January 27, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Mass layoff events and initial claims decline in 2011

Number of mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 1996–2011, not seasonally adjusted
Year	Layoff events	Initial claimants for unemployment insurance
1996	14,111	1,437,628
1997	14,960	1,542,543
1998	15,904	1,771,069
1999	14,909	1,572,399
2000	15,738	1,835,592
2001	21,467	2,514,862
2002	20,277	2,245,051
2003	18,963	1,888,926
2004	15,980	1,607,158
2005	16,466	1,795,341
2006	13,998	1,484,391
2007	15,493	1,598,875
2008	21,137	2,130,220
2009	28,030	2,796,456
2010	19,564	1,854,596
2011	18,521	1,808,451

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