Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, not seasonally adjusted
Industry Mass layoff totals Average weekly mass layoffs (1)
Events Initial claimants Events Initial claimants
May May May May May May May May
2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013
Total (2) .................................. 1,201 1,383 109,259 134,483 300 277 27,315 26,897
Total, private ................................... 1,099 1,255 101,354 123,833 275 251 25,339 24,767
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ... 18 37 920 2,288 5 7 230 458
Total, private nonfarm ......................... 1,081 1,218 100,434 121,545 270 244 25,109 24,309
Mining ....................................... 5 5 262 353 1 1 66 71
Utilities .................................... (3) 3 (3) 243 (3) 1 (3) 49
Construction ................................. 129 135 9,617 11,463 32 27 2,404 2,293
Construction of buildings ................ 26 23 2,250 2,064 7 5 563 413
Heavy and civil engineering construction . 40 49 3,198 4,677 10 10 800 935
Specialty trade contractors .............. 63 63 4,169 4,722 16 13 1,042 944
Manufacturing ................................ 186 221 18,800 26,125 47 44 4,700 5,225
Food ..................................... 48 57 4,487 6,040 12 11 1,122 1,208
Beverage and tobacco products ............ (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3)
Textile mills ............................ 7 7 685 523 2 1 171 105
Textile product mills .................... 4 4 266 371 1 1 67 74
Apparel .................................. 10 8 711 664 3 2 178 133
Leather and allied products .............. - - - - - - - -
Wood products ............................ 4 6 262 530 1 1 66 106
Paper .................................... 6 6 628 554 2 1 157 111
Printing and related support activities .. 16 4 1,373 307 4 1 343 61
Petroleum and coal products .............. - (3) - (3) - (3) - (3)
Chemicals ................................ 5 5 546 385 1 1 137 77
Plastics and rubber products ............. 5 5 300 469 1 1 75 94
Nonmetallic mineral products ............. 5 3 488 195 1 1 122 39
Primary metals ........................... 9 16 641 1,125 2 3 160 225
Fabricated metal products ................ 6 12 384 804 2 2 96 161
Machinery ................................ 12 29 1,175 7,155 3 6 294 1,431
Computer and electronic products ......... 12 11 913 729 3 2 228 146
Electrical equipment and appliances ...... 4 5 723 551 1 1 181 110
Transportation equipment ................. 19 22 3,836 4,020 5 4 959 804
Furniture and related products ........... 9 11 1,049 1,041 2 2 262 208
Miscellaneous manufacturing .............. (3) 5 (3) 329 (3) 1 (3) 66
Wholesale trade .............................. 16 26 976 1,674 4 5 244 335
Retail trade (4) ............................. 117 103 11,529 9,008 29 21 2,882 1,802
Building material and garden supply stores 8 8 767 759 2 2 192 152
Food and beverage stores ................. 18 22 1,302 1,851 5 4 326 370
Clothing and clothing accessories stores . 14 8 773 500 4 2 193 100
General merchandise stores ............... 49 32 6,414 3,534 12 6 1,604 707
Transportation and warehousing (4) ........... 38 45 4,628 5,188 10 9 1,157 1,038
Truck transportation ..................... 7 8 362 552 2 2 91 110
Transit and ground passenger
transportation ......................... 13 21 2,844 3,338 3 4 711 668
Support activities for transportation .... 3 (3) 161 (3) 1 (3) 40 (3)
Information .................................. 39 43 5,349 4,020 10 9 1,337 804
Finance and insurance ........................ 31 18 2,478 1,273 8 4 620 255
Real estate and rental and leasing ........... 4 7 428 540 1 1 107 108
Professional and technical services .......... 56 64 3,780 6,685 14 13 945 1,337
Management of companies and enterprises ...... 4 4 516 407 1 1 129 81
Administrative and waste services ............ 169 207 12,483 17,588 42 41 3,121 3,518
Educational services ......................... 11 12 843 980 3 2 211 196
Health care and social assistance ............ 95 133 9,725 15,256 24 27 2,431 3,051
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .......... 26 28 1,920 1,720 7 6 480 344
Accommodation and food services .............. 120 130 14,142 15,553 30 26 3,536 3,111
Accommodation ............................ 13 14 970 972 3 3 243 194
Food services and drinking places ........ 107 116 13,172 14,581 27 23 3,293 2,916
Other services, except public administration . 29 31 2,595 3,162 7 6 649 632
Unclassified ................................. (3) 3 (3) 307 (3) 1 (3) 61
Government ....................................... 102 128 7,905 10,650 26 26 1,976 2,130
Federal ...................................... 7 8 519 782 2 2 130 156
State ........................................ 24 36 1,856 2,902 6 7 464 580
State government education .............. 15 23 1,008 1,672 4 5 252 334
Local ........................................ 71 84 5,530 6,966 18 17 1,383 1,393
Local government education .............. 37 52 2,359 3,935 9 10 590 787
1 Average weekly analysis mitigates the effect of differing lengths of months. There were 4 weeks in May 2012 and 5 weeks in May 2013.
Average weekly events and initial claimants may not sum to subtotals and totals due to rounding.
2 Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
3 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
4 Includes other industries not shown.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
United States Department of Labor
