For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, February 10, 2012 USDL-12-0217
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 * mlsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS -- FOURTH QUARTER 2011
ANNUAL TOTALS -- 2011
Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 1,638 mass layoff
events in the fourth quarter of 2011 that resulted in the separation
of 266,971 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the year, total
extended mass layoff events and associated worker separations were
down from 1,999 and 338,643, respectively. Total events and
separations reached their lowest fourth quarter levels since 2005,
while manufacturing sector events and separations declined to their
lowest fourth quarter levels in program history. (See table A.) Fourth
quarter 2011 layoff data are preliminary and are subject to revision.
(See the Technical Note.)
Permanent worksite closures accounted for only 5 percent of extended
mass layoff events in the fourth quarter of 2011, the lowest proportion
of events due to closure for any quarter in program history (with data
available back to 1995). Sixty-four percent of private nonfarm
employers indicated they anticipated some type of worker recall--the
highest percentage in six years.
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
Over the year ending in the fourth quarter of 2011, the number of
private nonfarm extended mass layoff events declined in 13 of the 18
major industry sectors. The construction and the accommodation and
food services sectors experienced the largest declines in the numbers
of worker separations over the year. Fourteen of the 21 manufacturing
subsectors experienced over-the-year decreases in the number of layoff
events. (See table 1.)
Events and separations in the manufacturing sector declined to their
lowest fourth quarter levels in program history. Fifty-three percent
of manufacturing employers with an extended mass layoff event in the
fourth quarter of 2011 anticipated recalling at least some of the
displaced workers.
Table A. Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity
Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants
2007
January-March .......... 1,110 225,600 199,250
April-June.............. 1,421 278,719 259,234
July-September ......... 1,018 160,024 173,077
October-December ....... 1,814 301,592 347,151
2008
January-March .......... 1,340 230,098 259,292
April-June ............. 1,756 354,713 339,630
July-September ......... 1,581 290,453 304,340
October-December ....... 3,582 641,714 766,780
2009
January-March .......... 3,979 705,141 835,551
April-June ............. 3,395 651,318 731,049
July-September ......... 2,034 345,531 406,823
October-December ....... 2,416 406,212 468,577
2010
January-March .......... 1,870 314,512 368,664
April-June ............. 2,008 381,622 396,441
July-September ......... 1,370 222,357 260,077
October-December(r) .... 1,999 338,643 390,584
2011
January-March(r) ....... 1,490 225,456 258,220
April-June(r) .......... 1,810 317,546 342,529
July-September(r) ...... 1,393 235,247 289,330
October-December(p) .... 1,638 266,971 249,692
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
The construction sector had 528 extended mass layoff events and 66,110
separations, primarily due to the ending of seasonal work. This sector
accounted for 32 percent of the layoff events and 25 percent of the
related separations in the fourth quarter of 2011. In these events, 84
percent of the employers anticipated recalling at least some of the
displaced workers.
Reasons for Extended Layoffs
Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 44
percent of the events and 42 percent of related separations in the
private nonfarm sector during the fourth quarter of 2011. Business
demand factors, primarily as a result of contract completion, accounted
for 34 percent of extended mass layoff events and 35 percent of related
separations during the quarter. Over the year, the largest decrease in
worker separations occurred in layoffs attributed to seasonal factors.
(See table 2.)
Movement of Work
In the fourth quarter of 2011, 33 extended mass layoffs involved
movement of work and were associated with 5,910 worker separations, a
series low for both figures in any quarter (with data available back
to 2004).
Sixty-four percent of the events related to movement of work were from
manufacturing industries. Employers cited organizational changes as
the economic reason for layoff in 48 percent of the events involving
movement of work. Among workers affected by the movement of work, the
largest proportions were in the Midwest and West. (See tables 6-9.)
The 33 events with movement of work for the fourth quarter involved 53
identifiable relocations of work actions. (See table 9.) Employers
were able to provide information on the specific number of worker
separations for 23 of these actions. Among these actions, 78 percent
were domestic reassignments, and 87 percent involved work moving
within the same company. (See table 10.)
Table B. Metropolitan areas with the largest number of initial claimants associated
with extended mass layoff events in the fourth quarter 2011, by residency of claimants
2010 IV (r) 2011 IV (p)
Metropolitan area Initial Initial
claimants Rank claimants Rank
Total, 372 metropolitan areas ...... 308,431 ... 195,619 ...
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. .... 38,825 1 36,296 1
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. ... 17,640 3 11,927 2
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long
Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. ................... 18,235 2 9,399 3
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. .... 9,945 4 6,204 4
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif. ....... 9,768 5 6,037 5
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. ....... 6,525 6 3,935 6
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington,
Minn.-Wis. .............................. 3,183 18 3,167 7
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, Calif. . 5,710 8 2,928 8
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. ...... 3,575 15 2,877 9
Modesto, Calif. ............................. 3,653 14 2,538 10
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: The geographic boundaries of the metropolitan areas shown in this table are
defined in Office of Management and Budget Bulletin 10-02, December 1, 2009.
Recall Expectations
Sixty-four percent of the private nonfarm employers reporting an
extended mass layoff in the fourth quarter of 2011 indicated they
anticipated some type of recall--the highest fourth quarter percentage
since 2005. Of those employers expecting to recall workers, 32 percent
indicated the offer would be extended to all displaced employees, and
77 percent of employers anticipated extending the offer to at least
half of the workers. Among employers expecting to recall laid-off
workers, 73 percent intend to do so within 6 months. Excluding
extended mass layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period,
in which 94 percent of the employers expected a recall, employers
anticipated recalling laid-off workers in 40 percent of the events.
(See table 11.)
Size of Extended Layoffs
The average size of a layoff (as measured by the number of separations
per layoff event) was 163 workers during the fourth quarter of 2011.
(See table 12.) Events were largely concentrated at the lower end of
the extended layoff-size spectrum, with over two-thirds involving
fewer than 150 workers. Conversely, only 4 percent of layoff events
involved 500 or more workers. (See table 13.)
Table C. Selected measures of mass layoff activity, 1996-2011
Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants
1996 ................ 4,760 948,122 805,810
1997 ................ 4,671 947,843 879,831
1998 ................ 4,859 991,245 1,056,462
1999 ................ 4,556 901,451 796,917
2000 ................ 4,591 915,962 846,267
2001 ................ 7,375 1,524,832 1,457,512
2002 ................ 6,337 1,272,331 1,218,143
2003 ................ 6,181 1,216,886 1,200,811
2004 ................ 5,010 993,909 903,079
2005 ................ 4,881 884,661 834,533
2006 ................ 4,885 935,969 951,155
2007 ................ 5,363 965,935 978,712
2008 ................ 8,259 1,516,978 1,670,042
2009 ................ 11,824 2,108,202 2,442,000
2010(r) ............. 7,247 1,257,134 1,415,766
2011(p) ............. 6,331 1,045,220 1,139,771
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
Initial Claimant Characteristics
A total of 249,692 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were
associated with extended mass layoffs in the fourth quarter. Of these
claimants, 11 percent were black, 20 percent were Hispanic, 30 percent
were women, and 19 percent were 55 years of age or older. (See table
3.) In the entire civilian labor force for the same period, 12 percent
of all persons were black, 15 percent were Hispanic, 47 percent were
women, and 20 percent were 55 years of age or older.
Geographic Distribution
Among the four census regions, the West recorded the highest number of
separations due to extended mass layoff events in the fourth quarter
of 2011. Among the nine census divisions, the highest number of
displaced workers was in the Pacific. All regions and 8 of the 9
divisions registered fewer laid-off workers compared with the fourth
quarter of 2010. (See table 4.)
California recorded the largest number of worker separations in the
fourth quarter of 2011, followed by Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and
Minnesota. Over the year, 36 states reported decreased numbers of
separated workers associated with extended mass layoff events during
the fourth quarter, led by Wisconsin, New Jersey, and New York. (See
table 5.)
Seventy-eight percent of the initial claimants for unemployment
insurance associated with extended mass layoff events in the fourth
quarter of 2011 resided within metropolitan areas. Among the 372
metropolitan areas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif., reported
the highest number of resident initial claimants. (See table B.)
Review of 2011
For all of 2011, employers reported 6,331 extended mass layoff
actions, affecting 1,045,220 workers. Compared to 2010, the number of
events decreased by 13 percent and the number of separations decreased
by 17 percent. (See table C.) Permanent worksite closures accounted
for 8 percent of extended mass layoff events in 2011, the lowest
proportion of events due to closure in program history (with annual
data available back to 1996). The annual average national unemployment
rate decreased from 9.6 percent in 2010 to 8.9 percent in 2011, and
private nonfarm payroll employment increased by 1.7 percent, or
1,869,000.
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
In the private nonfarm economy, manufacturing had the largest number
of separations, despite reaching a program low in 2011. Construction
had the next highest number of separations, followed by administrative
and waste services.
Reasons for Extended Layoffs
Among the seven categories of economic reasons for layoff, layoffs due
to business demand factors accounted for the largest number of events
during 2011, largely due to contract completion. Layoffs attributed to
this reason occurred primarily in construction and in administrative
and waste services, which includes temporary help services.
Movement of Work
In 2011, 163 extended mass layoffs involved movement of work and were
associated with 30,532 separated workers. Both measures reached
program lows (with annual data available back to 2004). Fifty-five
percent of events related to movement of work were from manufacturing
industries. Employers cited organizational issues in 41 percent of the
layoffs involving the movement of work, the highest among the reason
categories.
The 163 extended layoff events with movement of work for 2011 involved
230 identifiable relocations of work actions. Employers were able to
provide more complete separations information for 113 of the actions.
Of these, 82 percent involved work moving within the same company, and
77 percent were domestic reassignments.
Recall Expectations
Fifty-five percent of employers reporting an extended mass layoff in
2011 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, up from 50
percent in 2010. Of those employers expecting to recall workers, 34
percent indicated that the offer would be extended to all displaced
employees, and 69 percent intended to do so within 6 months. Excluding
events due to seasonal work and vacation period, employers anticipated
recalling laid-off workers in just 34 percent of the events.
Size of Extended Layoffs
In 2011, the average size of a layoff (as measured by separations per
layoff event) was 165, registering the smallest average size for a
calendar year in program history. Extended mass layoffs involving 500
or more workers accounted for only 5 percent of events in 2011 but
resulted in 26 percent of all separations.
Initial Claimant Characteristics
A total of 1,139,771 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were
associated with extended mass layoffs in 2011. Of these claimants, 15
percent were black, 20 percent were Hispanic, 41 percent were women,
and 20 percent were 55 years of age or older. Among persons in the
civilian labor force for the same period, 12 percent were black, 15
percent were Hispanic, 47 percent were women, and 20 percent were 55
years of age or older.
Geographic Distribution
Compared to 2010, all census regions, divisions, and 36 states
reported decreased numbers of laid-off workers in 2011. Among the
states, the largest decreases were reported by California, New York,
and Florida.
Among the 372 metropolitan areas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana,
Calif., reported the highest number of resident initial claimants
associated with extended mass layoff events in 2011, followed by New
York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa., and Chicago-Joliet-
Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis.
Note
The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs cover layoffs of at
least 31-days duration that involve 50 or more individuals from a
single employer filing initial claims for unemployment insurance
during a consecutive 5-week period. Approximately 30 days after a mass
layoff is triggered, the employer is contacted for additional
information. Data for the current quarter are preliminary and subject
to revision. This release also includes revised data for previous
quarters. Data are not seasonally adjusted, but survey data suggest
that there is a seasonal pattern to layoffs. Thus, comparisons between
consecutive quarters should not be used as an indicator of trend. For
additional information about the program, see the Technical Note.
________________
The Mass Layoffs news release for January 2012 is scheduled to be
released on Thursday, February 23, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The
Extended Mass Layoffs news release for the First Quarter of 2012 is
scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
__________________________________________________________________
| |
| Upcoming Changes to Mass Layoff Data |
| |
| With the release of January 2012 data on February 23, 2012, |
| the Mass Layoff Statistics program will update the basis for |
| industry classification from the 2007 North American |
| Industry Classification System (NAICS) to the 2012 NAICS. |
| The new conversion reflects definitional changes within the |
| utilities, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and |
| retail trade sectors. Several industry titles and |
| descriptions will also be updated. For more information on |
| the 2012 NAICS update, visit |
| www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html. |
| |
|__________________________________________________________________|
Technical Note
The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program which
identifies, describes, and tracks the effects of major job cutbacks, using
data from each state's unemployment insurance database. Employers which have
at least 50 initial claims filed against them during a consecutive 5-week per-
iod are contacted by the state agency to determine whether these separations
are of at least 31 days duration, and, if so, information is obtained on the
total number of persons separated and the reasons for these separations. Em-
ployers are identified according to industry classification and location, and
unemployment insurance claimants are identified by such demographic factors as
age, race, gender, ethnic group, and place of residence. The program yields
information on an individual's entire spell of unemployment, to the point when
regular unemployment insurance benefits are exhausted.
Definitions
Domestic relocation. A movement of work from an establishment within the
U.S. to a location also inside the U.S., either within the same company or to
a different company altogether (domestic outsourcing).
Employer. A firm covered by state unemployment insurance laws. Information
on employers is obtained from the Quarterly Census ofEmployment and Wages (QCEW)
program, which is administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Extended mass layoff event. A layoff defined by the filing of 50 or more
initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits from an employer during a
5-week period, with at least 50 workers separated for more than 30 days. Such
layoffs involve both persons subject to recall and those who are terminated.
Initial claimant. A person who files any notice of unemployment to initiate
a request either for a determination of entitlement to and eligibility for com-
pensation, or for a subsequent period of unemployment within a benefit year or
period of eligibility.
Movement of work. The reassignment of work activities previously performed
at the worksite by the company experiencing the layoff (1) to another worksite
within the company; (2) to another company under formal contractual arrange-
ments at the same worksite; or (3) to another company under formal contractual
arrangements at another worksite either within or outside of the U.S.
Outsourcing. A movement of work that was formerly conducted inhouse by em-
ployees paid directly by a company to a different company under a contractual
arrangement.
Overseas relocation. A movement of work from an establishment within the
U.S. to a location outside of the U.S. (offshoring), either within the same
company or to a different company altogether (offshore outsourcing).
Relocation of work action. A movement-of-work action where the employer
provides information on the new location of work and/or the number of workers
affected by the movement. Events may involve more than one action per employer
if work is moved to more than one location.
Separations. The number of individuals who have become displaced during an
extended mass layoff event as provided by the employer, regardless of whether
they file for unemployment insurance or not.
Worksite closure. The complete closure of an employer or the partial closure
of an employer with multiple locations where entire worksites affected by layoffs
are closed.
Revisions to preliminary data
The latest quarterly data in this news release are considered preliminary.
After the initial publication of quarterly information, more data are collected
as remaining employer interviews for the quarter are completed and additional
initial claimant information associated with extended layoff events is received.
Movement of work concepts and questions
Beginning in 2004, the economic reasons "domestic relocation" and "overseas
relocation" were replaced by the movement of work concept. The movement of work
data are not collected in the same way as the relocation reasons in releases prior
to 2004; therefore, the movement of work data are not comparable to the data for
those discontinued reasons.
Questions on movement of work and location are asked for all layoff events when
the reason for separation is other than "seasonal work" or "vacation period," as
these are unlikely. Movement of work questions are asked after the analyst veri-
fies that a layoff in fact occurred and lasted more than 30 days. If the reason
for layoff is other than seasonal or vacation, the employer was asked the following:
(1) "Did this layoff include your company moving work from this location(s)
to a different geographic location(s) within your company?"
(2) "Did this layoff include your company moving work that was performed in-
house by your employees to a different company, through contractual arrangements?"
A "yes" response to either question is followed by:
"Is the location inside or outside of the U.S.?" and "How many of the layoffs
were a result of this relocation?"
Layoff actions are classified as "domestic relocation" if the employer responds
"yes" to questions 1 and/or 2 and indicates the location(s) was inside the U.S.;
"overseas relocation" indicates that the location(s) was outside the U.S.
Reliability of the data
The identification of employers and layoff events in the MLS program and asso-
ciated characteristics of claimants is based on administrative data on covered
employers and unemployment insurance claims, and, therefore, is not subject to
issues associated with sampling error. Nonsampling errors such as typographical
errors may occur but are not likely to be significant. While the MLS employers
and layoff events are not subject to sampling error, and all such employers are
asked the interview questions, the employer responses are subject to nonsampling
error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the inability to
obtain information for all respondents, inability or unwillingness of respondents
to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing
of the data. For the fourth quarter of 2011, outright refusal to participate in
the employer interview accounted for 3.3 percent of all private nonfarm events.
Although included in the total number of instances involving the movement of work,
employers in 30 relocations were unable to provide the number of separations
specifically associated with the movement of work, 10 of which involved
out-of-country moves.
Additional information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired in-
dividuals upon request. Voice phone: (202)691-5200; Federal Relay Service:
(800) 877-8339.
Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Industry
IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm(1) .................. 1,999 1,393 1,638 338,643 235,247 266,971 390,584 289,330 249,692
Mining ....................................... 31 (2) 21 3,723 (2) 2,710 4,491 (2) 2,664
Utilities .................................... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Construction ................................. 685 216 528 89,037 27,496 66,110 108,428 33,806 63,335
Manufacturing ................................ 382 262 320 66,428 45,380 53,843 77,401 49,956 48,727
Food .................................... 86 70 83 22,752 14,718 16,842 19,628 14,830 14,947
Beverage and tobacco products ........... 12 9 9 1,830 1,353 812 2,239 1,964 918
Textile mills ........................... 3 4 8 759 541 1,691 1,031 2,458 1,954
Textile product mills ................... (2) 3 3 (2) 368 577 (2) 441 608
Apparel ................................. 12 5 6 2,245 1,246 943 2,617 1,611 1,100
Leather and allied products ............. (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Wood products ........................... 18 9 12 2,181 1,392 2,163 4,708 1,268 2,118
Paper ................................... 10 4 14 1,434 682 3,004 1,312 518 1,826
Printing and related support activities . 11 11 9 2,090 1,089 870 1,991 1,401 1,125
Petroleum and coal products ............. 17 - 13 2,463 - 1,603 2,805 - 1,844
Chemicals ............................... 5 9 5 464 889 549 531 1,008 540
Plastics and rubber products ............ 14 9 9 1,697 2,678 1,940 1,922 1,299 1,830
Nonmetallic mineral products ............ 50 6 39 6,367 811 5,427 7,452 717 4,505
Primary metals .......................... 13 4 10 2,125 804 1,216 2,125 498 1,147
Fabricated metal products ............... 19 8 16 2,858 1,341 1,737 3,601 1,471 1,795
Machinery ............................... 18 16 15 3,023 2,594 3,324 4,800 3,677 2,734
Computer and electronic products ........ 15 15 22 2,029 2,617 4,095 2,524 2,380 2,251
Electrical equipment and appliances ..... 6 11 (2) 1,138 2,445 (2) 2,441 2,483 (2)
Transportation equipment ................ 51 49 26 8,062 7,531 4,772 11,590 9,726 5,005
Furniture and related products .......... 8 12 7 1,246 1,461 588 1,689 1,441 654
Miscellaneous manufacturing ............. 10 8 10 1,272 820 1,067 1,227 765 1,058
Wholesale trade .............................. 33 25 22 3,769 2,951 3,177 4,092 2,832 2,384
Retail trade ................................. 88 70 67 22,420 18,136 12,188 26,413 15,050 10,528
Transportation and warehousing ............... 52 101 31 9,352 13,476 4,473 12,921 14,573 3,138
Information .................................. 55 98 64 15,753 23,669 19,942 26,220 42,811 24,433
Finance and insurance ........................ 50 43 31 9,827 8,085 6,238 9,831 9,467 5,649
Real estate and rental and leasing ........... 15 7 10 1,740 904 1,784 1,812 1,686 1,785
Professional and technical services .......... 69 72 83 11,295 11,799 15,680 14,611 16,190 15,996
Management of companies and enterprises ...... (2) 6 (2) (2) 510 (2) (2) 1,260 (2)
Administrative and waste services ............ 230 221 241 40,868 44,278 42,810 50,010 63,517 39,907
Educational services ......................... 9 22 10 2,655 2,666 771 1,457 2,810 1,050
Health care and social assistance ............ 48 95 35 6,478 9,305 5,748 6,888 9,306 4,494
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .......... 59 45 61 12,372 8,309 10,027 8,913 7,698 7,644
Accommodation and food services .............. 161 85 95 38,800 15,860 18,387 31,830 15,486 14,893
Other services, except public administration . 22 21 15 2,794 2,034 2,097 3,471 2,378 2,252
Unclassified ................................. - 1 - - 114 - - 114 -
1 For the fourth quarter of 2011, data on layoffs were reported by employers in all states and the District of Columbia.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 2. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Reason for layoff
IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ..... 1,999 1,393 1,638 338,643 235,247 266,971 390,584 289,330 249,692
Business demand ................... 661 629 558 100,547 103,741 94,170 144,801 157,352 100,383
Contract cancellation ........... 24 36 (2) 4,174 5,138 (2) 5,800 5,916 (2)
Contract completion ............. 377 419 380 62,433 75,760 72,446 91,477 121,177 76,196
Domestic competition ............ (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Excess inventory/saturated
market ........................ - 4 (2) - 2,105 (2) - 642 (2)
Import competition .............. (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Slack work/insufficient demand/
non-seasonal/business slowdown 255 166 164 33,262 20,349 20,243 46,872 28,840 22,347
Organizational changes ............ 79 76 59 17,864 12,258 11,770 16,707 12,288 8,799
Business-ownership change ....... 18 18 16 9,311 2,309 3,458 2,973 1,395 2,452
Reorganization or restructuring
of company .................... 61 58 43 8,553 9,949 8,312 13,734 10,893 6,347
Financial issues .................. 110 102 62 15,995 19,232 11,398 17,304 17,855 7,784
Bankruptcy ...................... 14 21 16 3,505 7,544 4,550 1,870 5,050 2,022
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase profitability ........ 65 44 28 7,445 6,572 4,484 11,177 7,707 3,561
Financial difficulty ............ 31 37 18 5,045 5,116 2,364 4,257 5,098 2,201
Production specific ............... 10 17 (2) 1,422 2,074 (2) 2,517 2,363 (2)
Automation/technological
advances ...................... (2) 3 (2) (2) 253 (2) (2) 294 (2)
Energy related .................. (2) - - (2) - - (2) - -
Governmental regulations/
intervention .................. 4 (2) (2) 629 (2) (2) 660 (2) (2)
Labor dispute/contract
negotiations/strike ........... (2) 4 (2) (2) 731 (2) (2) 704 (2)
Material or supply shortage ..... - (2) - - (2) - - (2) -
Model changeover ................ - 4 4 - 467 820 - 618 437
Plant or machine repair/
maintenance ................... (2) 3 (2) (2) 390 (2) (2) 504 (2)
Product line discontinued ....... (2) - 6 (2) - 1,654 (2) - 1,119
Disaster/safety ................... 5 9 (2) 521 1,251 (2) 512 1,127 (2)
Hazardous work environment ...... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Natural disaster (not weather
related) ...................... - (2) - - (2) - - (2) -
Non-natural disaster ............ (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Extreme weather-related event ... - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Seasonal .......................... 826 303 721 137,478 50,093 112,248 143,179 51,989 96,526
Seasonal ........................ 819 185 716 136,837 37,153 111,605 142,263 37,963 95,203
Vacation period-school related
or otherwise .................. 7 118 5 641 12,940 643 916 14,026 1,323
Other/miscellaneous ............... 308 257 219 64,816 46,598 31,186 65,564 46,356 32,239
Other ........................... 19 23 19 2,565 3,812 2,377 3,116 3,549 3,489
Data not provided: refusal ...... 82 54 55 19,083 13,819 8,802 19,081 13,827 8,706
Data not provided: does not
know .......................... 207 180 145 43,168 28,967 20,007 43,367 28,980 20,044
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, third and fourth quarters, 2011
Total Percent of total
initial Hispanic Persons age 55
Layoff events claimants Black origin Women and over
State
III IV III IV III IV III IV III IV III IV
2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm (1) . 1,393 1,638 289,330 249,692 14.6 10.9 23.0 20.3 39.7 30.2 18.6 18.6
Alabama ........................ 6 4 1,817 680 41.0 33.7 1.2 2.2 41.4 36.2 13.6 20.9
Alaska ......................... 6 13 2,150 2,228 8.5 5.4 17.6 12.3 33.1 23.6 22.6 20.5
Arizona ........................ 9 11 1,346 1,631 7.7 10.3 32.7 25.5 58.5 49.6 18.7 14.7
Arkansas ....................... 10 9 1,729 1,755 18.1 36.0 5.8 8.5 45.5 47.1 21.9 17.6
California ..................... 548 412 142,733 79,665 8.2 6.6 34.5 35.2 38.5 37.3 15.6 17.1
Colorado ....................... 9 16 1,163 1,840 4.0 3.5 24.8 46.6 47.1 12.3 15.7 22.5
Connecticut .................... 6 3 623 349 22.3 12.9 16.5 29.8 58.4 44.1 20.9 29.2
Delaware ....................... 3 3 843 340 43.4 20.9 11.3 9.4 35.3 35.9 12.7 26.2
District of Columbia ........... (2) 3 (2) 380 80.6 73.2 1.3 7.9 64.8 49.7 7.5 15.0
Florida ........................ 44 32 7,539 3,748 19.8 22.1 26.7 26.0 38.0 39.5 23.8 23.4
Georgia ........................ 26 33 5,779 5,245 45.6 44.0 5.3 4.3 45.9 35.9 19.8 17.6
Hawaii ......................... - 4 - 560 - 1.8 - 9.8 - 40.7 - 15.2
Idaho .......................... 4 13 424 1,730 .2 .2 13.7 12.2 43.4 24.5 16.7 21.1
Illinois ....................... 66 157 14,384 20,296 20.9 11.8 13.1 22.7 32.9 23.8 17.5 15.9
Indiana ........................ 19 27 5,662 4,499 11.1 6.9 3.4 4.8 25.5 17.3 18.5 15.8
Iowa ........................... 5 10 745 2,092 10.7 3.4 2.7 8.8 37.0 19.3 15.2 23.8
Kansas ......................... 7 9 813 1,101 17.6 9.8 4.2 8.3 52.8 25.8 26.4 19.2
Kentucky ....................... 19 30 2,235 2,883 18.9 7.2 .1 .1 42.7 16.8 16.1 19.3
Louisiana ...................... 17 22 2,614 2,890 41.1 41.5 4.9 4.7 33.6 22.8 23.5 25.6
Maine .......................... (2) 8 (2) 1,035 1.4 .8 - .2 58.3 23.6 36.0 25.7
Maryland ....................... 16 (2) 3,020 (2) 50.4 54.4 2.1 2.6 54.4 43.9 18.8 30.3
Massachusetts .................. 17 17 1,986 2,115 12.7 10.4 .4 1.2 60.9 46.1 24.0 22.1
Michigan ....................... 26 55 5,625 7,220 11.3 9.4 1.9 10.2 38.2 23.1 16.8 15.8
Minnesota ...................... 14 68 1,993 8,545 10.1 4.2 2.6 8.0 24.6 15.2 21.0 19.5
Mississippi .................... 12 9 1,364 772 72.9 54.9 3.0 4.3 44.7 29.7 15.6 14.5
Missouri ....................... 22 29 3,449 3,518 29.3 12.5 1.3 1.5 59.1 32.2 27.8 21.9
Montana ........................ (2) 12 (2) 1,192 1.7 .3 4.2 3.9 25.3 13.8 10.1 22.4
Nebraska ....................... 4 8 358 829 13.4 3.9 7.3 16.6 51.4 17.4 29.6 24.8
Nevada ......................... 8 4 1,804 601 7.3 12.1 20.5 24.3 23.8 51.2 22.8 38.3
New Hampshire .................. 3 (2) 243 (2) 1.2 .7 4.5 .7 63.4 7.6 34.2 31.4
New Jersey ..................... 67 26 9,637 2,993 23.0 13.4 11.1 11.8 55.3 27.6 29.0 19.9
New Mexico ..................... 12 7 1,356 727 1.6 1.8 45.1 67.5 39.4 33.6 16.9 18.8
New York ....................... 120 114 19,424 15,449 15.4 10.7 18.2 14.1 44.6 31.2 20.3 21.3
North Carolina ................. 24 25 5,510 2,795 39.9 33.0 9.9 8.1 37.0 35.8 21.4 18.6
North Dakota ................... - 10 - 963 - .6 - 4.0 - 7.2 - 22.7
Ohio ........................... 36 92 5,450 11,888 8.7 10.6 2.4 4.2 21.4 18.8 19.6 17.6
Oklahoma ....................... (2) 7 (2) 733 14.2 5.6 2.7 5.9 21.7 28.5 34.5 17.3
Oregon ......................... 14 24 2,368 6,566 1.7 1.4 22.6 27.2 58.4 37.5 24.2 19.5
Pennsylvania ................... 61 74 9,641 10,487 9.3 8.4 4.0 3.7 39.9 21.8 27.9 21.1
Rhode Island ................... (2) 3 (2) 208 5.8 4.8 69.6 10.6 84.1 37.5 7.2 25.0
South Carolina ................. 12 5 1,645 1,066 49.9 71.7 6.3 7.8 53.4 43.6 26.3 11.1
South Dakota ................... - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tennessee ...................... 19 26 4,777 2,556 45.3 12.7 .1 .2 53.6 31.8 29.5 30.0
Texas .......................... 25 34 4,912 7,343 24.2 15.8 39.3 38.3 30.7 34.7 13.6 20.5
Utah ........................... 3 12 279 1,579 .7 1.3 6.8 15.5 50.2 10.8 12.9 14.6
Vermont ........................ 5 (2) 669 (2) .7 1.8 .3 .8 46.6 62.0 25.7 25.0
Virginia ....................... 11 26 1,480 4,183 28.6 47.0 5.3 4.3 35.3 45.6 17.8 18.4
Washington ..................... 16 47 3,472 7,082 4.3 4.5 14.0 27.9 35.5 31.1 22.9 18.3
West Virginia .................. (2) 4 (2) 656 - .3 - - 4.0 6.6 21.6 10.1
Wisconsin ...................... 32 73 5,121 10,971 8.3 5.5 16.5 6.9 34.7 16.3 21.8 17.3
Wyoming ........................ - (2) - (2) - 1.7 - 3.4 - 42.8 - 27.1
Puerto Rico .................... 29 4 6,497 1,261 .1 - 99.4 99.4 55.5 57.3 11.3 4.6
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Census region and division
IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p
United States (1) ..... 1,999 1,393 1,638 338,643 235,247 266,971 390,584 289,330 249,692
Northeast ..................... 377 282 249 53,599 37,493 28,184 70,116 42,431 33,532
New England ............... 57 34 35 9,864 4,633 5,683 8,374 3,729 4,603
Middle Atlantic ........... 320 248 214 43,735 32,860 22,501 61,742 38,702 28,929
South ......................... 327 249 274 55,801 41,086 40,800 66,580 45,967 38,253
South Atlantic ............ 196 140 133 33,231 21,314 19,137 41,053 26,293 18,641
East South Central ........ 68 56 69 11,887 11,196 8,007 11,923 10,193 6,891
West South Central ........ 63 53 72 10,683 8,576 13,656 13,604 9,481 12,721
Midwest ....................... 609 231 538 101,849 42,714 83,949 104,825 43,600 71,922
East North Central ........ 457 179 404 74,564 33,298 61,045 79,622 36,242 54,874
West North Central ........ 152 52 134 27,285 9,416 22,904 25,203 7,358 17,048
West .......................... 686 631 577 127,394 113,954 114,038 149,063 157,332 105,985
Mountain .................. 128 47 77 25,009 7,322 14,965 22,825 6,609 9,884
Pacific ................... 558 584 500 102,385 106,632 99,073 126,238 150,723 96,101
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
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 5. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
State
IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm (1) . 1,999 1,393 1,638 338,643 235,247 266,971 390,584 289,330 249,692
Alabama ........................ 6 6 4 1,929 1,800 621 2,225 1,817 680
Alaska ......................... 14 6 13 3,970 3,348 4,515 2,478 2,150 2,228
Arizona ........................ 17 9 11 3,250 790 1,655 3,285 1,346 1,631
Arkansas ....................... 5 10 9 980 1,743 1,516 2,102 1,729 1,755
California ..................... 472 548 412 86,005 98,495 79,886 106,686 142,733 79,665
Colorado ....................... 24 9 16 4,835 1,273 2,325 3,075 1,163 1,840
Connecticut .................... 13 6 3 3,110 807 349 2,394 623 349
Delaware ....................... 5 3 3 490 251 237 525 843 340
District of Columbia ........... 3 (2) 3 434 (2) 471 434 (2) 380
Florida ........................ 46 44 32 11,030 7,962 4,275 10,579 7,539 3,748
Georgia ........................ 20 26 33 1,725 2,726 4,700 2,746 5,779 5,245
Hawaii ......................... (2) - 4 (2) - 975 (2) - 560
Idaho .......................... 12 4 13 2,312 453 3,135 2,013 424 1,730
Illinois ....................... 155 66 157 25,348 14,338 24,294 26,345 14,384 20,296
Indiana ........................ 40 19 27 4,121 2,667 3,225 7,987 5,662 4,499
Iowa ........................... 11 5 10 1,375 725 953 2,559 745 2,092
Kansas ......................... 15 7 9 1,836 802 1,067 3,558 813 1,101
Kentucky ....................... 26 19 30 3,836 2,660 3,886 3,323 2,235 2,883
Louisiana ...................... 23 17 22 4,560 2,905 4,791 4,024 2,614 2,890
Maine .......................... 9 (2) 8 1,336 (2) 972 1,460 (2) 1,035
Maryland ....................... 18 16 (2) 3,784 3,562 (2) 2,512 3,020 (2)
Massachusetts .................. 26 17 17 4,207 2,633 3,356 3,339 1,986 2,115
Michigan ....................... 67 26 55 8,347 4,310 7,313 9,416 5,625 7,220
Minnesota ...................... 66 14 68 11,550 1,980 13,023 10,062 1,993 8,545
Mississippi .................... 11 12 9 1,996 1,409 1,015 1,504 1,364 772
Missouri ....................... 41 22 29 9,233 5,367 5,097 6,365 3,449 3,518
Montana ........................ 15 (2) 12 2,528 (2) 1,574 1,592 (2) 1,192
Nebraska ....................... 9 4 8 2,179 542 1,805 1,108 358 829
Nevada ......................... 31 8 4 4,400 1,924 450 7,667 1,804 601
New Hampshire .................. 4 3 (2) 631 335 (2) 616 243 (2)
New Jersey ..................... 48 67 26 11,850 11,590 3,645 9,784 9,637 2,993
New Mexico ..................... 10 12 7 1,800 1,904 1,530 1,413 1,356 727
New York ....................... 138 120 114 18,928 13,919 11,084 27,772 19,424 15,449
North Carolina (3) ............. 48 24 25 5,145 3,241 2,065 11,930 5,510 2,795
North Dakota ................... 10 - 10 1,112 - 959 1,551 - 963
Ohio ........................... 105 36 92 15,066 6,452 13,095 18,105 5,450 11,888
Oklahoma ....................... 4 (2) 7 503 (2) 1,026 1,245 (2) 733
Oregon ......................... 23 14 24 6,148 2,368 6,566 7,773 2,368 6,566
Pennsylvania ................... 134 61 74 12,957 7,351 7,772 24,186 9,641 10,487
Rhode Island ................... 4 (2) 3 320 (2) 209 364 (2) 208
South Carolina ................. 20 12 5 3,993 1,470 2,085 4,161 1,645 1,066
South Dakota ................... - - - - - - - - -
Tennessee ...................... 25 19 26 4,126 5,327 2,485 4,871 4,777 2,556
Texas .......................... 31 25 34 4,640 3,668 6,323 6,233 4,912 7,343
Utah ........................... 17 3 12 3,284 278 1,876 3,203 279 1,579
Vermont ........................ (2) 5 (2) (2) 650 (2) (2) 669 (2)
Virginia ....................... 32 11 26 5,272 1,432 4,277 7,081 1,480 4,183
Washington ..................... 48 16 47 6,159 2,421 7,131 9,198 3,472 7,082
West Virginia .................. 4 (2) 4 1,358 (2) 764 1,085 (2) 656
Wisconsin ...................... 90 32 73 21,682 5,531 13,118 17,769 5,121 10,971
Wyoming ........................ (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Puerto Rico .................... 5 29 4 482 3,808 757 1,400 6,497 1,261
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
3 Data starting in November 2010 may not be comparable to prior data due to a change in MLS unemployment insurance
input procedures.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 6. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Layoff events Separations
Industry
IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm(1) ................. 50 38 33 9,073 6,911 5,910
Mining ...................................... - - - - - -
Utilities ................................... - - - - - -
Construction ................................ (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Manufacturing ............................... 30 21 21 5,219 4,351 3,803
Food ................................... 3 5 (2) 195 549 (2)
Beverage and tobacco products .......... (2) - - (2) - -
Textile mills .......................... - - - - - -
Textile product mills .................. - (2) - - (2) -
Apparel ................................ - - (2) - - (2)
Leather and allied products ............ - - (2) - - (2)
Wood products .......................... - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Paper .................................. 3 (2) - 390 (2) -
Printing and related support activities (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Petroleum and coal products ............ - - - - - -
Chemicals .............................. (2) - - (2) - -
Plastics and rubber products ........... 4 (2) (2) 462 (2) (2)
Nonmetallic mineral products ........... (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Primary metals ......................... (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Fabricated metal products .............. (2) - 3 (2) - 487
Machinery .............................. 3 (2) (2) 281 (2) (2)
Computer and electronic products ....... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Electrical equipment and appliances .... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Transportation equipment ............... 4 (2) (2) 1,101 (2) (2)
Furniture and related products ......... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Miscellaneous manufacturing ............ (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Wholesale trade ............................. (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Retail trade ................................ 3 (2) (2) 203 (2) (2)
Transportation and warehousing .............. - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Information ................................. (2) 3 3 (2) 435 613
Finance and insurance ....................... 5 (2) (2) 1,635 (2) (2)
Real estate and rental and leasing .......... - - - - - -
Professional and technical services ......... (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Management of companies and enterprises ..... (2) - - (2) - -
Administrative and waste services ........... 3 4 3 617 858 198
Educational services ........................ - - - - - -
Health care and social assistance ........... - (2) - - (2) -
Arts, entertainment, and recreation ......... - - - - - -
Accommodation and food services ............. (2) - - (2) - -
Other services, except public administration - (2) - - (2) -
Unclassified ................................ - - - - - -
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 7. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Layoff events Separations
Reason for layoff IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm (1) .... 50 38 33 9,073 6,911 5,910
Business demand .................. 8 11 (2) 1,663 3,140 (2)
Contract cancellation .......... (2) 4 - (2) 712 -
Contract completion ............ (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Domestic competition ........... - (2) - - (2) -
Excess inventory/saturated
market ....................... - (2) - - (2) -
Import competition ............. (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Slack work/insufficient demand/
non-seasonal business slowdown 4 (2) (2) 1,101 (2) (2)
Organizational changes ........... 24 13 16 4,873 1,824 3,537
Business-ownership change ...... 3 (2) 3 1,413 (2) 998
Reorganization or restructuring
of company ................... 21 (2) 13 3,460 (2) 2,539
Financial issues ................. 18 (2) 7 2,537 (2) 886
Bankruptcy ..................... - - - - - -
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase profitability ....... 14 (2) (2) 1,733 (2) (2)
Financial difficulty ........... 4 (2) (2) 804 (2) (2)
Production specific .............. - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Automation/technological
advances ..................... - (2) - - (2) -
Energy related ................. - - - - - -
Governmental regulations/
intervention ................. - - - - - -
Labor dispute/contract
negotiations/strike .......... - - - - - -
Material or supply shortage .... - - - - - -
Model changeover ............... - - - - - -
Plant or machine repair/
maintenance .................. - - - - - -
Product line discontinued ...... - - (2) - - (2)
Disaster/safety .................. - (2) - - (2) -
Hazardous work environment ..... - - - - - -
Natural disaster (not weather
related) ..................... - - - - - -
Non-natural disaster ........... - - - - - -
Extreme weather-related event .. - (2) - - (2) -
Other/miscellaneous .............. - (2) 6 - (2) 867
Other .......................... - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Data not provided: refusal ..... - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Data not provided: does not
know ......................... - - 3 - - 436
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 8. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Layoff events Separations
Census region and division
IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p
United States (1) . 50 38 33 9,073 6,911 5,910
Northeast ................. 12 12 5 1,622 1,693 646
New England ........... 8 (2) (2) 1,272 (2) (2)
Middle Atlantic ....... 4 (2) (2) 350 (2) (2)
South ..................... 14 13 7 2,511 3,505 988
South Atlantic ........ 7 (2) 3 1,039 (2) 343
East South Central .... (2) 6 (2) (2) 2,282 (2)
West South Central .... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Midwest ................... 11 7 11 2,328 873 2,201
East North Central .... 8 3 8 1,890 525 1,876
West North Central .... 3 4 3 438 348 325
West ...................... 13 6 10 2,612 840 2,075
Mountain .............. 5 (2) - 865 (2) -
Pacific ............... 8 (2) 10 1,747 (2) 2,075
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
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 9. Extended mass layoff events and separations, selected measures, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Layoff events Separations
Action
IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ......... 1,999 1,393 1,638 338,643 235,247 266,971
Total, excluding seasonal
and vacation events (2) .... 1,173 1,090 917 201,165 185,154 154,723
Total, movement of work (3) 50 38 33 9,073 6,911 5,910
Movement of work
actions ............. 68 53 53 (4) (4) (4)
With separations
reported ....... 46 31 23 4,422 3,443 1,630
With separations
unknown ........ 22 22 30 (4) (4) (4)
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 The questions on movement of work were not asked of employers when the reason for layoff was either seasonal work
or vacation period.
3 Movement of work can involve more than one action.
4 Data are not available.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
Table 10. Movement of work actions by type of separation where number of separations is known by employers,
selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Actions (1) Separations
Activities
IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p
With separations reported (2) . 46 31 23 4,422 3,443 1,630
By location
Out-of-country relocations .. 13 3 5 1,915 185 316
Within company .......... 11 - 5 1,115 - 316
Different company ....... 2 3 - 800 185 -
Domestic relocations ........ 33 28 18 2,507 3,258 1,314
Within company .......... 28 24 15 2,294 2,520 712
Different company ....... 5 4 3 213 738 602
Unable to assign place of
relocation ............... - - - - - -
By company
Within company .............. 39 24 20 3,409 2,520 1,028
Domestic ................ 28 24 15 2,294 2,520 712
Out of country .......... 11 - 5 1,115 - 316
Unable to assign ........ - - - - - -
Different company ........... 7 7 3 1,013 923 602
Domestic ................ 5 4 3 213 738 602
Out of country .......... 2 3 - 800 185 -
Unable to assign ........ - - - - - -
1 Only actions for which separations associated with the movement of work were reported are
shown.
2 See footnote 1, table 1.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
Note: Dash represents zero.
Table 11. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from extended mass layoffs, private nonfarm sector,
selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Percent of total layoff events (1) Percent of layoff events Percent of layoff events,
due to seasonal work excluding those due to
Nature of recall and vacation period seasonal and vacation period
IV III IV IV III IV IV III IV
2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p
Anticipate a recall ..... 58.5 48.3 63.6 94.6 97.4 93.9 33.2 34.7 39.8
Timeframe
Within 6 months ......... 72.9 54.8 73.4 87.2 83.7 88.9 44.2 32.3 44.7
Within 3 months ... 28.7 45.0 29.7 26.9 67.1 27.3 32.4 27.8 34.0
Size of recall
At least half ........... 75.0 58.1 77.0 91.7 88.1 93.8 41.6 34.7 45.8
All workers ....... 32.3 28.1 32.3 41.7 45.4 43.9 13.4 14.6 11.0
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
Table 12. Average number of separations in extended mass layoff events by selected measures,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011
Average number of separations
Measure
IV III IV
2010r 2011r 2011p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ..... 169 169 163
Industry
Mining ............................... 120 78 129
Utilities ............................ 80 120 400
Construction ......................... 130 127 125
Manufacturing ........................ 174 173 168
Wholesale trade ...................... 114 118 144
Retail trade ......................... 255 259 182
Transportation and warehousing ....... 180 133 144
Information .......................... 286 242 312
Finance and insurance ................ 197 188 201
Real estate and rental and leasing ... 116 129 178
Professional and
technical services ................. 164 164 189
Management of companies
and enterprises .................... 147 85 195
Administrative and waste services .... 178 200 178
Educational services ................. 295 121 77
Health care and social assistance .... 135 98 164
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .. 210 185 164
Accommodation and food services ...... 241 187 194
Other services, except
public administration .............. 127 97 140
Unclassified establishments .......... - 114 -
Reason for layoff groupings
Business demand ...................... 152 165 169
Organizational changes ............... 226 161 199
Financial issues ..................... 145 189 184
Production specific .................. 142 122 349
Disaster/Safety ...................... 104 139 203
Seasonal ............................. 166 165 156
Other/miscellaneous .................. 210 181 142
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 13. Distribution of extended layoff events by size of layoff, private nonfarm
sector, fourth quarter 2011 (p)
Layoff events Separations
Size
Number Percent Number Percent
Total ..................... 1,638 100.0 266,971 100.0
50-99 ................... 732 44.7 52,165 19.5
100-149 ................. 385 23.5 44,666 16.7
150-199 ................. 175 10.7 29,076 10.9
200-299 ................. 165 10.1 37,690 14.1
300-499 ................. 108 6.6 39,858 14.9
500-999 ................. 50 3.1 33,788 12.7
1,000 or more ........... 23 1.4 29,728 11.1
p = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
