USDL-10-0492
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, April 23, 2010
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 • [email protected] • www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact:
(202) 691-5902 • [email protected]
MASS LAYOFFS – MARCH 2010
Employers took 1,628 mass layoff actions in March that resulted in the separation of 150,864 workers,
seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in March increased by 58 from the prior month, while
the number of associated initial claims decreased by 4,854. The number of events has decreased in 5 of
the last 7 months, and the number of initial claims has decreased in 6 of the last 7 months. In March, 356
mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 39,290
initial claims. Both figures registered their lowest levels since August 2007. (See table 1.)
Chart 1. Mass layoff events, seasonally adjusted,
April 2005-March 2010
Events
3,500
Chart 2. Mass layoff initial claims, seasonally adjusted,
April 2005-March 2010
Claims
350,000
3,000
300,000
2,500
250,000
2,000
200,000
Total
150,000
1,500
100,000
1,000
500
0
Total
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
50,000
0
During the 28 months from December 2007 through March 2010, the total number of mass layoff events
(seasonally adjusted) was 56,937, and the associated number of initial claims was 5,731,683. (December
2007 was the start of a recession as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research.)
The national unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in March 2010, seasonally adjusted, unchanged from
the prior month but up from 8.6 percent a year earlier. In March, nonfarm payroll employment increased
by 162,000 over the month but was down by 2,320,000 from a year earlier.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in March was 1,197 on a not seasonally adjusted basis; the number
of associated initial claims was 111,727. Over the year, the number of mass layoff events decreased by
994, and associated initial claims decreased by 116,660. (See table 2.) Fifteen of the 19 major industry
sectors in the private economy reported over-the-year decreases in initial claimants, led by manufacturing (-85,002). (See table 3.) Manufacturing also reported a program low in terms of average weekly
initial claimants for the month of March. (Average weekly analysis mitigates the effect of differing
lengths of months. See the Technical Note.)
The manufacturing sector accounted for 23 percent of all mass layoff events and 27 percent of initial
claims filed in March 2010. A year earlier, manufacturing made up 43 percent of events and 50 percent
of initial claims. Within manufacturing, the number of claimants in March 2010 was greatest in transportation equipment and food. Nineteen of the 21 manufacturing subsectors experienced over-the-year
reductions in initial claims, led by transportation equipment (-18,884) and machinery (-15,708). (See
table 3.)
The six-digit industry with the largest number of initial claims in March 2010 was food service contractors. (See table A.) Of the 10 detailed industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims,
warehouse clubs and supercenters reached a program high for the month of March. (Data begin in April
1995.)
Table A. Industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims in March 2010,
not seasonally adjusted
March peak
Industry
Initial claims
Year
Initial claims
Food service contractors ...................................
1
Temporary help services ..................................
Department stores, except discount ....................
School and employee bus transportation .............
Automobile manufacturing ..................................
Motion picture and video production ..................
1
Professional employer organizations .................
Supermarkets and other grocery stores ..............
Warehouse clubs and supercenters .....................
Discount department stores ................................
1
2
6,677
6,647
3,339
3,180
2
( )
2,933
2,561
2,012
1,897
1,821
2007
2002
1999
2008
1996
2005
2009
2009
2010
2007
7,636
14,338
3,799
8,073
15,411
7,192
4,892
2,220
1,897
3,670
See the Technical Note for more information on these industries.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
All regions and all divisions experienced over-the-year decreases in initial claims due to mass layoffs
in March. Among the 4 census regions, the Midwest (-54,366) and South (-34,841) registered the largest
-2-
over-the-year declines in initial claims. Of the 9 geographic divisions, the East North Central (-42,982)
and the South Atlantic (-17,057) had the largest over-the-year declines in initial claims. (See table 5.)
California recorded the highest number of initial claims in March, followed by Pennsylvania, Illinois,
Texas, and New York. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia experienced over-the-year decreases in initial claims, led by Illinois (-10,617), Ohio (-10,140), and California (-9,950). (See table 6.)
In 2010, three states and the District of Columbia reached or matched March program lows for average
weekly initial claims: Delaware, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. (Average weekly analysis mitigates the
effect of differing lengths of months. See the Technical Note.)
Note
The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning in a given
month, regardless of the duration of the layoffs. For private nonfarm establishments, information on the
length of the layoff is obtained later and issued in a quarterly release that reports on mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs"). The quarterly release provides more
information on the industry classification and location of the establishment and on the demographics of
the laid-off workers. Because monthly figures include short-term layoffs of 30 days or less, the sum of
the figures for the 3 months in a quarter will be higher than the quarterly figure for mass layoffs of more
than 30 days. (See table 4.) See the Technical Note for more detailed definitions.
____________
The Extended Mass Layoffs in the First Quarter 2010 news release is scheduled to be released on
Wednesday, May 12, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Mass Layoffs in April 2010 news release is
scheduled to be released on Friday, May 21, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
-3-
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; Federal Relay Service: (800) 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 administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Industry. Employers are classified according to the
2007 version of the North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS). For temporary help and professional
employer organization industries, monthly MLS-related
statistics generally reflect layoffs related to underlying client
companies in other industries. An individual layoff action at
a client company can be small, but when initial claimants
associated with many such layoffs are assigned to a temporary help or professional employer organization firm, a
mass layoff event may trigger.
Initial claimant. A person who files any notice of 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 numbers 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, April 2006 to March 2010,
seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2006
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,189
1,121
1,150
1,182
1,238
1,154
1,208
1,244
1,227
123,056
117,834
125,318
121,056
135,707
124,200
123,691
135,465
134,176
1,055
1,003
1,039
1,056
1,104
1,043
1,094
1,128
1,123
112,922
107,929
115,883
111,432
125,704
115,261
115,102
125,976
124,570
352
302
349
373
372
393
409
413
376
48,731
40,703
43,476
51,691
58,962
45,972
53,957
58,509
51,403
2007
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,264
1,191
1,225
1,268
1,172
1,241
1,274
1,247
1,255
1,370
1,415
1,569
130,834
121,289
126,391
129,098
118,648
131,394
130,331
126,108
123,632
137,108
148,952
155,095
1,113
1,075
1,113
1,135
1,070
1,125
1,169
1,158
1,160
1,248
1,289
1,448
119,874
112,607
117,760
118,175
111,103
122,123
122,381
118,575
116,744
128,387
139,665
145,666
404
374
386
362
345
338
403
323
436
449
424
483
55,217
54,581
48,298
43,205
44,391
37,931
55,973
34,902
51,814
58,360
58,543
60,368
2008
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,481
1,578
1,487
1,327
1,604
1,674
1,531
1,845
2,222
2,287
2,489
2,461
151,269
162,152
151,539
133,318
170,619
170,329
152,447
189,798
235,755
239,768
240,181
243,505
1,348
1,432
1,372
1,201
1,465
1,523
1,389
1,711
2,049
2,125
2,334
2,277
140,570
150,712
141,574
122,651
160,529
158,084
141,707
179,737
220,832
226,098
227,368
229,171
436
470
436
460
468
501
461
607
634
721
929
962
57,147
60,276
56,919
59,377
62,345
68,403
61,417
78,172
81,989
95,301
107,072
115,961
2009
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
2,279
2,737
2,913
2,663
2,794
2,598
2,039
2,480
2,326
2,055
1,813
1,726
251,807
289,162
295,970
263,162
306,788
260,596
196,578
238,911
221,639
205,502
163,823
153,127
2,115
2,592
2,715
2,461
2,589
2,371
1,818
2,244
2,109
1,856
1,650
1,542
238,990
274,040
279,671
247,329
289,012
241,864
176,542
218,425
204,462
187,880
151,810
138,747
764
1,186
1,202
1,033
1,183
1,072
565
798
783
594
485
433
109,124
141,264
146,381
125,093
145,166
135,844
66,918
87,201
90,440
65,801
54,858
44,072
2010
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
1,761
1,570
1,628
182,261
155,718
150,864
1,585
1,406
1,432
168,466
142,240
136,446
486
376
356
62,556
43,100
39,290
Events
Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, April 2006 to March 2010,
not seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2006
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,140
872
1,489
1,511
708
865
964
1,315
2,249
121,589
84,809
164,761
166,857
72,844
87,699
98,804
136,186
254,503
1,038
794
1,224
1,335
656
785
820
1,172
2,126
112,964
78,663
140,687
154,342
69,054
81,274
88,133
125,009
244,783
296
192
319
648
203
296
311
455
735
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 ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,647
1,269
1,089
1,272
1,552
1,622
1,891
1,427
1,292
2,125
2,574
3,377
154,503
119,508
114,541
130,810
159,471
166,742
200,382
139,999
129,586
221,784
241,589
351,305
1,520
1,178
1,039
1,172
1,438
1,315
1,687
1,343
1,202
1,917
2,389
3,232
144,191
113,587
110,147
121,625
150,462
140,916
186,018
133,146
122,505
205,553
226,657
340,220
488
361
333
394
388
309
760
414
361
689
997
1,378
54,418
42,527
43,740
48,188
51,698
42,097
108,733
51,912
46,391
100,457
107,620
172,529
2009
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
3,806
2,262
2,191
2,547
2,738
2,519
3,054
1,428
1,371
1,934
1,870
2,310
388,813
218,438
228,387
256,930
289,628
256,357
336,654
125,024
123,177
193,904
164,496
214,648
3,633
2,173
2,107
2,385
2,572
2,051
2,659
1,334
1,258
1,678
1,679
2,166
375,293
210,755
221,397
243,321
274,047
216,063
296,589
117,193
115,141
172,883
150,751
203,655
1,461
945
940
887
1,005
674
1,133
436
448
566
517
615
172,757
103,588
114,747
100,872
123,683
85,726
154,208
41,151
51,126
69,655
55,053
64,540
2010
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
2,860
1,183
1,197
278,679
102,818
111,727
2,682
1,091
1,111
265,074
96,022
105,514
962
282
273
104,846
30,728
29,745
Events
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Industry
March
2009
January
2010
February
2010
March
2010
March
2009
January
2010
February
2010
March
2010
2,913
2,715
1,202
1,761
1,585
486
1,570
1,406
376
1,628
1,432
356
295,970
279,671
146,381
182,261
168,466
62,556
155,718
142,240
43,100
150,864
136,446
39,290
Total ............................................................
2,191
2,860
1,183
1,197
228,387
278,679
102,818
111,727
Total, private ........................................................
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting .........
Total, private nonfarm ........................................
Mining ..............................................................
Utilities .............................................................
Construction ....................................................
Manufacturing ..................................................
Food ............................................................
Beverage and tobacco products ..................
Textile mills ..................................................
Textile product mills .....................................
Apparel ........................................................
Leather and allied products .........................
Wood products ............................................
Paper ...........................................................
Printing and related support activities ..........
Petroleum and coal products .......................
2,140
33
2,107
31
3
166
940
63
9
29
6
9
2,739
57
2,682
20
1,128
37
1,091
5
–
166
282
45
6
5
5
4
1,149
38
1,111
5
223,981
2,584
221,397
3,751
234
11,612
114,747
6,077
1,305
3,108
554
883
268,595
3,521
265,074
1,561
98,241
2,219
96,022
761
–
12,200
30,728
4,031
407
431
557
265
107,880
2,366
105,514
374
Seasonally adjusted
Total ...............................................................
Total, private nonfarm ........................................
Manufacturing ..................................................
Not seasonally adjusted
1
(2)
62
27
23
Chemicals ....................................................
Plastics and rubber products .......................
Nonmetallic mineral products ......................
Primary metals .............................................
Fabricated metal products ...........................
Machinery ....................................................
Computer and electronic products ...............
Electrical equipment and appliances ...........
Transportation equipment ............................
Furniture and related products ....................
Miscellaneous manufacturing ......................
(2)
21
60
46
71
88
110
68
47
155
24
19
Wholesale trade ...............................................
Retail trade ......................................................
Transportation and warehousing .....................
Information .......................................................
Finance and insurance ....................................
Real estate and rental and leasing ..................
Professional and technical services ................
Management of companies and enterprises ...
Administrative and waste services ..................
Educational services ........................................
Health care and social assistance ...................
Arts, entertainment, and recreation .................
Accommodation and food services ..................
Other services, except public administration ...
Unclassified .....................................................
59
178
91
75
57
16
81
10
227
8
24
17
115
9
–
Government .........................................................
Federal ............................................................
State ................................................................
Local ................................................................
51
5
11
35
1
2
Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
(2)
328
962
93
13
28
18
23
3
62
16
23
7
23
62
44
56
99
89
37
33
175
48
10
(2)
27
10
12
(2)
9
10
12
9
12
20
18
12
45
16
(2)
71
15
326
18
46
35
163
20
–
(2)
27
128
51
40
32
9
33
6
191
4
31
16
61
8
1
121
8
37
76
55
8
12
35
67
259
212
84
47
(2)
117
273
53
4
4
3
10
–
16
5
14
3
13
9
11
8
18
22
16
6
43
10
5
(2)
5,799
2,749
2,124
(2)
1,746
6,151
4,095
8,681
8,186
18,081
8,130
6,476
26,012
3,020
1,354
(2)
24,148
104,846
9,134
839
3,807
2,503
2,128
499
6,657
1,421
2,415
469
2,058
5,466
3,131
5,734
9,256
12,322
4,239
3,360
23,150
5,088
1,170
(2)
1,850
721
960
(2)
872
1,014
794
981
681
2,466
1,538
1,386
10,104
1,346
5,310
28,109
23,788
12,581
3,681
(2)
163
10
33
20
112
10
–
4,696
19,491
8,809
8,559
4,469
980
7,191
923
18,762
467
1,820
1,259
13,090
537
–
(2)
6,390
1,462
30,020
2,460
3,019
2,860
12,838
1,458
–
(2)
1,754
10,802
5,372
3,753
2,671
622
2,292
1,990
13,594
242
2,118
1,419
5,044
552
108
48
8
15
25
4,406
470
1,066
2,870
10,084
698
3,278
6,108
4,577
631
947
2,999
29
124
62
52
43
8
45
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
(2)
8,206
29,745
6,122
716
350
172
578
–
1,445
313
1,224
185
1,064
686
785
773
1,361
2,373
1,278
1,195
7,128
1,625
372
2,016
13,337
6,444
5,715
3,636
409
4,610
(2)
13,281
824
2,066
1,558
12,269
670
–
3,847
636
1,324
1,887
Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, January 2008 to March 2010,
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
Realization rates 1
Events
Initial
claimants
1,340
259,292
35.9
70.5
1,756
339,630
44.7
82.2
1,581
304,340
37.4
68.9
3,582
766,780
47.5
99.3
3,979
835,420
50.3
103.5
3,395
730,946
48.4
99.7
2,035
402,927
38.8
76.2
Events
Initial
claimants
2008
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 ........................................
September .................................
1,891
1,427
1,292
200,382
139,999
129,586
1,687
1,343
1,202
186,018
133,146
122,505
Third Quarter .............................
4,610
469,967
4,232
441,669
October ......................................
November ..................................
December ..................................
2,125
2,574
3,377
221,784
241,589
351,305
1,917
2,389
3,232
205,553
226,657
340,220
Fourth Quarter ...........................
8,076
814,678
7,538
772,430
January ......................................
February ....................................
March .........................................
3,806
2,262
2,191
388,813
218,438
228,387
3,633
2,173
2,107
375,293
210,755
221,397
First Quarter ...............................
8,259
835,638
7,913
807,445
April ............................................
May ............................................
June ...........................................
2,547
2,738
2,519
256,930
289,628
256,357
2,385
2,572
2,051
243,321
274,047
216,063
Second Quarter .........................
7,804
802,915
7,008
733,431
July ............................................
August ........................................
September .................................
3,054
1,428
1,371
336,654
125,024
123,177
2,659
1,334
1,258
296,589
117,193
115,141
Third Quarter .............................
5,853
584,855
5,251
528,923
October ......................................
November ..................................
December ..................................
1,934
1,870
2,310
193,904
164,496
214,648
1,678
1,679
2,166
172,883
150,751
203,655
Fourth Quarter ...........................
6,114
573,048
5,523
527,289
January ......................................
February ....................................
March .........................................
2,860
1,183
1,197
278,679
102,818
111,727
2,682
1,091
1,111
265,074
96,022
105,514
First Quarter ...............................
5,240
493,224
4,884
466,610
2009
2,p
2,043
2,p
292,696
p
37.0
p
55.5
2010
1
The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm
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
March
2009
January
2010
February
2010
March
2010
March
2009
United States 1 .........................................
2,191
2,860
1,183
1,197
228,387
278,679
102,818
111,727
Northeast ..........................................................
New England ................................................
Middle Atlantic ..............................................
317
68
249
593
70
523
215
39
176
195
26
169
29,493
7,021
22,472
58,748
6,503
52,245
21,705
4,682
17,023
19,419
2,168
17,251
South ................................................................
South Atlantic ...............................................
East South Central .......................................
West South Central ......................................
589
276
158
155
753
404
220
129
319
178
69
72
262
136
54
72
61,432
27,819
15,629
17,984
74,105
37,846
23,085
13,174
29,681
13,052
9,917
6,712
26,591
10,762
5,470
10,359
Midwest ............................................................
East North Central ........................................
West North Central .......................................
607
466
141
807
604
203
221
169
52
252
184
68
81,957
64,595
17,362
83,185
63,706
19,479
21,128
16,776
4,352
27,591
21,613
5,978
West .................................................................
Mountain .......................................................
Pacific ...........................................................
678
109
569
707
94
613
428
58
370
488
77
411
55,505
10,991
44,514
62,641
8,992
53,649
30,304
4,276
26,028
38,126
6,324
31,802
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,
January
2010
February
2010
March
2010
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
Total 1 ..............................................
Alabama .............................................
Alaska .................................................
Arizona ...............................................
Arkansas .............................................
California ............................................
Colorado .............................................
Connecticut .........................................
Delaware ............................................
District of Columbia ............................
Florida .................................................
Georgia ...............................................
Hawaii .................................................
Idaho ...................................................
Illinois ..................................................
Indiana ................................................
Iowa ....................................................
Kansas ................................................
Kentucky .............................................
Louisiana ............................................
Maine ..................................................
Maryland .............................................
Massachusetts ....................................
Michigan .............................................
Minnesota ...........................................
Mississippi ..........................................
Missouri ..............................................
Montana ..............................................
Nebraska ............................................
Nevada ...............................................
New Hampshire ..................................
New Jersey .........................................
New Mexico ........................................
New York ............................................
North Carolina ....................................
North Dakota ......................................
Ohio ....................................................
Oklahoma ...........................................
Oregon ................................................
Pennsylvania ......................................
Rhode Island ......................................
South Carolina ....................................
South Dakota ......................................
Tennessee ..........................................
Texas ..................................................
Utah ....................................................
Vermont ..............................................
Virginia ................................................
Washington .........................................
West Virginia ......................................
Wisconsin ...........................................
Wyoming .............................................
Puerto Rico .........................................
March
2009
January
2010
February
2010
March
2010
March
2009
2,191
2,860
1,183
1,197
228,387
278,679
102,818
111,727
45
93
9
17
9
533
13
6
4
17
3
8
18
4,985
(2)
17
3
373
7
9
(2)
2,483
806
38,130
1,578
928
509
11,204
713
1,502
1,433
46,474
1,301
406
287
1,758
267
700
1,517
(2)
22
10
498
13
11
4
(2)
107
46
5
16
(2)
141
83
9
11
(2)
87
34
68
13
7
9
(2)
8,594
4,152
376
1,664
(2)
9,909
8,861
735
1,068
(2)
5,523
2,708
109
68
38
19
72
16
9
8
25
87
30
12
42
112
59
54
27
76
18
8
29
27
144
36
11
74
40
22
13
60
22
13
4
25
16
3
6
7
29
13
5
31
18,096
10,781
6,140
2,259
7,861
1,411
835
531
2,422
11,121
3,665
745
3,430
11,615
6,470
6,647
2,432
8,044
1,566
789
2,586
2,341
16,035
3,614
735
5,567
4,311
1,907
1,122
7
9
7
26
12
87
8
236
27
4
145
17
35
200
(2)
6
26
5
28
9
60
16
667
1,012
548
2,463
962
7,506
560
28,309
2,072
595
14,121
1,666
3,730
16,430
258
2
( )
27
9
39
9
70
44
4
93
17
42
140
9
48
5
29
112
14
5
14
23
4
109
(2)
22
13
67
(2)
40
85
10
4
49
27
(2)
335
10
10
5
(2)
11
–
32
12
(2)
7
8
32
13
5
24
4
2
( )
16
7
16
6
52
5
(2)
35
3
19
108
7
11
–
15
56
(2)
144
(2)
6
22
11
5
40
–
(2)
19
1
See footnote 1, table 3.
2
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
21
–
–
–
34
4
18
81
(2)
14
2
( )
2,351
1,213
3,217
858
6,974
6,277
1,259
13,067
1,483
4,118
12,281
January
2010
(2)
23,191
706
847
378
(2)
709
–
6,844
1,442
(2)
724
646
3,694
1,456
282
1,667
March
2010
(2)
1,417
214
28,180
626
746
–
–
4,311
1,202
534
661
7,479
3,057
2,135
313
3,276
1,615
233
557
725
4,729
921
241
2,112
( )
1,331
1,095
1,408
391
6,833
451
(2)
409
2,131
297
3,024
847
6,046
1,610
(2)
3,790
306
1,571
8,782
2,927
1,287
2,080
8,181
1,545
886
(2)
1,513
–
(2)
436
7,243
393
2
–
(2)
39
889
6,157
323
2,038
14,284
1,313
734
1,229
1,833
301
11,530
(2)
15,465
(2)
483
1,704
769
509
3,074
(2)
(2)
–
(2)
(2)
2,035
1,892
2,459
1,702
(2)
6
49
5
(2)
18
12
21
1,696
7,274
February
2010
(2)
3,102
8,509
1,086
309
6,570
1,997
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
1,033
4,894
(2)
1,416
949
(2)
3,421