
Total, private .................................. 1,729 1,227 2,034 2,502 191,917 124,096 213,602 235,560
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting .. 136 25 117 113 10,733 1,591 8,049 8,903
Total, private nonfarm ........................ 1,593 1,202 1,917 2,389 181,184 122,505 205,553 226,657
Mining ...................................... 11 6 6 22 928 728 449 2,004
Utilities ................................... (2) (2) (2) 3 (2) (2) (2) 332
Construction ................................ 324 144 206 382 28,277 10,763 14,864 29,775
Manufacturing ............................... 514 361 689 997 75,413 46,391 100,457 107,620
Food .................................... 62 33 75 71 6,642 3,068 11,144 7,123
Beverage and tobacco products ........... 9 7 7 9 746 648 488 620
Textile mills ........................... 27 13 20 19 5,381 1,422 2,925 2,558
Textile product mills (3) ............... 5 3 10 10 608 347 792 669
Apparel (3) ............................. 10 7 9 16 625 688 914 1,783
Leather and allied products ............. 4 (2) (2) 3 376 (2) (2) 270
Wood products ........................... 69 32 68 93 8,094 2,901 6,932 9,439
Paper ................................... 9 8 17 28 696 603 1,392 2,645
Printing and related support activities . 11 5 10 14 763 341 1,042 1,527
Petroleum and coal products ............. 8 - (2) 11 624 - (2) 929
Chemicals ............................... 6 8 13 20 668 527 1,394 2,042
Plastics and rubber products (3) ........ 27 16 47 74 2,568 1,224 4,903 7,013
Nonmetallic mineral products ............ 24 12 21 55 2,493 861 1,755 4,937
Primary metals .......................... 27 13 48 74 2,955 1,582 6,038 7,813
Fabricated metal products ............... 24 35 47 104 2,341 2,357 4,632 8,905
Machinery (3) ........................... 40 28 43 62 6,289 4,058 7,897 9,019
Computer and electronic products ........ 13 15 36 40 987 1,556 3,705 3,592
Electrical equipment and appliances ..... 15 22 21 27 5,418 3,453 3,873 2,891
Transportation equipment (3) ............ 93 87 149 190 23,323 19,278 36,110 25,042
Furniture and related products (3) ...... 23 13 32 55 3,164 1,153 2,902 6,716
Miscellaneous manufacturing (3) ......... 8 (2) 13 22 652 (2) 1,210 2,087
Wholesale trade ............................. 40 20 38 65 3,095 1,642 2,573 4,779
Retail trade ................................ 93 112 161 155 8,199 10,345 15,328 13,429
Transportation and warehousing .............. 82 54 75 99 7,499 4,383 6,007 7,749
Information ................................. 28 45 49 48 5,386 6,021 7,820 5,390
Finance and insurance (3) ................... 43 38 63 48 3,898 3,104 5,025 3,591
Real estate and rental and leasing (3) ...... 7 7 15 18 539 396 1,014 1,084
Professional and technical services (3) ..... 51 35 46 66 7,435 5,623 3,022 6,695
Management of companies and enterprises ..... (2) (2) (2) 10 (2) (2) (2) 656
Administrative and waste services (3) ....... 217 181 334 280 22,050 18,557 30,945 26,341
Educational services ........................ - 5 5 5 - 346 292 365
Health care and social assistance ........... 24 54 39 33 2,522 4,021 2,823 2,775
Arts, entertainment, and recreation ......... 36 30 42 33 3,543 2,043 3,106 2,642
Accommodation and food services ............. 107 99 125 115 10,865 7,552 10,278 10,682
Other services, except public administration 10 6 16 10 1,062 297 962 748
Unclassified ................................ 1 2 2 - 57 73 136 -
Government ...................................... 70 65 91 72 6,303 5,490 8,182 6,029
Federal ..................................... 19 9 19 11 1,928 764 1,746 860
State ....................................... 20 12 30 21 1,786 922 2,985 1,797
Local ....................................... 31 44 42 40 2,589 3,804 3,451 3,372
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, October 2006 to November 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
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 1,814 347,149 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 1,340 258,767 35.9 70.3
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 1,756 335,854 44.7 81.3
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 (2)(p)1,330 (2)(p)181,386 (p)31.4 (p)41.1
October .................... 2,125 221,784 1,917 205,553
November ................... 2,574 241,589 2,389 226,657
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
November September October November November September October November
2007 2008 2008 2008 2007 2008 2008 2008
United States (1) ... 1,799 1,292 2,125 2,574 198,220 129,586 221,784 241,589
Northeast ................... 355 142 270 314 34,766 11,646 23,945 28,791
New England ............. 38 15 25 40 3,754 1,180 2,522 3,505
Middle Atlantic ......... 317 127 245 274 31,012 10,466 21,423 25,286
South ....................... 350 475 538 616 42,139 43,772 53,087 56,608
South Atlantic .......... 180 153 295 304 19,924 12,291 25,535 25,648
East South Central ...... 91 54 111 196 9,831 4,788 15,162 19,725
West South Central ...... 79 268 132 116 12,384 26,693 12,390 11,235
Midwest ..................... 483 225 511 824 62,163 26,646 75,210 85,730
East North Central ...... 389 189 406 645 51,952 23,087 60,196 65,287
West North Central ...... 94 36 105 179 10,211 3,559 15,014 20,443
West ........................ 611 450 806 820 59,152 47,522 69,542 70,460
Mountain ................ 76 43 98 126 6,893 3,675 9,191 11,050
Pacific ................. 535 407 708 694 52,259 43,847 60,351 59,410
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,
adjusted
Initial claimants for
Mass layoff events unemployment insurance
State
November September October November November September October November
2007 2008 2008 2008 2007 2008 2008 2008
Total (1) ............ 1,799 1,292 2,125 2,574 198,220 129,586 221,784 241,589
Alabama ................. 29 12 26 48 2,917 1,090 3,865 5,289
Alaska .................. 8 3 13 (2) 780 241 1,631 (2)
Arizona ................. 3 8 13 20 197 586 979 1,603
Arkansas ................ 12 3 18 21 2,678 359 1,877 2,026
California .............. 455 358 621 580 44,127 34,584 51,286 47,690
Colorado ................ 14 3 11 15 1,244 196 1,143 1,162
Connecticut ............. 3 6 4 3 232 402 540 186
Delaware ................ 3 (2) (2) 6 356 (2) (2) 415
District of Columbia .... - - - (2) - - - (2)
Florida ................. 73 96 176 151 4,499 5,988 12,946 10,582
Georgia ................. 39 20 61 51 7,500 1,885 6,825 4,970
Hawaii .................. 5 9 9 9 390 919 910 641
Idaho ................... 21 4 22 27 2,101 324 2,682 2,298
Illinois ................ 67 43 64 126 7,704 4,941 7,842 11,564
Indiana ................. 52 34 63 111 7,638 4,314 7,961 13,420
Iowa .................... 23 10 23 49 2,503 1,455 3,818 8,213
Kansas .................. (2) 6 18 14 (2) 478 2,543 1,321
Kentucky ................ 34 24 46 78 4,747 2,351 8,327 9,210
Louisiana ............... 6 163 22 13 1,672 14,929 1,662 1,093
Maine ................... 6 (2) (2) 4 467 (2) (2) 451
Maryland ................ 11 5 11 7 1,446 349 885 828
Massachusetts ........... 18 4 11 18 1,495 310 980 1,459
Michigan ................ 92 40 81 157 15,578 4,130 16,851 14,657
Minnesota ............... 41 4 23 60 4,315 430 1,880 5,442
Mississippi ............. 12 6 17 34 839 463 1,513 2,736
Missouri ................ 19 16 35 44 2,312 1,196 5,877 3,087
Montana ................. 8 (2) 5 11 760 (2) 573 1,226
Nebraska ................ 4 - 5 4 402 - 819 450
Nevada .................. 18 18 29 33 1,713 1,604 2,421 2,992
New Hampshire ........... (2) (2) 3 4 (2) (2) 310 311
New Jersey .............. 50 17 45 46 6,234 1,663 3,670 5,665
New Mexico .............. (2) 4 5 9 (2) 440 396 554
New York ................ 82 36 54 79 7,658 2,905 4,725 7,366
North Carolina .......... 4 9 18 34 457 793 1,838 3,410
North Dakota ............ 4 - (2) 5 444 - (2) 1,631
Ohio .................... 68 32 118 120 7,369 5,912 17,764 11,680
Oklahoma ................ 6 5 6 18 1,198 789 1,137 1,708
Oregon .................. 37 21 36 60 3,866 2,942 3,883 7,259
Pennsylvania ............ 185 74 146 149 17,120 5,898 13,028 12,255
Rhode Island ............ - (2) 3 - - (2) 325 -
South Carolina .......... 28 16 23 36 3,038 1,793 2,268 3,916
South Dakota ............ (2) - - 3 (2) - - 299
Tennessee ............... 16 12 22 36 1,328 884 1,457 2,490
Texas ................... 55 97 86 64 6,836 10,616 7,714 6,408
Utah .................... 9 3 9 10 658 243 721 1,161
Vermont ................. 10 (2) (2) 11 1,500 (2) (2) 1,098
Virginia ................ 18 4 4 16 2,384 546 655 1,316
Washington .............. 30 16 29 44 3,096 5,161 2,641 3,724
West Virginia ........... 4 (2) - (2) 244 (2) - (2)
Wisconsin ............... 110 40 80 131 13,663 3,790 9,778 13,966
Wyoming ................. (2) (2) 4 (2) (2) (2) 276 (2)
Puerto Rico.............. 15 18 13 14 1,385 1,715 1,117 1,686
1 See footnote 1, table 3.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
United States Department of Labor
