News
United States
Department
of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Technical information:
(202) 691-6392
http://www.bls.gov/mls/
Media contact:
(202) 691-5902
Washington, D.C. 20212
USDL 08-1342
For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
MASS LAYOFFS IN AUGUST 2008
In August, employers took 1,772 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new
filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
Department of Labor reported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer;
the number of workers involved totaled 173,955, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Layoff events reached
a program high for the month of August (with data available back to 1995), and associated initial
claimants reached its highest level for the month since 2001. The number of mass layoff events this
August increased by 260 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims rose by
22,784. In August, 599 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally
adjusted, resulting in 72,244 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff events in manufacturing
increased by 156, and initial claims increased by 14,774. (See table 1.)
Chart 1. Mass layoff events, seasonally adjusted,
September 2003-August 2008
Chart 2. Mass layoff initial claims, seasonally adjusted,
September 2003-August 2008
Events
Claims
3,000
300,000
2,500
250,000
2,000
200,000
Total
Total
1,500
150,000
1,000
100,000
Private nonfarm
500
0
2004
2005
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
2006
Manufacturing
50,000
2007
2008
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
From January through August 2008, the total number of mass layoff events (seasonally adjusted), at
12,542, and initial claims (seasonally adjusted), at 1,274,765, were the highest for the January-August
period since 2003.
The national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in August, seasonally adjusted, up from 5.7 percent in the prior month and from 4.7 percent a year earlier. In August, total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 84,000 over the month and by 283,000 from a year earlier.
2
Table A. Industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims in August 2008
August peak
Industry
Initial claims
Year
Initial claims
Temporary help services ......................................
School and employee bus transportation .............
Professional employer organizations ...................
Motion picture and video production ..................
Automobile manufacturing ..................................
Heavy duty truck manufacturing .........................
Motor home manufacturing .................................
Full-service restaurants ........................................
All other motor vehicle parts manufacturing .......
Discount department stores .................................
10,585
6,455
5,252
4,516
3,856
3,214
2,579
2,275
2,135
2,045
1999
2003
2008
2003
2001
2006
2008
2008
2008
2007
11,533
6,538
5,252
6,812
8,166
4,896
2,579
2,275
2,135
2,953
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in August was 1,427 on a not seasonally adjusted basis; the number of associated initial claims was 139,999. (See table 2.) Over the year, increases were recorded in
both the number of layoff events (+464) and initial claims (+46,541). The largest over-the-year increases in initial claims occurred in transportation equipment manufacturing (+14,191) and in administrative and waste services (+4,524). The largest decrease in initial claims occurred in credit intermediation and related activities (-6,363).
The manufacturing sector accounted for 29 percent of all mass layoff events and 37 percent of initial claims filed in August; a year earlier, manufacturing made up 23 percent of events and 25 percent of
initial claims. In August 2008, the number of manufacturing claimants was greatest in transportation
equipment manufacturing (19,787), followed by machinery manufacturing (4,887). (See table 3.)
Administrative and waste services accounted for 15 percent of mass layoff events and 14 percent of
associated initial claims, primarily from temporary help services.
The six-digit NAICS industry with the largest number of initial claims was temporary help services
(10,585), followed by school and employee bus transportation (6,455). Among the 10 industries with
the highest levels of initial claims, 4 of the 10—professional employer organizations, motor home manufacturing, full-service restaurants, and all other motor vehicle parts manufacturing—reached program
highs in 2008 for the month of August (with data available back to 1995). (See table A.)
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Of the 4 census regions, the West had the highest number of initial claims in August due to mass
layoffs (45,837). The South had the second largest count of initial claims among the regions (38,188),
followed by the Midwest with 33,238 and the Northeast with 22,736. (See table 5.)
Initial claimants in mass layoffs increased over the year in all 4 regions—the South (+16,736), the
Midwest (+14,919), the West (+8,546), and the Northeast (+6,340). All 9 divisions experienced overthe-year increases in initial claims, led by the East North Central (+11,105) and the South Atlantic
(+9,681).
3
California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events in August
with 36,120, largely due to layoffs in administrative and support services and in motion picture and
sound recording industries. The states with the next highest numbers of mass layoff initial claims were
New York (10,760), Florida (9,849), and Ohio (7,994). (See table 6.)
Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia registered over-the-year increases in initial claims
associated with mass layoffs, led by California (+5,054), Ohio (+4,930), and Florida (+4,674). States
with the largest over-the-year decreases in claims were Arizona (-704) and Washington (-461).
_____________________________
The report on Mass Layoffs in September 2008 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday,
October 22.
Technical Note
The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federalstate program that uses a standardized automated approach to
identifying, describing, and tracking the effects of major job
cutbacks, using data from each state's unemployment
insurance database. Each month, states report on employers
which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them during
a consecutive 5-week period. These employers then are
contacted by the state agency to determine whether these
separations lasted 31 days or longer, and, if so, other
information concerning the layoff is collected. States report
on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a quarterly basis.
A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly
unemployment insurance claims filings for the Sunday
through Saturday weeks in that month. All weeks are
included for the particular month, except if the first day of the
month falls on Saturday. In this case, the week is included in
the prior month's tabulations. This means that some months
will contain 4 weeks and others, 5 weeks, the number of
weeks in a given month may be different from year to year,
and the number of weeks in a year may vary. Therefore,
analysis of over-the-month and over-the-year change in not
seasonally adjusted series should take this calendar effect into
consideration.
The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995
after it had been terminated in November 1992 due to lack of
funding. Prior to April 1995, monthly layoff statistics were
not available.
Information in this release will be made available to
sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:
(202) 691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1800-877-8339.
Definitions
Employer. Employers in the MLS program include
those covered by state unemployment insurance laws.
Information on employers is obtained from the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, which
is adminis tered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Initial claimant. A person who files any notice of un-
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.
Mass layoff event. Fifty or more initial claims for
unemployment insurance benefits filed against an employer
during a 5-week period, regardless of duration.
Seasonal adjustment
Effective with the release of data for January 2005, BLS
began publishing six seasonally adjusted monthly MLS
series. The six series are the numb ers of mass layoff events
and mass layoff initial claims for the total, private nonfarm,
and manufacturing sectors.
Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and
removing the effect on time series data of regularly recurring
seasonal events such as changes in the weather, holidays, and
the beginning and ending of the school year. The use of
seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental
changes in time series, particularly those associated with
general economic expansions and contractions.
The MLS data are seasonally adjusted using the X-12ARIMA seasonal adjustment method on a concurrent basis.
Concurrent seasonal adjustment uses all available monthly
estimates, including those for the current month, in developing seasonal adjustment factors. Revisions to the most
recent 5 years of seasonally adjusted data will be made once a
year with the issuance of December data. Before the data are
seasonally adjusted, prior adjustments are made to the
original data to adjust them for differences in the number of
weeks used to calculate the monthly data. Because weekly
unemployment insurance claims are aggregated to form
monthly data, a particular month's value could be calculated
with 5 weeks of data in 1 year and 4 weeks in another. The
effects of these differences could seriously distort the
seasonal factors if they were ignored in the seasonal
adjustment process. These effects are modeled in the X-12ARIMA program and are permanently removed from the
final seasonally adjusted series.
Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, September 2004 to
August 2008, seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2004
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,285
1,283
1,320
1,148
127,833
132,766
130,873
111,060
1,154
1,169
1,174
991
116,843
123,471
119,029
99,784
336
363
380
287
45,690
47,046
45,416
31,935
2005
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,475
1,146
1,207
1,252
1,248
1,196
1,250
1,144
2,248
1,101
1,176
1,261
160,725
121,455
131,271
136,752
136,420
127,084
132,445
125,686
297,544
110,035
114,965
134,461
1,346
1,020
1,066
1,125
1,104
1,078
1,103
1,000
2,028
982
1,042
1,132
151,028
110,480
120,945
126,550
123,495
118,012
119,566
113,762
251,185
100,934
103,535
123,418
382
353
372
401
398
368
357
341
417
321
332
360
61,324
43,568
53,673
60,681
54,999
58,300
46,602
47,598
55,304
43,230
42,071
46,863
2006
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,107
1,031
1,084
1,171
1,124
1,146
1,179
1,270
1,173
1,191
1,232
1,194
110,800
109,798
119,049
121,580
117,115
123,827
121,017
135,400
123,767
121,827
133,803
131,062
988
940
983
1,043
1,005
1,030
1,051
1,107
1,056
1,076
1,121
1,092
101,494
101,828
110,668
112,175
107,181
114,080
111,336
124,427
114,677
113,123
124,559
121,796
283
322
323
368
314
352
372
377
385
399
414
374
34,037
43,147
48,119
49,568
43,087
44,869
48,534
60,906
45,767
53,601
58,385
51,408
2007
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,254
1,352
1,277
1,243
1,199
1,238
1,247
1,228
1,307
1,347
1,329
1,433
128,223
143,837
130,981
126,977
120,587
129,858
127,687
121,886
128,487
136,124
139,671
141,750
1,118
1,238
1,169
1,116
1,096
1,116
1,140
1,128
1,204
1,224
1,215
1,315
117,824
135,066
122,488
116,926
113,069
120,165
119,614
114,628
121,294
127,163
131,390
133,024
391
416
412
382
370
351
392
335
430
430
414
462
52,858
61,749
52,606
43,930
48,910
40,670
51,333
36,518
53,432
57,695
56,965
58,108
2008
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
1,438
1,672
1,571
1,308
1,626
1,643
1,512
1,772
144,111
177,374
157,156
133,914
171,387
165,697
151,171
173,955
1,317
1,539
1,460
1,186
1,496
1,491
1,368
1,622
134,347
166,782
147,537
124,053
161,912
153,568
140,116
163,800
427
529
482
483
528
541
443
599
55,488
66,913
64,088
60,552
72,058
76,514
57,470
72,244
Events
Initial
claimants
Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, September 2004 to
August 2008, not seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2004
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
708
1,242
1,399
1,614
68,972
127,918
130,423
161,271
637
1,101
1,201
1,487
63,102
117,375
115,549
152,092
189
372
412
436
25,808
48,265
44,243
50,726
2005
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
2,564
810
806
1,373
986
1,157
1,981
645
1,662
905
1,254
2,323
263,952
74,644
88,937
158,582
101,358
120,463
244,216
67,582
213,281
91,941
116,127
254,258
2,421
722
733
1,263
891
941
1,745
598
1,505
757
1,079
2,168
253,409
68,372
83,793
148,133
93,332
103,307
222,377
63,484
179,042
80,694
102,182
242,753
823
230
246
395
249
216
856
188
318
249
363
706
108,985
24,931
33,030
59,129
30,424
32,783
136,210
22,531
47,497
37,276
41,442
96,382
2006
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,245
719
921
1,140
872
1,489
1,511
708
865
964
1,315
2,249
117,946
66,555
111,838
121,589
84,809
164,761
166,857
72,844
87,699
98,804
136,186
254,503
1,123
658
856
1,038
794
1,224
1,335
656
785
820
1,172
2,126
108,701
62,208
106,177
112,964
78,663
140,687
154,342
69,054
81,274
88,133
125,009
244,783
331
210
285
296
192
319
648
203
296
311
455
735
35,097
24,892
44,688
39,538
23,570
41,095
96,152
28,494
39,076
46,737
58,473
105,462
2007
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,407
935
1,082
1,219
923
1,599
1,599
963
717
1,083
1,799
2,167
134,984
86,696
123,974
127,444
85,816
172,810
175,419
93,458
67,385
108,455
198,220
224,214
1,263
861
1,015
1,115
856
1,318
1,450
908
667
929
1,593
2,071
124,475
82,097
118,431
118,040
81,153
148,669
164,939
88,345
64,026
97,716
181,184
216,898
456
273
367
309
224
313
684
220
246
338
514
699
53,615
36,170
49,886
35,229
26,527
36,571
101,390
23,361
29,381
50,918
75,413
91,754
2008
January ........................................................
February ......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ..............................................................
August ..........................................................
1,647
1,269
1,089
1,272
1,552
1,622
1,891
1,427
154,503
119,508
114,541
130,810
159,471
166,742
200,382
139,999
1,520
1,178
1,039
1,172
1,438
1,315
1,687
1,343
144,191
113,587
110,147
121,625
150,462
140,916
186,018
133,146
488
361
333
394
388
309
760
414
54,418
42,527
43,740
48,188
51,698
42,097
108,733
51,912
Events
Initial
claimants
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Industry
August
2007
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
August
2007
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
1,228
1,128
335
1,643
1,491
541
1,512
1,368
443
1,772
1,622
599
121,886
114,628
36,518
165,697
153,568
76,514
151,171
140,116
57,470
173,955
163,800
72,244
Seasonally adjusted
Total ...............................................................
Total, private nonfarm ........................................
Manufacturing ..................................................
Not seasonally adjusted
1
Total .............................................................
963
1,622
1,891
1,427
93,458
166,742
200,382
139,999
Total, private ........................................................
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ..........
Total, private nonfarm ........................................
Mining ..............................................................
Utilities .............................................................
Construction .....................................................
Manufacturing ..................................................
Food .............................................................
Beverage and tobacco products ..................
Textile mills ..................................................
Textile product mills 3 ...................................
Apparel 3 .......................................................
Leather and allied products ..........................
Wood products .............................................
Paper ...........................................................
Printing and related support activities ..........
Petroleum and coal products .......................
927
19
908
(2)
(2)
106
220
27
3
7
5
10
(2)
19
(2)
6
–
1,363
48
1,315
(2)
(2)
114
309
58
(2)
5
144,732
3,816
140,916
(2)
(2)
7,713
42,097
6,065
(2)
730
4
11
5
11
10
16
16
10
39
12
6
4
8
9
12
19
22
13
8
74
12
13
1,373
30
1,343
3
(2)
142
414
40
8
10
4
10
(2)
35
3
10
(2)
5
30
8
19
25
30
26
11
112
20
5
89,793
1,448
88,345
(2)
(2)
7,282
23,361
2,912
243
805
376
1,362
(2)
1,562
(2)
389
–
Chemicals ....................................................
Plastics and rubber products 3 .....................
Nonmetallic mineral products .......................
Primary metals .............................................
Fabricated metal products ...........................
Machinery 3 ..................................................
Computer and electronic products ...............
Electrical equipment and appliances ...........
Transportation equipment 3 ..........................
Furniture and related products 3 ...................
Miscellaneous manufacturing 3 ....................
1,765
78
1,687
(2)
(2)
72
760
49
(2)
15
5
24
3
38
10
12
(2)
13
62
16
41
71
45
30
21
269
18
15
228
898
309
1,399
689
1,846
1,252
1,238
5,596
855
745
228
960
516
1,012
1,716
2,611
1,091
2,128
17,597
1,076
909
191,309
5,291
186,018
(2)
(2)
4,941
108,733
4,844
(2)
1,286
560
2,048
184
4,044
1,239
947
(2)
999
6,804
1,412
4,606
7,007
5,042
2,498
3,052
57,761
2,397
1,751
134,871
1,725
133,146
207
(2)
9,717
51,912
3,510
630
1,013
487
981
(2)
2,980
516
938
(2)
268
3,625
1,161
1,709
2,179
4,887
2,446
1,485
19,787
2,566
520
Wholesale trade ...............................................
Retail trade .......................................................
Transportation and warehousing .....................
Information .......................................................
Finance and insurance 3 ..................................
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 ................
Professional and technical services 3 ...............
Management of companies and enterprises ....
Administrative and waste services 3 .................
Educational services ........................................
Health care and social assistance ...................
Arts, entertainment, and recreation ..................
Accommodation and food services ..................
Other services, except public administration ...
Unclassified .....................................................
16
101
63
19
93
6
25
5
153
7
15
16
46
12
1
15
89
160
47
40
7
32
4
164
18
151
26
102
33
1
22
116
107
42
55
11
40
4
259
18
65
27
78
7
–
27
142
100
48
45
13
45
(2)
214
9
35
18
74
9
–
1,247
10,680
5,968
3,432
9,631
625
3,037
390
15,114
579
914
1,218
3,346
1,064
78
908
10,567
20,647
5,078
2,968
798
3,903
257
15,635
1,275
11,867
1,462
12,931
2,507
57
1,926
9,450
11,182
4,069
4,256
792
3,147
313
22,921
1,388
4,263
2,136
5,803
419
–
1,765
12,674
9,077
6,640
3,192
742
4,458
(2)
19,682
1,462
2,584
1,320
6,221
1,185
–
Government .........................................................
Federal .............................................................
State .................................................................
Local ................................................................
36
15
3
18
259
11
12
236
126
4
26
96
54
8
13
33
3,665
1,642
248
1,775
22,010
928
953
20,129
9,073
306
2,179
6,588
5,128
800
1,464
2,864
1
(2)
7
3
22
6
10
–
Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
3
Data beginning in 2008 are not strictly comparable to prior years
2
(2)
534
862
2,314
411
1,116
–
due to a change in NAICS versions.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, July 2006 to August 2008,
not seasonally adjusted
Private nonfarm
Total mass layoffs
Date
Mass layoffs
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Extended mass layoffs
lasting more than 30 days
Events
Initial
claimants
Realization rates 1
Events
Initial
claimants
2006
July ............................................
August ........................................
September .................................
1,511
708
865
166,857
72,844
87,699
1,335
656
785
154,342
69,054
81,274
Third Quarter .............................
3,084
327,400
2,776
304,670
October ......................................
November ..................................
December ..................................
964
1,315
2,249
98,804
136,186
254,503
820
1,172
2,126
88,133
125,009
244,783
Fourth Quarter ...........................
4,528
489,493
4,118
457,925
January ......................................
February ....................................
March .........................................
1,407
935
1,082
134,984
86,696
123,974
1,263
861
1,015
124,475
82,097
118,431
First Quarter ...............................
3,424
345,654
3,139
325,003
April ............................................
May ............................................
June ...........................................
1,219
923
1,599
127,444
85,816
172,810
1,115
856
1,318
118,040
81,153
148,669
Second Quarter .........................
3,741
386,070
3,289
347,862
July ............................................
August ........................................
September .................................
1,599
963
717
175,419
93,458
67,385
1,450
908
667
164,939
88,345
64,026
Third Quarter .............................
3,279
336,262
3,025
317,310
October ......................................
November ..................................
December ..................................
1,083
1,799
2,167
108,455
198,220
224,214
929
1,593
2,071
97,716
181,184
216,898
Fourth Quarter ...........................
5,049
530,889
4,593
495,798
January ......................................
February ....................................
March .........................................
1,647
1,269
1,089
154,503
119,508
114,541
1,520
1,178
1,039
144,191
113,587
110,147
First Quarter ...............................
4,005
388,552
3,737
367,925
April ............................................
May ............................................
June ...........................................
1,272
1,552
1,622
130,810
159,471
166,742
1,172
1,438
1,315
121,625
150,462
140,916
Second Quarter .........................
4,446
457,023
3,925
413,003
July ............................................
August ........................................
1,891
1,427
200,382
139,999
1,687
1,343
186,018
133,146
929
161,764
33.5
53.1
1,640
330,954
39.8
72.3
1,110
199,250
35.4
61.3
1,421
259,234
43.2
74.5
1,018
173,077
33.7
54.5
1,814
347,146
39.5
70.0
1,340
256,697
35.9
69.8
2007
2008
1
The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm
2,p
1,534
2,p
215,808
p
39.1
p
52.3
data on these layoffs become available. Experience suggests that the
mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days. The initial claimant realization
number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards
rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial claimants
by less than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated
associated with layoffs lasting more than 30 days.
2
These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more
with such events increases by 25-40 percent.
p
= preliminary.
Table 5. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division,
not seasonally adjusted
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Census region and division
August
2007
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
August
2007
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
United States 1 .........................................
963
1,622
1,891
1,427
93,458
166,742
200,382
139,999
Northeast ..........................................................
New England ................................................
Middle Atlantic ..............................................
173
15
158
282
49
233
281
34
247
226
24
202
16,396
1,128
15,268
32,721
4,929
27,792
25,506
2,658
22,848
22,736
2,304
20,432
South ................................................................
South Atlantic ...............................................
East South Central .......................................
West South Central ......................................
227
128
54
45
365
207
63
95
450
218
161
71
362
212
90
60
21,452
10,632
6,426
4,394
38,453
18,972
10,974
8,507
48,440
17,556
21,721
9,163
38,188
20,313
11,179
6,696
Midwest ............................................................
East North Central ........................................
West North Central .......................................
181
149
32
345
257
88
606
528
78
307
254
53
18,319
15,584
2,735
39,391
28,549
10,842
84,535
75,373
9,162
33,238
26,689
6,549
West .................................................................
Mountain .......................................................
Pacific ...........................................................
382
29
353
630
63
567
554
49
505
532
50
482
37,291
3,162
34,129
56,177
4,903
51,274
41,901
4,519
37,382
45,837
4,688
41,149
1
See footnote 1, table 3.
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 6. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
not seasonally adjusted
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
State
August
2007
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
August
2007
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
Total 1 ..............................................
963
1,622
1,891
1,427
93,458
166,742
200,382
139,999
Alabama .............................................
Alaska .................................................
Arizona ...............................................
Arkansas .............................................
California ............................................
Colorado .............................................
Connecticut .........................................
Delaware ............................................
District of Columbia ............................
Florida .................................................
Georgia ...............................................
Hawaii .................................................
Idaho ...................................................
16
(2)
8
(2)
320
3
(2)
24
2,433
(2)
1,192
(2)
31,066
220
(2)
2,091
7,072
3,288
–
–
–
1,520
414
44,754
177
758
159
236
10,751
3,304
783
684
1,422
1,606
33,250
343
579
(2)
7,555
3,949
271
619
488
613
36,120
258
368
694
(2)
9,849
2,938
408
1,120
Illinois ..................................................
Indiana ................................................
Iowa ....................................................
Kansas ................................................
Kentucky .............................................
Louisiana ............................................
Maine ..................................................
Maryland .............................................
Massachusetts ....................................
Michigan .............................................
Minnesota ...........................................
Mississippi ..........................................
Missouri ..............................................
35
18
5
3
23
5
–
7,674
8,787
2,068
731
11,907
1,645
359
443
1,107
27,672
1,452
1,330
3,763
6,164
4,359
3,727
291
5,487
851
217
762
495
3,669
334
908
1,490
13
67
–
–
17
6
516
3
9
3
3
132
32
6
9
15
13
460
4
6
(2)
123
39
4
7
7
8
439
3
4
3
(2)
126
32
4
10
56
67
16
8
63
10
5
5
16
212
12
13
39
55
40
18
4
34
10
3
8
6
48
5
15
21
3,702
1,911
526
538
3,048
902
10
8
28
8
6
13
48
40
27
12
26
23
(2)
8
17
61
16
5
28
828
569
2,693
553
371
941
4,767
4,916
3,682
927
6,706
1,767
(2)
754
1,467
6,323
1,506
300
4,320
Montana ..............................................
Nebraska ............................................
Nevada ...............................................
New Hampshire ..................................
New Jersey .........................................
New Mexico ........................................
New York ............................................
North Carolina ....................................
North Dakota ......................................
Ohio ....................................................
Oklahoma ...........................................
Oregon ................................................
Pennsylvania ......................................
(2)
(2)
7
(2)
32
(2)
74
6
(2)
29
3
13
52
4
( )
17
4
60
8
38
10
3
55
6
24
135
4
( )
15
4
56
(2)
103
12
(2)
117
5
25
88
(2)
3
23
3
38
5
94
25
(2)
62
(2)
28
70
(2)
(2)
819
(2)
2,398
(2)
8,776
636
(2)
3,064
300
1,502
4,094
299
(2)
1,323
657
9,512
465
3,445
1,875
248
6,678
502
3,863
14,835
234
(2)
1,637
426
4,110
(2)
10,764
1,128
(2)
19,402
575
2,498
7,974
(2)
271
1,912
170
3,151
728
10,760
3,123
(2)
7,994
(2)
3,741
6,521
Rhode Island ......................................
South Carolina ....................................
South Dakota ......................................
Tennessee ..........................................
Texas ..................................................
Utah ....................................................
Vermont ..............................................
Virginia ................................................
Washington .........................................
West Virginia ......................................
Wisconsin ...........................................
Wyoming .............................................
3
10
(2)
9
36
3
(2)
7
16
11
12
(2)
29
5
12
337
940
(2)
574
3,085
327
(2)
560
1,341
1,141
1,139
(2)
2,958
390
2,232
Puerto Rico .........................................
15
1
2
–
–
70
25
3
5
–
39
–
–
2
–
2
–
–
–
19
60
5
6
5
21
(2)
53
18
43
(2)
(2)
9
16
17
40
(2)
3
4
11
(2)
49
–
–
13
See footnote 1, table 3.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
–
76
12
–
18
–
–
5,175
2,493
169
393
–
–
–
–
–
1,412
5,337
(2)
(2)
1,475
1,363
4,214
1,877
5,824
435
683
628
1,874
(2)
5,865
11,838
1,496
5,124
(2)
664
361
880
(2)
4,503
–
–
–
–
1,751
1,265
1,227
1,958
–
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
–