For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Thursday, November 8, 2012 USDL-12-2203
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 * mlsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS -- THIRD QUARTER 2012
Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 885 mass layoff
events in the third quarter of 2012 that resulted in the separation of
138,484 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 1,393
and 235,325, respectively. (See table A.) Permanent worksite closures
accounted for 11 percent of all events and 14 percent of all separations
during the third quarter of 2012, primarily in the manufacturing sector.
Third quarter 2012 layoff data are preliminary and are subject to revision.
(See the Technical Note.)
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
Manufacturing industries reported 196 extended mass layoff events and
29,350 separations in the third quarter of 2012, largely due to slack
work/insufficient demand. This sector accounted for 22 percent of
layoff events and 21 percent of related separations during the
quarter. (See table 1.)
The administrative and waste services sector had 137 events and 22,869
separations, primarily due to contract completion, in the third
quarter of 2012. The industry accounted for 15 percent of layoff
events and 17 percent of separations. The construction sector reported
122 layoff events and 13,001 separations, also primarily due to
contract completion.
Reasons for Extended Layoffs
Business demand factors, primarily contract completion, accounted for
44 percent of both extended mass layoff events and related separations
in the private nonfarm sector during the third quarter of 2012.
Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 20
percent of the events and 19 percent of related separations during the
quarter. (See table 2.)
Table A. Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity
Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants
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........ 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 (r) ... 1,903 334,383 403,457
2012
January-March (r) ...... 1,294 246,956 291,040
April-June (r) ......... 1,959 385,665 382,868
July-September (p) ..... 885 138,484 124,963
r = revised.
p = preliminary.
Movement of Work
In the third quarter of 2012, 29 extended mass layoffs involved
movement of work and were associated with 3,941 worker separations.
Fifty-five percent of the events related to movement of work were from
manufacturing industries. Employers cited organizational changes as
the economic reason for layoff in 52 percent of the events involving
movement of work. Among workers affected by the movement of work, the
largest proportions were in the South. (See tables 6-8.)
The 29 events with movement of work for the third quarter involved 41
identifiable relocations of work actions. (See table 9.) Employers
were able to provide information on the specific number of worker
separations for 21 of these actions. Among these actions, most were
domestic reassignments and involved work moving within the same
company. (See table 10.)
Recall Expectations
Forty-seven percent of the private nonfarm employers reporting an
extended mass layoff in the third quarter of 2012 anticipated
recalling at least some of the displaced workers. Of those employers
expecting to recall workers, 22 percent indicated the offer would be
extended to all displaced employees and 62 percent anticipated
extending the offer to at least half of the workers. Among employers
expecting to recall laid-off workers, 60 percent intend to do so
within six months. Excluding extended mass layoff events due to
seasonal work and vacation period, employers anticipated recalling the
laid-off workers in 35 percent of the events. (See table 11.)
Table B. Metropolitan areas with the largest number of initial claimants associated with
extended mass layoff events in third quarter 2012, by residency of claimants
2011 III (r) 2012 III (p)
Metropolitan area Initial Initial
claimants Rank claimants Rank
Total, 372 metropolitan areas ........... 252,439 109,268
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. ........ 69,035 1 22,283 1
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long
Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. ....................... 18,069 2 10,291 2
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. ........ 14,860 3 5,235 3
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. ....... 7,358 6 4,799 4
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif. ........... 11,077 4 4,365 5
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. ........... 9,084 5 2,484 6
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. .......... 5,107 7 2,394 7
Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev. ........................ 1,408 28 2,307 8
Visalia-Porterville, Calif. ..................... 1,980 17 2,168 9
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, Calif. ..... 4,403 8 1,826 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.
Size of Extended Layoffs
The average size of a layoff (as measured by the number of separations
per layoff event) was 156 workers during the third quarter of 2012.
(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 124,963 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were
associated with extended mass layoffs in the third quarter of 2012. Of
these claimants, 16 percent were black, 23 percent were Hispanic, 42
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.
Geographic Distribution
Among the four census regions, the West recorded the highest number of
extended mass layoff events in the third quarter of 2012, 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 recorded the largest number of extended mass layoff events
in the third quarter of 2012, followed by New York, Illinois, and
Pennsylvania. 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-seven percent of the initial claimants for unemployment
insurance associated with extended mass layoff events in the third
quarter of 2012 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.)
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 October is scheduled to be released
on Tuesday, November 20, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
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 2012 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 third quarter of 2012, outright refusal to participate in the
employer interview accounted for 5.2 percent of all private nonfarm
events. Although included in the total number of instances involving
the movement of work, employers in 20 relocations were unable to provide
the number of separations specifically associated with the movement of
work, 5 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, 2011 and 2012
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Industry
III II III III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ................. 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963
Mining ....................................... (2) 13 10 (2) 1,834 1,169 (2) 1,587 836
Utilities .................................... (2) (2) 3 (2) (2) 221 (2) (2) 217
Construction ................................. 216 232 122 27,503 27,454 13,001 33,822 34,874 12,861
Manufacturing ................................ 262 214 196 45,393 39,415 29,350 50,313 40,823 24,585
Food .................................... 70 70 45 14,718 11,104 7,246 15,001 11,014 6,523
Beverage and tobacco products ........... 9 (2) 3 1,353 (2) 301 1,990 (2) 308
Textile mills ........................... 4 (2) (2) 541 (2) (2) 2,479 (2) (2)
Textile product mills ................... 3 6 (2) 368 947 (2) 460 1,062 (2)
Apparel ................................. 5 7 3 1,246 1,255 508 1,611 1,311 466
Leather and allied products ............. - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Wood products ........................... 9 3 - 1,392 336 - 1,268 244 -
Paper ................................... 4 5 5 682 1,600 522 518 802 482
Printing and related support activities . 11 12 3 1,089 1,609 298 1,454 1,665 302
Petroleum and coal products ............. - - (2) - - (2) - - (2)
Chemicals ............................... 9 7 7 889 1,388 701 1,008 1,410 680
Plastics and rubber products ............ 9 6 9 2,678 550 787 1,322 467 602
Nonmetallic mineral products ............ 6 5 5 811 465 664 717 500 911
Primary metals .......................... 4 7 9 804 2,779 3,596 498 2,441 1,125
Fabricated metal products ............... 8 6 17 1,341 635 1,700 1,471 1,028 1,849
Machinery ............................... 16 16 20 2,607 3,602 2,220 3,704 3,322 2,749
Computer and electronic products ........ 15 15 22 2,617 2,878 2,284 2,383 1,980 2,031
Electrical equipment and appliances ..... 11 4 3 2,445 1,203 411 2,483 1,538 433
Transportation equipment ................ 49 31 31 7,531 6,217 6,116 9,729 8,749 4,596
Furniture and related products .......... 12 5 (2) 1,461 380 (2) 1,452 415 (2)
Miscellaneous manufacturing ............. 8 4 7 820 659 659 765 701 540
Wholesale trade .............................. 25 42 18 2,951 6,393 1,828 2,832 5,246 1,628
Retail trade ................................. 70 111 51 18,151 23,909 9,323 15,428 27,249 8,893
Transportation and warehousing ............... 101 191 67 13,476 36,865 10,665 14,597 39,416 9,164
Information .................................. 98 89 43 23,673 32,841 13,783 42,888 39,207 12,769
Finance and insurance ........................ 43 36 27 8,115 8,112 4,901 9,497 7,607 3,670
Real estate and rental and leasing ........... 7 14 3 904 2,103 712 1,686 2,485 698
Professional and technical services .......... 72 113 42 11,799 31,803 7,476 16,193 28,182 5,933
Management of companies and enterprises ...... 6 9 4 510 1,254 374 1,260 1,321 361
Administrative and waste services ............ 221 261 137 44,286 57,919 22,869 63,534 54,783 25,057
Educational services ......................... 22 47 24 2,666 5,963 3,161 2,852 6,332 3,042
Health care and social assistance ............ 95 244 44 9,305 31,987 5,182 9,307 29,720 4,163
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .......... 45 82 25 8,309 17,752 4,084 8,482 9,840 3,103
Accommodation and food services .............. 85 186 57 15,861 49,742 9,050 15,492 43,780 6,901
Other services, except public administration . 21 69 12 2,034 9,511 1,335 2,379 9,524 1,082
Unclassified ................................. 1 (2) - 114 (2) - 114 (2) -
1 For the third quarter of 2012, 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, 2011 and 2012
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Reason for layoff
III II III III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ...... 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963
Business demand .................... 629 637 393 103,741 120,750 61,221 157,685 143,624 59,799
Contract cancellation ............ 36 39 26 5,138 7,216 4,910 5,917 7,208 2,571
Contract completion .............. 419 446 263 75,760 88,893 45,105 121,189 110,332 47,092
Domestic competition ............. (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Excess inventory/saturated
market ......................... 4 (2) (2) 2,105 (2) (2) 660 (2) (2)
Import competition ............... (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Slack work/insufficient demand/
non-seasonal business slowdown . 166 147 99 20,349 23,897 10,146 29,142 25,558 9,146
Organizational changes ............. 76 94 62 12,258 18,402 10,537 12,385 14,654 7,753
Business-ownership change ........ 18 21 11 2,309 6,507 2,385 1,490 2,083 914
Reorganization or restructuring
of company ..................... 58 73 51 9,949 11,895 8,152 10,895 12,571 6,839
Financial issues ................... 102 103 63 19,232 20,427 11,293 18,227 19,244 7,416
Bankruptcy ....................... 21 18 9 7,544 4,591 4,450 5,337 3,535 1,232
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase profitability ......... 44 51 29 6,572 9,460 3,700 7,791 11,444 3,689
Financial difficulty ............. 37 34 25 5,116 6,376 3,143 5,099 4,265 2,495
Production specific ................ 17 (2) (2) 2,074 (2) (2) 2,363 (2) (2)
Automation/technological
advances ....................... 3 (2) (2) 253 (2) (2) 294 (2) (2)
Energy related ................... - - - - - - - - -
Governmental regulations/
intervention ................... (2) 4 5 (2) 695 965 (2) 470 644
Labor dispute/contract
negotiations/strike ............ 4 (2) (2) 731 (2) (2) 704 (2) (2)
Material or supply shortage ...... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Model changeover ................. 4 3 (2) 467 1,440 (2) 618 2,077 (2)
Plant or machine repair/
maintenance .................... 3 5 5 390 627 433 504 1,352 440
Product line discontinued ........ - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Disaster/safety .................... 9 (2) (2) 1,251 (2) (2) 1,127 (2) (2)
Hazardous work environment ....... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Natural disaster (not weather
related) ....................... (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Non-natural disaster ............. - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Extreme weather-related event .... (2) - - (2) - - (2) - -
Seasonal ........................... 303 825 179 50,094 162,821 26,291 52,846 145,352 22,957
Seasonal ......................... 185 428 109 37,154 94,863 18,415 38,820 75,464 14,125
Vacation period-school related
or otherwise ................... 118 397 70 12,940 67,958 7,876 14,026 69,888 8,832
Other/miscellaneous ................ 257 280 167 46,675 58,304 26,130 46,433 54,657 24,294
Other ............................ 23 21 19 3,812 3,421 4,296 3,549 3,220 2,477
Data not provided: refusal ....... 54 87 47 13,884 18,059 7,181 13,892 17,908 7,179
Data not provided: does not
know ........................... 180 172 101 28,979 36,824 14,653 28,992 33,529 14,638
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, second and third quarters, 2012
Total Percent of total
initial Hispanic Persons age 55
Layoff events claimants Black origin Women and over
State
II III II III II III II III II III II III
2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) . 1,959 885 382,868 124,963 17.0 15.6 20.1 23.4 50.5 41.6 23.0 20.2
Alabama ........................ 23 4 3,668 1,137 61.5 51.3 2.2 6.1 69.4 55.0 21.4 9.3
Alaska ......................... 11 6 2,034 1,462 6.8 7.3 8.3 20.9 39.1 30.4 28.6 30.9
Arizona ........................ 22 14 4,406 1,546 6.0 14.2 56.1 32.8 65.5 51.5 23.6 12.3
Arkansas ....................... 19 9 4,558 1,226 27.6 30.9 7.2 4.6 50.4 38.9 25.4 18.6
California ..................... 631 278 144,227 50,965 9.3 9.0 33.9 36.6 43.0 41.9 17.1 16.4
Colorado ....................... 25 9 3,706 942 4.9 9.0 20.1 16.6 48.8 32.1 18.2 13.7
Connecticut .................... 18 12 2,966 1,295 16.3 16.0 12.8 24.0 64.9 55.4 33.1 22.2
Delaware ....................... 7 (2) 763 (2) 49.4 64.3 9.4 7.1 77.5 55.4 26.1 17.9
District of Columbia ........... 5 - 731 - 87.0 - 2.9 - 69.1 - 27.4 -
Florida ........................ 49 26 7,703 2,770 31.6 30.8 33.7 27.8 68.5 43.3 28.8 19.8
Georgia ........................ 37 13 7,031 1,222 54.7 45.8 2.4 .7 58.8 39.7 23.6 24.6
Hawaii ......................... (2) (2) (2) (2) .9 - 8.6 21.0 15.8 4.8 15.4 3.2
Idaho .......................... 6 3 473 218 - - 3.2 21.1 51.8 39.9 25.8 28.9
Illinois ....................... 111 58 25,056 7,223 23.9 22.9 11.2 17.0 54.9 36.7 22.8 18.7
Indiana ........................ 33 13 5,655 1,470 15.4 17.1 1.9 1.8 42.6 29.5 21.9 18.6
Iowa ........................... 10 8 1,442 817 9.7 8.7 5.6 5.3 61.0 48.7 33.2 23.9
Kansas ......................... 21 (2) 3,733 (2) 16.6 20.8 5.9 2.0 47.7 57.8 28.7 44.6
Kentucky ....................... 27 17 3,684 1,918 12.6 15.2 .1 .1 42.5 33.3 20.6 23.6
Louisiana ...................... 35 15 5,121 1,681 69.5 49.1 3.0 6.4 71.1 41.5 28.3 26.2
Maine .......................... 11 4 1,261 433 .6 6.2 .6 3.9 42.0 37.9 22.7 28.6
Maryland (3) ................... 30 9 4,443 1,409 30.9 18.6 1.1 .6 48.3 40.0 33.1 29.0
Massachusetts .................. 21 6 3,845 445 17.1 13.3 1.6 - 63.9 52.8 27.9 32.4
Michigan ....................... 37 17 5,454 1,498 20.7 13.8 2.8 4.1 68.7 28.8 27.2 16.0
Minnesota ...................... 15 11 2,090 1,117 7.7 5.6 3.2 2.7 41.6 25.3 27.6 21.7
Mississippi .................... 7 5 1,126 352 69.9 64.5 6.7 2.6 52.4 50.6 18.9 9.9
Missouri ....................... 49 13 9,702 1,794 22.7 27.3 1.8 1.3 59.8 37.0 28.7 36.1
Montana ........................ 11 - 1,045 - 1.0 - 3.8 - 55.3 - 27.8 -
Nebraska ....................... 5 (2) 835 (2) 17.2 27.1 3.4 1.6 62.8 46.8 44.0 39.4
Nevada ......................... 21 17 4,708 2,513 10.9 8.8 24.1 31.4 38.2 47.3 24.7 26.7
New Hampshire .................. 6 - 1,233 - .5 - 1.2 - 69.3 - 32.8 -
New Jersey ..................... 91 18 20,689 1,838 21.9 20.6 6.1 7.8 67.9 60.1 36.0 21.8
New Mexico ..................... 16 6 1,858 700 1.6 3.4 52.9 32.0 50.6 35.9 22.0 21.6
New York ....................... 107 90 18,675 13,429 18.5 19.3 18.8 19.0 50.8 49.6 25.8 26.6
North Carolina ................. 10 6 2,008 671 56.1 55.3 4.6 2.1 56.8 33.4 16.9 25.0
North Dakota ................... - (2) - (2) - 2.3 - 11.4 - 13.6 - 14.8
Ohio ........................... 66 35 9,292 3,181 15.9 13.2 3.4 3.2 49.3 30.9 25.1 21.4
Oklahoma ....................... (2) 6 (2) 509 3.2 8.4 19.2 7.1 46.8 60.9 23.1 21.2
Oregon ......................... 35 19 6,700 2,094 2.8 1.1 17.5 22.3 48.8 40.1 21.6 18.6
Pennsylvania ................... 106 46 18,570 5,690 11.6 10.9 4.4 6.4 52.8 36.5 32.4 26.5
Rhode Island ................... 9 (2) 1,908 (2) 4.2 - 16.1 75.8 71.6 78.8 33.7 4.5
South Carolina ................. 12 8 2,146 1,038 54.9 52.1 2.2 1.7 63.9 43.7 22.0 21.4
South Dakota ................... - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tennessee ...................... 18 12 2,992 1,335 22.5 32.3 - - 53.6 40.9 33.5 28.5
Texas .......................... 51 26 11,817 3,876 16.8 31.7 46.6 32.9 45.0 45.2 16.7 15.2
Utah ........................... 9 3 1,028 295 1.3 .3 10.0 20.0 45.1 5.4 15.5 6.8
Vermont ........................ 3 - 446 - 1.1 - .4 - 36.5 - 18.6 -
Virginia ....................... 26 3 5,475 397 48.0 34.8 4.8 11.6 54.6 48.9 22.5 18.4
Washington ..................... 37 17 5,859 2,007 8.5 9.8 15.2 29.5 36.8 35.4 19.7 19.6
West Virginia .................. 6 3 936 378 .1 .5 .1 .3 15.9 6.6 18.7 48.4
Wisconsin ...................... 48 12 9,089 1,236 14.2 4.3 3.9 3.6 60.0 39.9 35.7 25.6
Wyoming ........................ (2) (2) (2) (2) .7 5.5 9.9 16.4 18.4 8.2 12.2 11.0
Puerto Rico .................... 20 8 3,841 1,226 .1 .1 99.6 99.8 53.9 54.2 10.4 6.9
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 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
Census region and division
III II III III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
United States (1) ..... 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963
Northeast ..................... 282 372 177 37,504 69,210 22,340 42,444 69,593 23,196
New England ............... 34 68 23 4,635 13,552 2,358 3,732 11,659 2,239
Middle Atlantic ........... 248 304 154 32,869 55,658 19,982 38,712 57,934 20,957
South ......................... 249 364 163 41,153 64,223 25,600 47,311 64,358 19,975
South Atlantic ............ 140 182 69 21,324 34,237 10,808 26,659 31,236 7,941
East South Central ........ 56 75 38 11,240 11,856 5,918 11,158 11,470 4,742
West South Central ........ 53 107 56 8,589 18,130 8,874 9,494 21,652 7,292
Midwest ....................... 231 395 171 42,714 71,225 24,223 43,640 72,348 18,915
East North Central ........ 179 295 135 33,298 52,671 19,540 36,282 54,546 14,608
West North Central ........ 52 100 36 9,416 18,554 4,683 7,358 17,802 4,307
West .......................... 631 828 374 113,954 181,007 66,321 157,671 176,569 62,877
Mountain .................. 47 112 53 7,322 32,952 8,574 6,609 17,528 6,287
Pacific ................... 584 716 321 106,632 148,055 57,747 151,062 159,041 56,590
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, 2011 and 2012
Initial claimants for
Layoff events Separations unemployment insurance
State
III II III III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) . 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963
Alabama ........................ 6 23 4 1,800 3,385 1,136 1,817 3,668 1,137
Alaska ......................... 6 11 6 3,348 3,071 2,454 2,152 2,034 1,462
Arizona ........................ 9 22 14 790 7,981 1,556 1,346 4,406 1,546
Arkansas ....................... 10 19 9 1,756 4,045 945 1,742 4,558 1,226
California ..................... 548 631 278 98,495 132,040 50,669 143,070 144,227 50,965
Colorado ....................... 9 25 9 1,273 7,245 1,938 1,163 3,706 942
Connecticut .................... 6 18 12 809 2,966 1,295 625 2,966 1,295
Delaware ....................... 3 7 (2) 251 618 (2) 879 763 (2)
District of Columbia ........... (2) 5 - (2) 730 - (2) 731 -
Florida ........................ 44 49 26 7,962 8,815 3,649 7,539 7,703 2,770
Georgia ........................ 26 37 13 2,726 7,031 1,222 5,779 7,031 1,222
Hawaii ......................... - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Idaho .......................... 4 6 3 453 1,306 405 424 473 218
Illinois ....................... 66 111 58 14,338 24,914 9,863 14,385 25,056 7,223
Indiana ........................ 19 33 13 2,667 3,330 1,548 5,662 5,655 1,470
Iowa ........................... 5 10 8 725 1,319 754 745 1,442 817
Kansas ......................... 7 21 (2) 802 3,908 (2) 813 3,733 (2)
Kentucky ....................... 19 27 17 2,660 3,891 2,871 2,235 3,684 1,918
Louisiana ...................... 17 35 15 2,905 5,496 2,681 2,614 5,121 1,681
Maine .......................... (2) 11 4 (2) 1,776 308 (2) 1,261 433
Maryland(3) .................... 16 30 9 3,564 5,921 3,297 3,022 4,443 1,409
Massachusetts .................. 17 21 6 2,633 4,764 689 1,987 3,845 445
Michigan ....................... 26 37 17 4,310 5,602 2,138 5,664 5,454 1,498
Minnesota ...................... 14 15 11 1,980 2,705 1,400 1,993 2,090 1,117
Mississippi .................... 12 7 5 1,409 1,575 651 1,364 1,126 352
Missouri ....................... 22 49 13 5,367 9,980 1,925 3,449 9,702 1,794
Montana ........................ (2) 11 - (2) 2,103 - (2) 1,045 -
Nebraska ....................... 4 5 (2) 542 642 (2) 358 835 (2)
Nevada ......................... 8 21 17 1,924 4,496 3,676 1,804 4,708 2,513
New Hampshire .................. 3 6 - 335 1,796 - 243 1,233 -
New Jersey ..................... 67 91 18 11,591 22,695 1,738 9,638 20,689 1,838
New Mexico ..................... 12 16 6 1,904 3,411 612 1,356 1,858 700
New York ....................... 120 107 90 13,919 18,861 13,178 19,424 18,675 13,429
North Carolina ................. 24 10 6 3,241 2,325 520 5,830 2,008 671
North Dakota ................... - - (2) - - (2) - - (2)
Ohio ........................... 36 66 35 6,452 9,298 4,408 5,450 9,292 3,181
Oklahoma ....................... (2) (2) 6 (2) (2) 492 (2) (2) 509
Oregon ......................... 14 35 19 2,368 7,949 2,761 2,368 6,700 2,094
Pennsylvania ................... 61 106 46 7,359 14,102 5,066 9,650 18,570 5,690
Rhode Island ................... (2) 9 (2) (2) 1,938 (2) (2) 1,908 (2)
South Carolina ................. 12 12 8 1,470 1,825 821 1,645 2,146 1,038
South Dakota ................... - - - - - - - - -
Tennessee ...................... 19 18 12 5,371 3,005 1,260 5,742 2,992 1,335
Texas .......................... 25 51 26 3,668 8,451 4,756 4,912 11,817 3,876
Utah ........................... 3 9 3 278 4,810 327 279 1,028 295
Vermont ........................ 5 3 - 650 312 - 669 446 -
Virginia ....................... 11 26 3 1,440 4,801 378 1,488 5,475 397
Washington ..................... 16 37 17 2,421 4,770 1,783 3,472 5,859 2,007
West Virginia .................. (2) 6 3 (2) 2,171 865 (2) 936 378
Wisconsin ...................... 32 48 12 5,531 9,527 1,583 5,121 9,089 1,236
Wyoming ........................ - (2) (2) - (2) (2) - (2) (2)
Puerto Rico .................... 29 20 8 3,808 2,480 803 6,501 3,841 1,226
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, 2011 and 2012
Layoff events Separations
Industr
III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ................. 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941
Mining ....................................... - - - - - -
Utilities .................................... - - - - - -
Construction ................................. - - - - - -
Manufacturing ................................ 21 17 16 4,351 4,594 1,982
Food .................................... 5 (2) (2) 549 (2) (2)
Beverage and tobacco products ........... - - - - - -
Textile mills ........................... - - (2) - - (2)
Textile product mills ................... (2) - - (2) - -
Apparel ................................. - - - - - -
Leather and allied products ............. - - - - - -
Wood products ........................... (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Paper ................................... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Printing and related support activities . (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Petroleum and coal products ............. - - - - - -
Chemicals ............................... - (2) 3 - (2) 236
Plastics and rubber products ............ (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Nonmetallic mineral products ............ (2) - - (2) - -
Primary metals .......................... - - - - - -
Fabricated metal products ............... - - (2) - - (2)
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 ................ (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Furniture and related products .......... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Miscellaneous manufacturing ............. (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Wholesale trade .............................. (2) 3 - (2) 558 -
Retail trade ................................. (2) 7 (2) (2) 1,386 (2)
Transportation and warehousing ............... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Information .................................. 3 (2) 3 435 (2) 562
Finance and insurance ........................ (2) 3 5 (2) 449 802
Real estate and rental and leasing ........... - - - - - -
Professional and technical services .......... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Management of companies and enterprises ...... - (2) - - (2) -
Administrative and waste services ............ 4 4 - 858 801 -
Educational services ......................... - - - - - -
Health care and social assistance ............ (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .......... - (2) - - (2) -
Accommodation and food services .............. - - - - - -
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, 2011 and 2012
Layoff events Separations
Reason for layoff III II III III II III
2011r 2012r 2012p 2011r 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ...... 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941
Business demand .................... 11 5 - 3,140 1,518 -
Contract cancellation ............ 4 (2) - 712 (2) -
Contract completion .............. - - - - - -
Domestic competition ............. (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Excess inventory/saturated
market ......................... (2) - - (2) - -
Import competition ............... (2) - - (2) - -
Slack work/insufficient demand/
non-seasonal business slowdown . (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Organizational changes ............. 13 24 15 1,824 5,460 2,144
Business-ownership change ........ (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Reorganization or restructuring
of company ..................... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Financial issues ................... (2) 8 9 (2) 1,202 1,216
Bankruptcy ....................... - - - - - -
Cost control/cost cutting/
increase profitability ......... (2) 8 (2) (2) 1,202 (2)
Financial difficulty ............. (2) - (2) (2) - (2)
Production specific ................ (2) (2) (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 .................... - - (2) - - (2)
Product line discontinued ........ - (2) (2) - (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) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Other ............................ (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Data not provided: refusal ....... (2) (2) - (2) (2) -
Data not provided: does not
know ........................... - - - - - -
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, 2011 and 2012
Layoff events Separations
Census region and division
III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
United States (1) . 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941
Northeast ................. 12 5 3 1,693 588 206
New England .......... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Middle Atlantic ...... (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
South ..................... 13 12 11 3,505 2,484 1,490
South Atlantic ........ (2) (2) 5 (2) (2) 630
East South Central .... 6 6 3 2,282 650 499
West South Central .... (2) (2) 3 (2) (2) 361
Midwest ................... 7 10 10 873 2,750 1,396
East North Central .... 3 7 6 525 1,900 703
West North Central .... 4 3 4 348 850 693
West ...................... 6 15 5 840 3,190 849
Mountain .............. (2) 4 (2) (2) 728 (2)
Pacific ............... (2) 11 (2) (2) 2,462 (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, 2011 and 2012
Layoff events Separations
Action
III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ......... 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484
Total, excluding seasonal
and vacation events (2) .... 1,090 1,134 706 185,231 222,844 112,193
Total, movement of work(3) . 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941
Movement of work
actions ............. 53 56 41 (4) (4) (4)
With separations
reported ....... 31 30 21 3,443 3,750 1,585
With separations
unknown ........ 22 26 20 (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, 2011 and 2011
Actions (1) Separations
Activities
III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
With separations reported (2) . 31 30 21 3,443 3,750 1,585
By location
Out-of-country relocations .. 3 3 1 185 1,315 10
Within company .......... - 3 1 - 1,315 10
Different company ....... 3 - - 185 - -
Domestic relocations ........ 28 26 20 3,258 2,360 1,575
Within company .......... 24 26 19 2,520 2,360 1,420
Different company ....... 4 - 1 738 - 155
Unable to assign place of
relocation ............... - 1 - - 75 -
By company
Within company .............. 24 29 20 2,520 3,675 1,430
Domestic ................ 24 26 19 2,520 2,360 1,420
Out of country .......... - 3 1 - 1,315 10
Unable to assign ........ - - - - - -
Different company ........... 7 1 1 923 75 155
Domestic ................ 4 - 1 738 - 155
Out of country .......... 3 - - 185 - -
Unable to assign ........ - 1 - - 75 -
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, 2011 and 2012
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
III II III III II III III II III
2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p
Anticipate a recall ..... 48.3 63.0 47.1 97.4 96.1 96.1 34.7 38.9 34.7
Timeframe
Within 6 months ......... 54.8 70.0 60.2 83.7 90.9 86.6 32.3 32.4 41.6
Within 3 months ... 45.0 49.2 49.9 67.1 62.4 67.4 27.8 25.4 37.6
Size of recall
At least half ........... 58.1 71.0 62.4 88.1 92.9 91.3 34.7 31.5 42.0
All workers ....... 28.1 38.1 22.3 45.4 54.7 33.1 14.6 8.2 14.7
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, 2011 and 2012
Average number of separations
Measure
III II III
2011r 2012r 2012p
Total, private nonfarm (1) ..... 169 197 156
Industry
Mining ............................... 78 141 117
Utilities ............................ 120 215 74
Construction ......................... 127 118 107
Manufacturing ........................ 173 184 150
Wholesale trade ...................... 118 152 102
Retail trade ......................... 259 215 183
Transportation and warehousing ....... 133 193 159
Information .......................... 242 369 321
Finance and insurance ................ 189 225 182
Real estate and rental and leasing ... 129 150 237
Professional and
technical services ................. 164 281 178
Management of companies
and enterprises .................... 85 139 94
Administrative and waste services .... 200 222 167
Educational services ................. 121 127 132
Health care and social assistance .... 98 131 118
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .. 185 216 163
Accommodation and food services ...... 187 267 159
Other services, except
public administration .............. 97 138 111
Unclassified establishments .......... 114 95 -
Reason for layoff groupings
Business demand ...................... 165 190 156
Organizational changes ............... 161 196 170
Financial issues ..................... 189 198 179
Production specific .................. 122 246 139
Disaster/Safety ...................... 139 270 168
Seasonal ............................. 165 197 147
Other/miscellaneous .................. 182 208 156
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, third quarter 2012(p)
Layoff events Separations
Size
Number Percent Number Percent
Total .................... 885 100.0 138,484 100.0
50-99 ................... 416 47.0 30,102 21.7
100-149 ................. 208 23.5 24,540 17.7
150-199 ................. 96 10.8 16,064 11.6
200-299 ................. 85 9.6 20,327 14.7
300-499 ................. 41 4.6 15,088 10.9
500-999 ................. 31 3.5 20,964 15.1
1,000 or more ........... 8 0.9 11,399 8.2
p = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
