For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Monday, May 13, 2013 USDL-13-0926
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 * mlsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS -- FIRST QUARTER 2013
Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 914 mass layoff events in the first
quarter of 2013 that resulted in the separation of 154,374 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
1,294 and 246,956, respectively. Total events and separations both fell to their lowest
first quarter levels on record (with first quarter data available back to 1996). (See
table A.) First quarter 2013 layoff data are preliminary and are subject to revision.
(See the Technical Note.)
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
Manufacturing industries had 184 extended mass layoff events and 30,870 separations in
the first quarter of 2013, due to both insufficient demand and the completion of seasonal
work. Total events and separations in this sector declined to their lowest levels in
program history (with quarterly data available back to 1995). (See table 1.)
During the quarter, the construction sector had 178 extended mass layoff events and
20,071 separations, largely due to contract completion. The administrative and waste
services sector reported 143 layoff events and 23,284 separations. (See table 1.)
______________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Mass Layoffs Data Discontinued |
| |
|On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the-board spending |
|cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and |
|Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor |
|Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of |
|the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these |
|savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including |
|Mass Layoff Statistics, and all "measuring green jobs" products. This news release is |
|the final publication of quarterly extended mass layoff survey data. The final release|
|of monthly Mass Layoff Statistics data will occur on June 21st, with publication of |
|the May 2013 data. |
|______________________________________________________________________________________|
Reasons for Extended Layoffs
Business demand factors, primarily contract completion, accounted for 39 percent of
extended mass layoff events and 42 percent of related separations in the private nonfarm
sector during the first quarter of 2013. Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work
accounted for 28 percent of events and 27 percent of separations during the quarter.
(See table 2.)
Movement of Work
In the first quarter of 2013, 21 extended mass layoff events involved movement of work and
were associated with 3,421 worker separations, a program low for both figures (movement of
work data begin in first quarter 2004). Layoffs involving the movement of work accounted
for only 3 percent of all nonseasonal layoff events. Eleven of the events related to
movement of work were from manufacturing industries. Employers cited organizational
changes as the economic reason for layoff in 9 of the 21 events involving movement of
work. Among workers affected by the movement of work, the largest proportion was in the
Midwest. (See tables 6-8.)
The 21 events with movement of work for the first quarter involved 30 identifiable
relocations of work actions. (See table 9.) Employers were able to provide information
on the specific number of worker separations for 19 of these actions. Among these actions,
the majority were domestic reassignments and involved work moving within the same company.
(See table 10.)
Table A. Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity
Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants
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 ....... 1,999 338,643 390,584
2011
January-March .......... 1,490 225,456 258,220
April-June ............. 1,810 317,546 342,530
July-September ......... 1,393 235,325 291,066
October-December ....... 1,903 334,383 403,457
2012
January-March .......... 1,294 246,956 291,174
April-June (r) ......... 1,959 385,983 383,492
July-September (r) ..... 1,124 199,781 228,818
October-December (r) ... 2,123 424,492 432,792
2013
January-March (p) ...... 914 154,374 133,294
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
Recall Expectations
Permanent worksite closures accounted for 10 percent of the total extended mass layoff
events and separations reported during the first quarter of 2013, primarily in the
manufacturing and retail sectors. Conversely, 49 percent of the private nonfarm
employers reporting a layoff event not involving a closure expected to recall at least
some of the workers displaced during the quarter. Of those employers anticipating a
recall, 18 percent indicated the offer would be extended to all displaced workers and
57 percent anticipated extending the offer to at least half of the employees. Among
those employers expecting to recall laid-off workers, 56 percent intend to do so within
6 months. Excluding extended mass layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period,
employers anticipated recalling the laid-off workers in 36 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 169 workers during the first quarter of 2013. (See table 12.) Events were largely
concentrated at the lower end of the extended layoff-size spectrum, with 71 percent
involving fewer than 150 workers. Conversely, only 4 percent of layoff events involved
500 or more workers. (See table 13.)
Initial Claimant Characteristics
A total of 133,294 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with
extended mass layoffs in the first quarter of 2013, the fewest claimants reported for
any first quarter on record (data are available back to 1996). Of these claimants,
14 percent were black, 21 percent were Hispanic, 37 percent were women, and 20 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, 16 percent were Hispanic, 47 percent
were women, and 21 percent were 55 years of age or older.
Table B. Metropolitan areas with the largest number of initial claimants associated with
extended mass layoff events in the first quarter 2013, by residency of claimants
2012 I (r) 2013 I (p)
Metropolitan area Initial Initial
claimants Rank claimants Rank
Total, 372 metropolitan areas ........ 253,522 112,634
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. ..... 76,620 1 27,042 1
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long
Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. .................... 15,081 3 8,693 2
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. ..... 16,549 2 6,562 3
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. .... 7,782 5 5,513 4
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif. ........ 12,276 4 3,011 5
Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev. ..................... 2,598 15 2,515 6
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. ........ 7,684 6 2,392 7
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. ............... 2,351 18 1,952 8
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.
-N.J.-Del.-Md. ........................... 3,192 11 1,488 9
Fresno, Calif. ............................... 2,597 16 1,483 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.
Geographic Distribution
Among the four census regions, the West had the highest number of extended mass layoff
events in the first quarter of 2013, primarily in the administrative and support services
sector. Among the nine census divisions, the highest number of extended mass layoff
events was in the Pacific. (See table 4.)
California had the largest number of extended mass layoff events in the first quarter
of 2013, followed by New York, Illinois, and Ohio. Excluding layoff activity due to
seasonal work and vacation period reasons, California, New York, and Illinois reported
the largest numbers of events. (See table 5.)
Eighty-five percent of the initial claimants for unemployment insurance associated with
extended mass layoff events in the first quarter resided within metropolitan areas. Among
the 372 metropolitan areas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif., had the highest
number of resident initial claimants. (See table B.)
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 April 2013 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday,
May 22, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
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 period 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. Employers 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 of Employment 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 compensation, 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 arrangements 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 in-house by employees 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 verifies 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 associated
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 affect the
identification of layoff events and associated claimants, but are not likely to be
significant.
With one exception, all employers in the private nonfarm sector identified as having
a mass layoff based on administrative data are asked the interview questions. These
employer responses are also subject to nonsampling error. Nonsampling errors 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.
Beginning with first quarter 2013 data, employers in California identified as having
mass layoff events from the administrative and support services (NAICS 561) industry
subsector are randomly selected to participate in the employer interview. Sampling
weights are applied to data collected from these employer interviews, which represent
responses for those employers not selected for employer contact. These data are subject
to sampling errors which can result from the variation that occurs by chance because a
sample is surveyed rather than the entire universe of NAICS 561 employers in California
identified as having layoff events.
For the first quarter of 2013, outright refusal to participate in the employer
interview accounted for 5.4 percent of all private nonfarm events. Although included
in the total number of instances involving the movement of work, employers in 11
relocations were unable to provide the number of separations specifically associated
with the movement of work, 2 of which involved out-of-country moves.
Additional information
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.
Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2012 and 2013
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Industry
I IV I I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ................. 1,294 2,123 914 246,956 424,492 154,374 291,174 432,792 133,294
Mining ....................................... 16 42 11 1,760 5,073 1,575 1,523 5,384 1,064
Utilities .................................... 3 9 - 421 1,785 - 879 1,898 -
Construction ................................. 261 632 178 33,701 86,884 20,071 42,014 98,712 20,537
Manufacturing ................................ 233 368 184 33,099 73,283 30,870 36,610 71,159 25,730
Food .................................... 56 104 41 8,731 31,742 11,015 10,406 29,407 6,640
Beverage and tobacco products ........... 3 12 4 485 1,449 965 320 1,489 1,134
Textile mills ........................... 4 3 (2) 382 592 (2) 374 708 (2)
Textile product mills ................... 3 3 (2) 435 443 (2) 964 868 (2)
Apparel ................................. 4 7 5 1,182 731 723 1,184 801 915
Leather and allied products ............. - - 3 - - 258 - - 256
Wood products ........................... 13 11 5 1,686 1,066 370 1,314 1,335 1,129
Paper ................................... 6 (2) 7 645 (2) 784 663 (2) 467
Printing and related support activities . 7 11 3 1,202 1,100 614 1,001 1,201 525
Petroleum and coal products ............. 4 22 3 810 3,218 376 327 2,935 247
Chemicals ............................... 9 9 7 1,222 3,448 1,175 1,087 1,044 812
Plastics and rubber products ............ 11 10 5 1,119 839 1,727 890 1,077 1,579
Nonmetallic mineral products ............ 21 34 13 2,143 5,202 1,132 2,295 6,030 1,323
Primary metals .......................... (2) 14 6 (2) 2,446 730 (2) 2,151 1,008
Fabricated metal products ............... 12 24 9 1,093 2,711 967 1,126 3,356 777
Machinery ............................... 11 30 11 1,030 6,253 1,194 1,731 6,531 1,126
Computer and electronic products ........ 19 21 9 2,256 3,116 971 2,049 2,704 999
Electrical equipment and appliances ..... (2) 4 7 (2) 371 1,215 (2) 375 918
Transportation equipment ................ 27 39 30 5,464 6,553 4,953 8,172 7,403 4,194
Furniture and related products .......... 10 (2) 6 1,454 (2) 618 1,292 (2) 623
Miscellaneous manufacturing ............. 8 6 7 1,160 1,388 873 954 1,187 799
Wholesale trade .............................. 27 51 16 3,032 8,339 2,529 2,765 7,171 2,214
Retail trade ................................. 139 124 86 35,434 32,448 16,694 37,343 32,534 12,372
Transportation and warehousing ............... 50 61 39 8,622 18,621 9,823 7,060 11,864 4,700
Information .................................. 74 75 49 31,454 36,187 14,111 45,997 41,928 15,009
Finance and insurance ........................ 36 25 24 7,143 4,119 4,323 6,209 5,493 2,952
Real estate and rental and leasing ........... 6 15 4 3,341 2,381 648 1,621 2,579 645
Professional and technical services .......... 63 86 52 12,879 13,734 12,952 18,608 14,723 12,757
Management of companies and enterprises ...... 12 4 7 1,871 697 724 1,824 493 607
Administrative and waste services ............ 189 317 143 46,583 67,275 23,284 60,760 85,265 21,198
Educational services ......................... 6 15 6 496 2,031 544 619 2,073 503
Health care and social assistance ............ 30 50 16 4,575 12,309 1,882 4,636 7,271 1,546
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .......... 46 72 34 5,979 18,551 5,267 7,282 11,363 3,720
Accommodation and food services .............. 89 143 57 15,045 35,167 7,904 13,814 28,014 6,668
Other services, except public administration . 10 29 6 1,156 4,901 719 1,276 4,078 605
Unclassified ................................. 4 5 2 365 707 454 334 790 467
1 For the first quarter of 2013, 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, 2012 and 2013
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Reason for layoff
I IV I I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ..... 1,294 2,123 914 246,956 424,492 154,374 291,174 432,792 133,294
Business demand ................... 519 704 361 107,736 145,269 64,307 152,217 175,403 62,800
Contract cancellation ........... 20 24 (2) 4,694 6,309 (2) 3,891 3,279 (2)
Contract completion ............. 359 500 235 83,506 115,802 48,394 124,771 146,598 48,196
Domestic competition ............ (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Excess inventory/saturated
market ........................ (2) 6 (2) (2) 1,002 (2) (2) 932 (2)
Import competition .............. - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Slack work/insufficient demand/
non-seasonal business slowdown. 135 169 108 17,797 20,713 13,620 19,533 23,477 12,797
Organizational changes ............ 75 69 49 15,277 24,614 8,435 13,857 11,963 5,825
Business-ownership change ....... 15 23 9 3,844 13,922 2,149 1,623 3,111 1,045
Reorganization or restructuring
of company .................... 60 46 40 11,433 10,692 6,286 12,234 8,852 4,780
Financial issues .................. 115 117 59 22,056 31,173 10,324 17,915 25,940 6,557
Bankruptcy ...................... 16 44 7 2,557 19,152 1,201 1,514 14,182 679
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase profitability ........ 53 40 28 10,230 6,530 5,634 9,832 7,586 3,602
Financial difficulty ............ 46 33 24 9,269 5,491 3,489 6,569 4,172 2,276
Production specific ............... 16 20 12 2,469 3,960 2,660 2,785 3,744 2,129
Automation/technological
advances ...................... 3 3 (2) 626 427 (2) 911 359 (2)
Energy related .................. - - - - - - - - -
Governmental regulations/
intervention .................. 3 5 5 528 1,020 1,686 479 768 1,266
Labor dispute/contract
negotiations/strike ........... (2) 3 (2) (2) 675 (2) (2) 330 (2)
Material or supply shortage ..... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Model changeover ................ (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Plant or machine repair/
maintenance ................... 3 (2) (2) 265 (2) (2) 447 (2) (2)
Product line discontinued ....... (2) 4 (2) (2) 860 (2) (2) 869 (2)
Disaster/safety ................... 4 36 3 676 6,181 600 715 7,897 359
Hazardous work environment ...... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Natural disaster (not weather
related) ...................... - - - - - - - - -
Non-natural disaster ............ - (2) - - (2) - - (2) -
Extreme weather-related event ... (2) 32 (2) (2) 5,555 (2) (2) 7,486 (2)
Seasonal .......................... 325 851 253 54,324 150,186 42,388 60,130 145,243 31,670
Seasonal ........................ (2) 823 246 (2) 145,306 41,461 (2) 140,394 30,895
Vacation period-school related
or otherwise .................. (2) 28 7 (2) 4,880 927 (2) 4,849 775
Other/miscellaneous ............... 240 326 177 44,418 63,109 25,660 43,555 62,602 23,954
Other ........................... 24 20 14 4,905 2,815 3,447 4,564 2,329 1,777
Data not provided: refusal ...... 70 83 51 13,369 19,679 7,945 13,369 19,679 7,945
Data not provided: does not
know .......................... 146 223 112 26,144 40,615 14,268 25,622 40,594 14,232
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, fourth quarter, 2012 and first quarter, 2013
Total Percent of total
initial Hispanic Persons age 55
Layoff events claimants Black origin Women and over
State
IV I IV I IV I IV I IV I IV I
2012r 2013p 2012r 2013p 2012r 2013p 2012r 2013p 2012r 2013p 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) . 2,123 914 432,792 133,294 11.9 13.5 21.7 20.6 31.4 36.9 19.5 20.3
Alabama ........................ 10 6 2,162 1,919 48.5 37.6 2.8 2.9 48.3 24.3 17.1 18.8
Alaska ......................... 14 5 3,001 437 5.8 7.1 11.4 11.0 26.3 22.4 21.4 16.2
Arizona ........................ 11 6 1,580 1,177 8.2 10.3 31.1 40.5 27.9 41.5 15.4 17.0
Arkansas ....................... 10 5 2,249 500 19.3 20.0 6.6 3.0 33.2 32.4 22.3 17.6
California ..................... 614 254 171,076 52,288 8.8 8.5 34.8 32.0 36.6 38.2 16.9 17.8
Colorado ....................... 22 5 2,959 569 5.6 6.9 30.4 19.3 21.2 19.5 22.7 12.3
Connecticut .................... 10 6 1,753 651 11.2 15.1 12.0 10.8 16.8 59.8 23.3 34.1
Delaware ....................... 3 3 588 287 57.3 45.3 10.2 7.7 53.6 27.9 33.5 13.9
District of Columbia ........... 3 (2) 566 (2) 74.7 60.6 7.8 12.7 57.4 57.7 19.1 22.5
Florida ........................ 19 17 4,065 2,422 26.6 29.2 23.3 23.5 39.5 47.1 30.6 25.5
Georgia ........................ 9 10 2,274 1,004 72.0 46.4 .9 .6 39.8 31.9 16.8 25.0
Hawaii ......................... (2) 3 (2) 322 2.6 2.2 4.5 9.6 43.9 19.9 16.8 16.5
Idaho .......................... 14 5 1,841 758 .1 .3 14.8 9.4 24.8 40.0 21.3 15.2
Illinois ....................... 164 73 26,965 8,281 15.8 22.8 19.5 14.0 24.4 34.3 17.3 16.7
Indiana ........................ 37 9 7,996 1,674 8.2 4.7 3.7 2.4 15.5 20.0 18.5 22.5
Iowa ........................... 9 3 1,812 1,067 4.1 1.2 5.5 5.5 12.4 36.9 25.5 33.9
Kansas ......................... 9 (2) 2,326 (2) 9.8 8.9 1.9 1.8 23.1 53.0 15.7 28.0
Kentucky ....................... 33 17 4,589 1,633 8.0 17.4 .2 .1 25.4 38.9 21.9 16.0
Louisiana ...................... 18 7 2,922 812 39.9 29.9 6.0 11.0 24.6 34.6 25.5 41.0
Maine .......................... 10 3 1,935 254 2.1 .4 .6 - 29.1 57.1 27.9 29.1
Maryland ....................... 35 8 5,417 651 30.0 16.4 1.4 3.5 43.0 22.0 21.2 28.3
Massachusetts .................. 27 13 4,689 1,380 10.1 16.4 1.0 1.9 41.2 45.0 21.1 17.8
Michigan ....................... 66 22 8,628 2,288 9.3 8.7 7.2 2.0 15.9 29.6 16.1 20.3
Minnesota ...................... 79 18 10,622 1,836 2.8 6.1 9.2 3.6 14.2 27.7 19.4 22.4
Mississippi .................... 9 5 939 293 48.3 47.8 6.3 3.4 28.4 30.4 15.8 24.2
Missouri ....................... 32 22 5,130 1,918 16.7 14.2 2.6 2.2 36.6 40.8 27.6 20.5
Montana ........................ 14 - 1,590 - .6 - 4.3 - 20.2 - 24.3 -
Nebraska ....................... 8 (2) 892 (2) 3.4 4.3 11.3 1.7 22.3 30.8 31.3 18.8
Nevada ......................... 39 14 8,821 2,641 9.4 9.8 29.3 30.8 39.7 50.0 22.5 25.4
New Hampshire .................. 8 (2) 859 (2) .6 1.6 1.4 - 19.2 10.9 32.8 32.8
New Jersey ..................... 66 21 13,864 2,349 14.2 18.3 24.8 18.3 45.7 43.6 26.8 28.5
New Mexico ..................... 12 (2) 1,576 (2) 2.0 .5 53.0 63.5 36.1 44.2 21.4 28.8
New York ....................... 149 82 23,792 10,351 15.2 16.2 16.9 20.1 35.2 37.3 23.2 24.9
North Carolina ................. 22 10 3,632 2,349 35.3 51.2 9.3 2.6 28.0 47.6 25.8 31.8
North Dakota ................... 15 (2) 2,172 (2) 1.6 1.6 4.0 .5 9.3 64.1 24.1 11.4
Ohio ........................... 100 55 16,825 5,639 11.5 8.9 3.8 3.6 19.7 20.0 18.4 21.1
Oklahoma ....................... 9 (2) 1,134 (2) 10.9 10.4 6.4 6.4 35.4 32.4 21.3 30.1
Oregon ......................... 28 12 6,519 1,361 1.3 1.2 27.9 17.5 41.8 37.5 22.9 22.7
Pennsylvania ................... 115 43 23,935 5,463 8.7 10.1 3.3 5.9 20.6 37.4 23.8 26.7
Rhode Island ................... 4 (2) 260 (2) 2.3 2.4 6.5 10.7 7.7 8.3 21.2 26.2
South Carolina ................. 8 6 1,427 839 49.6 60.9 1.3 3.9 35.1 53.2 25.9 14.9
South Dakota ................... - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tennessee ...................... 18 6 3,190 514 18.0 39.7 .1 - 26.4 44.2 29.0 13.4
Texas .......................... 40 29 9,763 5,137 21.1 19.6 43.4 41.6 22.2 41.2 15.0 15.6
Utah ........................... 13 10 2,740 938 1.1 1.2 13.0 18.3 10.7 25.4 16.4 20.3
Vermont ........................ 3 (2) 320 (2) .3 3.2 .3 - 16.6 48.4 24.7 22.6
Virginia ....................... 28 17 6,208 1,623 45.6 35.6 5.4 7.9 40.5 34.9 20.3 23.7
Washington ..................... 69 44 9,546 4,482 5.6 6.4 19.3 15.6 34.3 34.6 19.5 19.4
West Virginia .................. 10 3 958 208 .5 1.0 .3 - 16.6 44.2 19.3 24.0
Wisconsin ...................... 74 24 13,964 3,765 5.1 7.7 11.0 6.9 24.0 35.8 20.0 20.7
Wyoming ........................ (2) (2) (2) (2) 1.8 - 4.4 21.7 43.8 26.5 27.7 18.1
Puerto Rico .................... 10 13 3,469 1,622 - .2 98.9 98.6 51.6 33.5 8.4 9.2
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, 2012 and 2013
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Census region and division
I IV I I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
United States (1) ..... 1,294 2,123 914 246,956 424,492 154,374 291,174 432,792 133,294
Northeast ..................... 248 392 171 36,369 64,454 25,622 39,462 71,407 20,658
New England ............... 46 62 25 8,244 9,926 2,788 6,273 9,816 2,495
Middle Atlantic ........... 202 330 146 28,125 54,528 22,834 33,189 61,591 18,163
South ......................... 219 284 152 37,036 54,413 23,160 35,778 52,083 20,435
South Atlantic ............ 112 137 75 15,859 25,945 9,638 15,215 25,135 9,454
East South Central ........ 55 70 34 11,125 12,494 5,646 7,859 10,880 4,359
West South Central ........ 52 77 43 10,052 15,974 7,876 12,704 16,068 6,622
Midwest ....................... 263 593 230 39,078 103,902 31,841 44,342 97,332 26,937
East North Central ........ 216 441 183 33,762 73,674 25,745 39,252 74,378 21,647
West North Central ........ 47 152 47 5,316 30,228 6,096 5,090 22,954 5,290
West .......................... 564 854 361 134,473 201,723 73,751 171,592 211,970 65,264
Mountain .................. 60 127 43 9,223 26,432 7,240 8,591 21,673 6,374
Pacific ................... 504 727 318 125,250 175,291 66,511 163,001 190,297 58,890
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, 2012 and 2013
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
State
I IV I I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) . 1,294 2,123 914 246,956 424,492 154,374 291,174 432,792 133,294
Alabama ........................ 6 10 6 892 2,290 2,076 1,733 2,162 1,919
Alaska ......................... 4 14 5 534 6,167 492 433 3,001 437
Arizona ........................ 15 11 6 2,597 1,640 885 1,969 1,580 1,177
Arkansas ....................... 6 10 5 990 2,503 447 1,517 2,249 500
California ..................... 446 614 254 114,906 153,670 58,304 151,922 171,076 52,288
Colorado ....................... 8 22 5 1,419 3,397 787 1,251 2,959 569
Connecticut .................... 7 10 6 763 1,753 651 763 1,753 651
Delaware ....................... 4 3 3 260 466 150 505 588 287
District of Columbia ........... 3 3 (2) 239 566 (2) 239 566 (2)
Florida ........................ 20 19 17 3,273 5,339 2,531 2,728 4,065 2,422
Georgia ........................ 19 9 10 2,729 2,214 860 2,729 2,274 1,004
Hawaii ......................... (2) (2) 3 (2) (2) 220 (2) (2) 322
Idaho .......................... 5 14 5 529 1,866 999 654 1,841 758
Illinois ....................... 75 164 73 12,596 25,100 10,969 12,761 26,965 8,281
Indiana ........................ 22 37 9 2,668 6,048 1,377 3,832 7,996 1,674
Iowa ........................... - 9 3 - 1,434 565 - 1,812 1,067
Kansas ......................... 6 9 (2) 752 2,118 (2) 643 2,326 (2)
Kentucky ....................... 29 33 17 6,879 5,148 2,306 3,257 4,589 1,633
Louisiana ...................... 10 18 7 2,320 3,265 1,118 1,534 2,922 812
Maine .......................... 6 10 3 1,770 1,758 414 852 1,935 254
Maryland (3) ................... 18 35 8 2,705 6,248 701 1,732 5,417 651
Massachusetts .................. 20 27 13 3,052 4,797 1,511 2,924 4,689 1,380
Michigan ....................... 29 66 22 5,109 11,100 2,780 9,620 8,628 2,288
Minnesota ...................... 18 79 18 2,495 14,075 2,485 2,508 10,622 1,836
Mississippi .................... 9 9 5 1,319 2,122 634 954 939 293
Missouri ....................... 21 32 22 1,923 10,033 2,088 1,762 5,130 1,918
Montana ........................ (2) 14 - (2) 3,173 - (2) 1,590 -
Nebraska ....................... (2) 8 (2) (2) 737 (2) (2) 892 (2)
Nevada ......................... 18 39 14 3,104 8,781 2,878 3,243 8,821 2,641
New Hampshire .................. 7 8 (2) 807 1,044 (2) 558 859 (2)
New Jersey ..................... 44 66 21 7,426 14,276 6,929 6,444 13,864 2,349
New Mexico ..................... 6 12 (2) 758 2,421 (2) 683 1,576 (2)
New York ....................... 90 149 82 12,896 22,984 11,347 16,346 23,792 10,351
North Carolina ................. 16 22 10 1,345 2,994 1,958 1,794 3,632 2,349
North Dakota ................... (2) 15 (2) (2) 1,831 (2) (2) 2,172 (2)
Ohio ........................... 62 100 55 8,656 18,158 6,173 8,069 16,825 5,639
Oklahoma ....................... 5 9 (2) 761 1,197 (2) 479 1,134 (2)
Oregon ......................... 24 28 12 5,978 5,750 2,624 5,321 6,519 1,361
Pennsylvania ................... 68 115 43 7,803 17,268 4,558 10,399 23,935 5,463
Rhode Island ................... - 4 (2) - 250 (2) - 260 (2)
South Carolina ................. 10 8 6 1,398 1,191 1,313 1,351 1,427 839
South Dakota ................... - - - - - - - - -
Tennessee ...................... 11 18 6 2,035 2,934 630 1,915 3,190 514
Texas .......................... 31 40 29 5,981 9,009 6,176 9,174 9,763 5,137
Utah ........................... 5 13 10 487 3,194 1,141 492 2,740 938
Vermont ........................ 6 3 (2) 1,852 324 (2) 1,176 320 (2)
Virginia ....................... 17 28 17 2,634 5,602 1,859 3,293 6,208 1,623
Washington ..................... 29 69 44 3,777 9,420 4,871 5,059 9,546 4,482
West Virginia .................. 5 10 3 1,276 1,325 195 844 958 208
Wisconsin ...................... 28 74 24 4,733 13,268 4,446 4,970 13,964 3,765
Wyoming ........................ (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Puerto Rico .................... 17 10 13 2,524 1,956 1,365 4,994 3,469 1,622
1 See footnote 1, table 1.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
3 Data starting in June 2012 may not be comparable to prior data due to a change in MLS unemployment insurance 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, 2012 and 2013
Layoff events Separations
Industry
I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ................ 34 36 21 5,294 8,616 3,421
Mining ...................................... - - - - - -
Utilities ................................... - - - - - -
Construction ................................ - (2) - - (2) -
Manufacturing ............................... 20 13 11 3,092 2,590 1,764
Food ................................... 4 3 (2) 712 398 (2)
Beverage and tobacco products .......... - - - - - -
Textile mills .......................... - (2) - - (2) -
Textile product mills .................. - - - - - -
Apparel ................................ - - - - - -
Leather and allied products ............ - - (2) - - (2)
Wood products .......................... (2) - - (2) - -
Paper .................................. (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Printing and related support activities (2) - - (2) - -
Petroleum and coal products ............ - - - - - -
Chemicals .............................. (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Plastics and rubber products ........... 4 (2) (2) 529 (2) (2)
Nonmetallic mineral products ........... - - - - - -
Primary metals ......................... (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Fabricated metal products .............. - - - - - -
Machinery .............................. (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Computer and electronic products ....... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Electrical equipment and appliances .... - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Transportation equipment ............... 3 (2) (2) 607 (2) (2)
Furniture and related products ......... (2) - - (2) - -
Miscellaneous manufacturing ............ (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Wholesale trade ............................. (2) 5 - (2) 815 -
Retail trade ................................ (2) 5 (2) (2) 584 (2)
Transportation and warehousing .............. (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Information ................................. (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Finance and insurance ....................... 5 3 (2) (2) 484 (2)
Real estate and rental and leasing .......... - - - - - -
Professional and technical services ......... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Management of companies and enterprises ..... (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Administrative and waste services ........... - 3 (2) - 1,720 (2)
Educational services ........................ - - - - - -
Health care and social assistance ........... - - - - - -
Arts, entertainment, and recreation ......... - - - - - -
Accommodation and food services ............. (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Other services, except public administration - - - - - -
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, 2012 and 2013
Layoff events Separations
Reason for layoff I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) .... 34 36 21 5,294 8,616 3,421
Business demand .................. 5 12 (2) 803 4,611 (2)
Contract cancellation .......... - 3 (2) - 1,825 (2)
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 (2) 3 (2) (2) 635 (2)
Organizational changes ........... 17 (2) 9 2,825 (2) 1,720
Business-ownership change ...... 3 (2) - 388 (2) -
Reorganization or restructuring
of company ................... 14 (2) 9 2,437 (2) 1,720
Financial issues ................. (2) 12 (2) (2) 1,808 (2)
Bankruptcy ..................... - - - - - -
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase profitability ....... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Financial difficulty ........... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Production specific .............. (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Automation/technological
advances ..................... (2) - - (2) - -
Energy related ................. - - - - - -
Governmental regulations/
intervention ................. - - - - - -
Labor dispute/contract
negotiations/strike .......... - - (2) - - (2)
Material or supply shortage .... - - - - - -
Model changeover ............... - - - - - -
Plant or machine repair/
maintenance .................. - - - - - -
Product line discontinued ...... - - - - - -
Disaster/safety .................. - - - - - -
Hazardous work environment ..... - - - - - -
Natural disaster (not weather
related) ..................... - - - - - -
Non-natural disaster ........... - - - - - -
Extreme weather-related event .. - - - - - -
Other/miscellaneous .............. - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Other .......................... - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Data not provided: refusal ..... - - - - - -
Data not provided: does not
know ......................... - (2) - - (2) -
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, 2012 and 2013
Layoff events Separations
Census region and division
I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
United States (1) . 34 36 21 5,294 8,616 3,421
Northeast ................. 9 7 (2) 1,232 2,646 (2)
New England ........... - (2) - - (2) -
Middle Atlantic ....... 9 (2) (2) 1,232 (2) (2)
South ..................... 8 11 6 1,150 3,077 858
South Atlantic ........ (2) 6 (2) (2) 1,354 (2)
East South Central .... 4 5 (2) 433 1,723 (2)
West South Central .... (2) - - (2) - -
Midwest ................... 6 7 7 829 960 1,495
East North Central .... (2) (2) 4 (2) (2) 559
West North Central .... (2) (2) 3 (2) (2) 936
West ...................... 11 11 (2) 2,083 1,933 (2)
Mountain .............. 3 (2) (2) 479 (2) (2)
Pacific ............... 8 (2) (2) 1,604 (2) (2)
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, 2012 and 2013
Layoff events Separations
Action
I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ......... 1,294 2,123 914 246,956 424,492 154,374
Total, excluding seasonal
and vacation events (2) .... 969 1,272 661 192,632 274,306 111,986
Total, movement of work (3) 34 36 21 5,294 8,616 3,421
Movement of work
actions ............. 48 52 30 (4) (4) (4)
With separations
reported ....... 37 30 19 2,787 3,886 1,572
With separations
unknown ........ 11 22 11 (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, 2012 and 2013
Actions (1) Separations
Activities
I IV I I IV I
2012 2012r 2013p 2012 2012r 2013p
With separations reported (2) . 37 30 19 2,787 3,886 1,572
By location
Out-of-country relocations .. 4 10 1 247 1,117 170
Within company .......... 4 9 - 247 935 -
Different company ....... - 1 1 - 182 170
Domestic relocations ........ 33 20 18 2,540 2,769 1,402
Within company .......... 31 14 17 2,340 1,229 1,291
Different company ....... 2 6 1 200 1,540 111
Unable to assign place of
relocation ............... - - - - - -
By company
Within company .............. 35 23 17 2,587 2,164 1,291
Domestic ................ 31 14 17 2,340 1,229 1,291
Out of country .......... 4 9 - 247 935 -
Unable to assign ........ - - - - - -
Different company ........... 2 7 2 200 1,722 281
Domestic ................ 2 6 1 200 1,540 111
Out of country .......... - 1 1 - 182 170
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, 2012 and 2013
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
I IV I I IV I I IV I
2012r 2012r 2013p 2012r 2012r 2013p 2012r 2012r 2013p
Anticipate a recall ..... 48.5 62.0 49.3 85.8 92.0 85.0 35.9 42.0 35.7
Timeframe
Within 6 months ......... 51.2 67.4 56.1 73.8 85.8 77.7 33.0 40.3 36.4
Within 3 months ... 36.0 31.1 42.1 46.2 32.6 57.7 27.9 29.0 28.0
Size of recall
At least half ........... 57.3 69.9 57.0 87.5 90.0 81.4 33.0 40.3 34.7
All workers ....... 19.8 31.7 18.4 34.8 43.7 30.7 7.8 14.0 7.2
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, 2012 and 2013
Average number of separations
Measure
I IV I
2012r 2012r 2013p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ..... 191 200 169
Industry
Mining ............................... 110 121 143
Utilities ............................ 140 198 -
Construction ......................... 129 137 113
Manufacturing ........................ 142 199 168
Wholesale trade ...................... 112 164 158
Retail trade ......................... 255 262 194
Transportation and warehousing ....... 172 305 252
Information .......................... 425 482 288
Finance and insurance ................ 198 165 180
Real estate and rental and leasing ... 557 159 162
Professional and
technical services ................. 204 160 249
Management of companies
and enterprises .................... 156 174 103
Administrative and waste services .... 246 212 163
Educational services ................. 83 135 91
Health care and social assistance .... 153 246 118
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .. 130 258 155
Accommodation and food services ...... 169 246 139
Other services, except
public administration .............. 116 169 120
Unclassified establishments .......... 91 141 227
Reason for layoff groupings
Business demand ...................... 208 206 178
Organizational changes ............... 204 357 172
Financial issues ..................... 192 266 175
Production specific .................. 154 198 222
Disaster/Safety ...................... 169 172 200
Seasonal ............................. 167 176 168
Other/miscellaneous .................. 185 194 145
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, first quarter 2013(p)
Layoff events Separations
Size
Number Percent Number Percent
Total ..................... 914 100.0 154,374 100.0
50-99 ................... 408 44.6 29,804 19.3
100-149 ................. 238 26.0 28,040 18.2
150-199 ................. 91 10.0 15,040 9.7
200-299 ................. 86 9.4 19,916 12.9
300-499 ................. 52 5.7 18,810 12.2
500-999 ................. 25 2.7 18,022 11.7
1,000 or more ........... 14 1.5 24,742 16.0
p = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
