Initial claims for unemployment insurance due to mass layoffs by region, May 2011

The number of initial claims for unemployment insurance due to mass layoffs was 119,911 in May, 2011 (not seasonally adjusted) a decrease of 3,422, or 3 percent, from May 2010. Two of the 4 regions and 5 of the 9 divisions experienced over-the-year decreases in initial claims for unemployment insurance in May.

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Among the census regions, the West registered the largest over-the-year decrease in initial claims. Of the geographic divisions, the Pacific had the largest over-the-year decline in initial claims.

The East South Central division (in the South region) registered the largest over-the-year increase in initial claims.

California recorded the highest number of mass layoff initial claims in May, followed by Pennsylvania, Florida, and Mississippi. There were 29 states that experienced over-the-year increases in initial claims; the largest of these increases occurred in Mississippi.

These data are from the Mass Layoff Statistics program. See "Mass Layoffs–May 2011" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-10-1452, to learn more. Each mass layoff action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer.