Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Economic News Release
PRINT:Print
MLS MLS Program Links

Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release

For release 3:00 p.m. (EST) Tuesday, December 22, 2009        USDL-09-1561

Technical information:  (202) 691-6392  *  mlsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact:          (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


                    MASS LAYOFFS -- NOVEMBER 2009


Employers took 1,797 mass layoff actions in November that resulted in
the separation of 165,346 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by
new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each action involved
at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number of mass layoff
events in November decreased by 330 from the prior month, and the num-
ber of associated initial claims decreased by 51,836, to their lowest 
levels since July 2008. However, year-to-date mass layoff events 
(27,669) and initial claims (2,792,736) both recorded program highs 
for a January to November period. (Data begin in April 1995.) In No-
vember, 481 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing 
sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 56,243 initial claims. Both 
the number of events and initial claims in manufacturing decreased
over the month. (See table 1.)

During the 24 months from December 2007 through November 2009, the
total number of mass layoff events (seasonally adjusted) was 51,154,
and the number of initial claims filed (seasonally adjusted) in those
events was 5,187,170. (December 2007 was the start of a recession as
designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research.)

The national unemployment rate was 10.0 percent in November 2009, sea-
sonally adjusted, down from 10.2 percent the prior month but up from 
6.8 percent a year earlier. In November, total nonfarm payroll employ-
ment decreased by 11,000 over the month and by 4,759,000 from a year 
earlier.

Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

The number of mass layoff events in November was 1,870 on a not sea-
sonally adjusted basis; the number of associated initial claims was
164,496. (See table 2.) Over the year, the number of mass layoff
events decreased by 704, and associated initial claims decreased by
77,093. Thirteen of the 19 major industry sectors in the private
economy reported over-the-year decreases in initial claimants for the
month of November, led by manufacturing (-52,567), administrative and
waste services (-8,122), retail trade (-6,346), and construction
(-5,873).

Three of the 19 major industry sectors in the private economy report-
ed program highs in terms of average weekly initial claimants for the 
month of November: arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation 
and food services; and other services, except public administration. 
(Average weekly analysis mitigates the effect of differing lengths of 
months. See the Technical Note.)

The manufacturing sector accounted for 28 percent of all mass layoff
events and 33 percent of initial claims filed in November 2009. A year
earlier, manufacturing made up 39 percent of events and 45 percent of
initial claims. Within manufacturing, the number of claimants in Novem-
ber was greatest in transportation equipment and food. Transportation 
equipment manufacturing had the largest over-the-year decrease in ini-
tial claims (-11,236), while food services and drinking places had the 
highest increase (+2,862) among all three-digit North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) industries. (See table 3.)

The six-digit NAICS industry with the largest number of initial claims
in November 2009 was highway, street, and bridge construction. Of the
10 detailed industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial
claims, only the motorcycle, bicycle, and parts manufacturing indus-
try reached a series high for the month of November. (See table A.)


Table A. Industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial 
claims in November 2009, not seasonally adjusted


                                                              November peak
                  Industry	
                                                  Initial    Year   Initial 
                                                  claims            claims  

Highway, street, and bridge construction ......    8,933     2001   14,805
Temporary help services (1) ...................    7,991     2000   19,023
Food service contractors ......................    6,004     2007    6,163
School and employee bus transportation ........    3,447     2007    4,547
Automobile manufacturing ......................    2,867     2007    8,416
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders .......    2,807     1999   11,613
Motorcycle, bicycle, and parts manufacturing...    2,644     2009    2,644
Motion picture and video production ...........    2,637     2000    8,664
Professional employer organizations (1) .......    2,506     2008    5,873
Casino hotels .................................    2,436     2006    2,706

  1 See the Technical Note for more information on these industries.


Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Among the four census regions, the Midwest registered the highest num-
ber of initial claims in November due to mass layoffs, followed by the 
West and the South. (See table 5.) Initial claims associated with mass 
layoffs decreased over the year in all of the regions, with the Midwest 
experiencing the largest decrease (-33,741), mostly in transportation 
equipment manufacturing.

Of the nine geographic divisions, the East North Central had the high-
est number of initial claims due to mass layoffs in November, followed 
by the Pacific, the Middle Atlantic, and the South Atlantic. (See 
table 5.) Seven of the 9 divisions experienced over-the-year decreases 
in initial claims, led by the East North Central (-26,022).

California recorded the highest number of initial claims in November,
followed by Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. (See
table 6.) Thirty-seven states experienced over-the-year decreases in
initial claims, led by California (-15,768), Indiana (-9,097), Ohio 
(-6,447), and Michigan (-6,108). In 2009, three states reached program
highs in average weekly initial claims for the month of November:
Nevada, North Carolina, and Wyoming.

Note

The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or
more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of
the layoffs. For private nonfarm establishments, information on the
length of the layoff is obtained later and issued in a quarterly re-
lease that reports on mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (refer-
red to as "extended mass layoffs"). The quarterly release provides 
more information on the industry classification and location of the 
establishment and on the demographics of the laid-off workers. Be-
cause monthly figures include short-term layoffs of 30 days or less,
the sum of the figures for the 3 months in a quarter will be higher
than the quarterly figure for mass layoffs of more than 30 days.  
(See table 4.) See the Technical Note for more detailed definitions.

_____________
The Mass Layoffs in December 2009 and Annual Totals for 2009 news
release is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 
at 10:00 a.m. (EST).





      --------------------------------------------------------------
     |                                                              |
     |       Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Mass Layoff Data       |
     |                                                              |
     |In accordance with usual practice, the release of mass layoff |
     |data for December 2009, scheduled for January 27, 2010, will  |
     |incorporate annual updating of seasonal adjustment factors.   |
     |Seasonally adjusted estimates back to January 2005 are sub-   |
     |ject to revision.                                             |
     |                                                              |
      -------------------------------------------------------------- 
      
      
      

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; Federal Relay
Service:  (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).

   Industry.  Employers are classified according to the 2007 version of the 
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).  For temporary help
and professional employers organization industries, monthly MLS-related 
statistics generally reflect layoffs related to underlying client companies 
in other industries.  An individual layoff action at a client company can
be small, but when initial claimants associated with many such layoffs are
assigned to a temporary help or professional employer organization firm, a
mass layoff event may trigger.

   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 insur-
ance 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 1 year and 4 weeks in 
another.  The effects of these differences could seriously distort the sea-
sonal 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 2005 to
November 2009, seasonally adjusted

                                      Total            Private nonfarm         Manufacturing   
             Date                                                                              
                                           Initial               Initial               Initial 
                                Events    claimants   Events    claimants    Events   claimants
                                                                                              
             2005                                                                             

December ...................     1,263     136,751     1,135     125,700       358      46,940

             2006                                                                             

January ....................     1,112     111,601       986     102,359       293      35,390
February ...................       960     104,045       872      96,317       317      41,810
March ......................     1,078     118,270       976     109,842       320      48,026
April ......................     1,198     123,674     1,062     113,849       366      50,747
May ........................     1,132     116,808     1,013     106,743       312      42,958
June .......................     1,156     124,955     1,044     115,491       356      45,280
July .......................     1,204     123,172     1,077     113,324       381      50,109
August .....................     1,278     136,289     1,117     125,064       376      60,524
September ..................     1,167     124,083     1,054     115,451       390      46,470
October ....................     1,195     121,439     1,081     112,777       401      53,597
November ...................     1,209     131,459     1,096     122,136       402      57,084
December ...................     1,201     133,311     1,100     124,019       369      51,113

             2007                                                                             

January ....................     1,261     129,190     1,116     118,890       406      55,341
February ...................     1,240     134,524     1,130     126,105       404      58,861
March ......................     1,261     129,480     1,151     120,923       407      52,356
April ......................     1,281     130,263     1,145     119,683       381      45,654
May ........................     1,200     119,259     1,097     111,585       368      48,682
June .......................     1,256     132,078     1,138     122,726       356      41,135
July .......................     1,288     131,556     1,182     123,322       405      53,318
August .....................     1,262     125,334     1,162     117,557       331      36,577
September ..................     1,279     125,527     1,183     118,917       440      54,006
October ....................     1,346     133,514     1,224     124,666       436      57,527
November ...................     1,352     143,419     1,233     134,445       408      56,330
December ...................     1,469     145,916     1,354     136,914       447      56,152

             2008                                                                             

January ....................     1,476     149,068     1,350     139,076       435      56,579
February ...................     1,669     183,038     1,532     172,013       526      67,235
March ......................     1,585     161,497     1,471     151,550       483      65,252
April ......................     1,344     135,352     1,215     125,074       487      63,247
May ........................     1,701     180,558     1,563     170,538       538      75,520
June .......................     1,717     174,748     1,561     162,071       555      79,744
July .......................     1,535     152,499     1,390     141,239       455      57,648
August .....................     1,887     188,951     1,735     178,479       626      80,913
September ..................     2,290     240,721     2,114     226,492       643      86,617
October ....................     2,204     230,330     2,042     216,095       687      92,256
November ...................     2,333     225,639     2,185     213,288       868     100,643
December ...................     2,275     226,117     2,100     212,559       871     105,402

             2009                                                                             

January ....................     2,227     237,902     2,070     225,490       738     102,577
February ...................     2,769     295,477     2,628     281,500     1,235     152,618
March ......................     2,933     299,388     2,751     283,989     1,259     155,909
April ......................     2,712     271,226     2,519     256,111     1,111     135,252
May ........................     2,933     312,880     2,736     296,108     1,331     165,802
June .......................     2,763     279,231     2,536     260,747     1,235     159,310
July .......................     2,157     206,791     1,928     185,718       621      72,266
August .....................     2,690     259,307     2,428     237,302       900      93,892
September ..................     2,561     248,006     2,324     229,371       856      97,066
October ....................     2,127     217,182     1,918     198,453       619      70,572
November ...................     1,797     165,346     1,636     153,297       481      56,243




Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, December 2005 to
November 2009, not seasonally adjusted

                                       Total           Private nonfarm         Manufacturing   
             Date                                                                              
                                           Initial               Initial               Initial 
                                Events    claimants   Events    claimants    Events   claimants
                                                                                              
             2005                                                                             

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
December ...................     3,377     351,305     3,232     340,220     1,378     172,529

             2009                                                                             

January ....................     3,806     388,813     3,633     375,293     1,461     172,757
February ...................     2,262     218,438     2,173     210,755       945     103,588
March ......................     2,191     228,387     2,107     221,397       940     114,747
April ......................     2,547     256,930     2,385     243,321       887     100,872
May ........................     2,738     289,628     2,572     274,047     1,005     123,683
June .......................     2,519     256,357     2,051     216,063       674      85,726
July .......................     3,054     336,654     2,659     296,589     1,133     154,208
August .....................     1,428     125,024     1,334     117,193       436      41,151
September ..................     1,371     123,177     1,258     115,141       448      51,126
October ....................     1,934     193,904     1,678     172,883       566      69,655
November ...................     1,870     164,496     1,679     150,751       517      55,053




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
                                                     2008      2009     2009      2009       2008       2009      2009       2009  
                                                                                                                                   
                Seasonally adjusted                                                                                                


      Total .....................................    2,333     2,561    2,127     1,797     225,639    248,006   217,182    165,346

  Total, private nonfarm ........................    2,185     2,324    1,918     1,636     213,288    229,371   198,453    153,297
    Manufacturing ...............................      868       856      619       481     100,643     97,066    70,572     56,243

              Not seasonally adjusted                                                                                              

      Total (1) .................................    2,574     1,371    1,934     1,870     241,589    123,177   193,904    164,496

Total, private ..................................    2,502     1,285    1,806     1,791     235,560    116,813   181,476    158,146
    Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ..      113        27      128       112       8,903      1,672     8,593      7,395

  Total, private nonfarm ........................    2,389     1,258    1,678     1,679     226,657    115,141   172,883    150,751
    Mining ......................................       22        10       15        22       2,004        918     1,038      1,551
    Utilities ...................................        3         6        6         3         332        448       550        206
    Construction ................................      382       167      205       308      29,775     10,637    15,258     23,902
    Manufacturing ...............................      997       448      566       517     107,620     51,126    69,655     55,053
        Food ....................................       71        50       91        61       7,123      5,044     8,999      6,631
        Beverage and tobacco products ...........        9         5       12         9         620        306     1,001        682
        Textile mills ...........................       19        12        9        12       2,558      1,197     1,407      1,337
        Textile product mills ...................       10      (2)         3       -           669      (2)         419       -   
        Apparel .................................       16         7        7        17       1,783        572       438      1,361
        Leather and allied products .............        3      (2)       -        (2)          270      (2)        -         (2)  
        Wood products ...........................       93        36       41        40       9,439      2,653     4,326      3,505
        Paper ...................................       28        15       14      (2)        2,645      1,287     1,216      (2)  
        Printing and related support activities .       14        10       17        10       1,527        828     1,337        888
        Petroleum and coal products .............       11       -          3        11         929       -          312        852

        Chemicals ...............................       20         9        8        13       2,042        540       533      1,239
        Plastics and rubber products ............       74        13       35        29       7,013      1,195     2,672      2,802
        Nonmetallic mineral products ............       55        12       16        30       4,937        763     1,172      2,514
        Primary metals ..........................       74        30       44        38       7,813      3,330     4,703      3,426
        Fabricated metal products ...............      104        44       49        36       8,905      3,856     4,702      2,764
        Machinery ...............................       62        63       51        44       9,019     12,389    10,892      5,080
        Computer and electronic products ........       40        28       29        25       3,592      1,986     2,169      2,788
        Electrical equipment and appliances .....       27        23       29        18       2,891      2,740     3,394      1,379
        Transportation equipment ................      190        53       72        86      25,042      7,331    17,069     13,806
        Furniture and related products ..........       55        22       22        19       6,716      3,481     1,865      2,407
        Miscellaneous manufacturing .............       22        11       14        11       2,087      1,117     1,029        931

    Wholesale trade .............................       65        32       50        33       4,779      2,422     4,645      2,389
    Retail trade ................................      155       139      124        99      13,429     13,094    12,914      7,083
    Transportation and warehousing ..............       99        47       61        83       7,749      4,807     5,541      6,651
    Information .................................       48        45       57        52       5,390      4,572     9,567      5,414
    Finance and insurance .......................       48        43       49        33       3,591      3,308     3,716      2,691
    Real estate and rental and leasing ..........       18      (2)        13        13       1,084      (2)         870        963
    Professional and technical services .........       66        31       57        55       6,695      1,998     5,974      4,651
    Management of companies and enterprises .....       10         5        6         3         656        495       812        290
    Administrative and waste services ...........      280       142      260       220      26,341     11,525    25,694     18,219
    Educational services ........................        5         7        3         6         365        371       226        453
    Health care and social assistance ...........       33        23       37        38       2,775      1,573     2,165      2,886
    Arts, entertainment, and recreation .........       33        29       34        45       2,642      2,209     2,435      3,705
    Accommodation and food services .............      115        73      126       129      10,682      4,981    11,346     13,264
    Other services, except public administration        10         7        9        20         748        409       477      1,380
    Unclassified ................................      -        (2)       -         -          -         (2)        -          -   

Government ......................................       72        86      128        79       6,029      6,364    12,428      6,350
    Federal .....................................       11         8       28        12         860        603     2,550      1,155
    State .......................................       21        28       32        25       1,797      2,082     3,433      2,213
    Local .......................................       40        50       68        42       3,372      3,679     6,445      2,982
                                                                                                                                   

    1 Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.   
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.   




Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, October 2007 to November 2009, 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
             2007                                                                                                                 

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         347,151             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         259,292             35.9       70.5

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         339,630             44.7       82.2

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         1,581         304,340             37.4       68.9

October ....................    2,125      221,784     1,917     205,553                                                          
November ...................    2,574      241,589     2,389     226,657                                                          
December ...................    3,377      351,305     3,232     340,220                                                          

Fourth Quarter .............    8,076      814,678     7,538     772,430         3,582         766,592             47.5       99.2

             2009                                                                                                                 

January ....................    3,806      388,813     3,633     375,293                                                          
February ...................    2,262      218,438     2,173     210,755                                                          
March ......................    2,191      228,387     2,107     221,397                                                          

First Quarter ..............    8,259      835,638     7,913     807,445         3,979         835,017             50.3      103.4

April ......................    2,547      256,930     2,385     243,321                                                          
May ........................    2,738      289,628     2,572     274,047                                                          
June .......................    2,519      256,357     2,051     216,063                                                          

Second Quarter .............    7,804      802,915     7,008     733,431         3,396         727,494             48.5       99.2

July .......................    3,054      336,654     2,659     296,589                                                          
August .....................    1,428      125,024     1,334     117,193                                                          
September ..................    1,371      123,177     1,258     115,141                                                          

Third Quarter ..............    5,853      584,855     5,251     528,923   (2)(p)1,776   (2)(p)266,938          (p)33.8    (p)50.5

October ....................    1,934      193,904     1,678     172,883                                                          
November ...................    1,870      164,496     1,679     150,751                                                          


   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
                                   2008      2009      2009      2009       2008       2009        2009       2009  
                                                                                                                    
        United States (1) ...      2,574     1,371     1,934     1,870     241,589    123,177     193,904    164,496
        
Northeast ...................        314       233       260       285      28,791     18,617      22,709     26,974
    New England .............         40        29        30        40       3,505      2,762       2,134      3,750
    Middle Atlantic .........        274       204       230       245      25,286     15,855      20,575     23,224

South .......................        616       334       499       413      56,608     28,943      45,772     37,708
    South Atlantic ..........        304       182       279       207      25,648     14,927      23,144     19,029
    East South Central ......        196        71        87        83      19,725      6,844       9,545      6,656
    West South Central ......        116        81       133       123      11,235      7,172      13,083     12,023

Midwest .....................        824       309       483       530      85,730     38,137      60,792     51,989
    East North Central ......        645       240       375       382      65,287     30,304      49,277     39,265
    West North Central ......        179        69       108       148      20,443      7,833      11,515     12,724

West ........................        820       495       692       642      70,460     37,480      64,631     47,825
    Mountain ................        126        53       103        98      11,050      3,924       9,020      9,393
    Pacific .................        694       442       589       544      59,410     33,556      55,611     38,432
                                                                                                                    
 
   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                                                                                                      
                           November     September   October   November    November     September    October   November
                             2008         2009       2009       2009        2008         2009        2009       2009  
                                 
   Total (1) ............    2,574        1,371      1,934      1,870      241,589      123,177     193,904    164,496
                                                                                                                      
Alabama .................       48           22         27         16        5,289        2,044       3,179      1,266
Alaska ..................     (2)             7          8          3        (2)            849         755        361
Arizona .................       20            7         20          9        1,603          463       1,666        709
Arkansas ................       21         (2)          17          9        2,026        (2)         1,954        973
California ..............      580          395        514        472       47,690       28,797      48,169     31,922
Colorado ................       15           14         19         14        1,162        1,036       1,554      1,064
Connecticut .............        3            4          9          5          186          323         671        424
Delaware ................        6         (2)           3          6          415        (2)           251        347
District of Columbia ....     (2)           -         (2)        (2)         (2)           -          (2)        (2)  
Florida .................      151           91        167         86       10,582        5,975      11,851      6,010
Georgia .................       51           35         39         26        4,970        2,817       3,880      3,225
Hawaii ..................        9            6          7          7          641          465         630        488
Idaho ...................       27            4         10         19        2,298          306       1,088      2,071

Illinois ................      126           71         93        101       11,564       10,743      12,917     10,794
Indiana .................      111           21         37         43       13,420        2,895       4,759      4,323
Iowa ....................       49           18         35         25        8,213        2,384       4,732      2,648
Kansas ..................       14           15         13          8        1,321        2,880       1,562        741
Kentucky ................       78           32         36         41        9,210        3,394       4,656      3,649
Louisiana ...............       13           10         24         35        1,093          887       2,169      2,795
Maine ...................        4            3          3          6          451          268         177        674
Maryland ................        7            7          6          6          828          463         479        486
Massachusetts ...........       18           12          9         11        1,459          985         596        803
Michigan ................      157           40         70         78       14,657        6,167       9,543      8,549
Minnesota ...............       60           15         24         55        5,442        1,122       1,985      4,905
Mississippi .............       34            5         10          9        2,736          323         602        512
Missouri ................       44           16         31         48        3,087        1,018       2,556      3,195

Montana .................       11            3         11         10        1,226          227       1,062        758
Nebraska ................        4            3          4          6          450          210         559        611
Nevada ..................       33           15         19         33        2,992        1,201       1,361      3,891
New Hampshire ...........        4         (2)           3          4          311        (2)           263        279
New Jersey ..............       46           31         37         52        5,665        2,844       2,850      5,277
New Mexico ..............        9            7         11          7          554          487         761        476
New York ................       79           58         68         75        7,366        4,424       6,961      6,281
North Carolina ..........       34            8         19         30        3,410          918       1,672      4,273
North Dakota ............        5         (2)        (2)           5        1,631        (2)         (2)          557
Ohio ....................      120           47         75         59       11,680        4,745      10,569      5,233
Oklahoma ................       18            4          7         10        1,708          401         582      1,438
Oregon ..................       60           15         35         35        7,259        1,402       3,936      3,464
Pennsylvania ............      149          115        125        118       12,255        8,587      10,764     11,666

Rhode Island ............      -              3       (2)           3         -             260       (2)          297
South Carolina ..........       36           18         19         20        3,916        2,831       2,692      1,456
South Dakota ............        3          -          -         (2)           299         -           -         (2)  
Tennessee ...............       36           12         14         17        2,490        1,083       1,108      1,229
Texas ...................       64           65         85         69        6,408        5,715       8,378      6,817
Utah ....................       10            3          9          4        1,161          204       1,058        256
Vermont .................       11            5          3         11        1,098          507         254      1,273
Virginia ................       16           22         22         31        1,316        1,868       1,955      3,021
Washington ..............       44           19         25         27        3,724        2,043       2,121      2,197
West Virginia ...........     (2)           -            3       (2)         (2)           -            250      (2)  
Wisconsin ...............      131           61        100        101       13,966        5,754      11,489     10,366
Wyoming .................     (2)           -            4       (2)         (2)           -            470      (2)  

Puerto Rico .............       14           17         12         22        1,686        1,563       1,079      2,177

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




Last Modified Date: December 22, 2009