Mass layoffs by region in November

Among the four census regions, the highest number of initial unemployment insurance claims in November 2006 due to mass layoffs was in the Midwest (49,067). Transportation equipment manufacturing and administrative and support services together accounted for 33 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in that region during the month.

[Chart data—TXT]

The West had the second largest number of initial claims among the regions, 38,860, followed by the South, 27,536, and the Northeast 20,723.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs increased over the year in three of the four regions—the Midwest (+14,166), the West (+8,196), and the Northeast (+1,598). The South experienced the only regional decrease (-3,901).

These data are from the BLS Mass Layoff Statistics program. Learn more in "Mass Layoffs in November 2006" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06-2100. Initial claimants are persons who file any notice of unemployment to initiate a request for compensation. Mass layoff events involve at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits filed against a single establishment.