USDL-11-0394
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 • [email protected] • www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact:
(202) 691-5902 • [email protected]
MASS LAYOFFS – FEBRUARY 2011
Employers took 1,421 mass layoff actions in February involving 130,818 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 mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer.
The number of mass layoff events in February decreased by 113 from January, and the number of
associated initial claims decreased by 18,981. In February, 291 mass layoff events were reported in the
manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 26,060 initial claims. Both figures decreased over
the month, with manufacturing initial claims reaching its lowest level in program history (data begin in
April 1995). (See table 1.)
Chart 1. Mass layoff events, seasonally adjusted,
March 2006-February 2011
Events
3,500
Chart 2. Mass layoff initial claims, seasonally adjusted,
March 2006-February 2011
Claims
350,000
3,000
300,000
2,500
250,000
Total
2,000
200,000
1,500
150,000
1,000
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Total
100,000
Private nonfarm
500
50,000
0
0
Manufacturing
The national unemployment rate was 8.9 percent in February, essentially unchanged from the prior
month and down from 9.7 percent a year earlier. In February, total nonfarm payroll employment
increased by 192,000 over the month and by 1,269,000 from a year earlier.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in February was 1,024, not seasonally adjusted, resulting in 85,585
initial claims. (See table 2.) The number of mass layoff events was down by 159 from February 2010,
and associated initial claims decreased by 17,233. Eleven of the 19 major industry sectors in the private
economy reported over-the-year declines in initial claims, with manufacturing and construction having
the largest decreases. The six-digit industry with the largest number of initial claims in February 2011
was temporary help services. (See table A. The table includes both publicly and privately owned
entities.)
Table A. Industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims in February 2011,
not seasonally adjusted
February peak
Industry
Initial claims
Year
Initial claims
Temporary help services 1 ...................................
Motion picture and video production ..................
School and employee bus transportation .............
Professional employer organizations 1 ................
Discount department stores .................................
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders .............
Food service contractors ......................................
Fruit and vegetable canning .................................
Supermarkets and other grocery stores ................
Department stores, except discount .....................
1
8,334
6,260
2,935
2,286
2,214
1,642
1,503
1,281
1,273
1,252
2001
2011
2008
2009
2004
2000
2009
2001
2010
2001
18,893
6,260
4,254
6,452
2,669
12,516
2,580
2,561
2,470
2,994
See the Technical Note for more information on these industries.
The manufacturing sector accounted for 22 percent of all mass layoff events and initial claims filed in
February. A year earlier, manufacturing made up 24 percent of events and 30 percent of initial claims.
Within manufacturing, the number of claimants in February was greatest in the food subsector. (See
table 3.) Fourteen of the 21 manufacturing subsectors experienced over-the-year decreases in initial
claims, with the largest declines in transportation equipment and in machinery.
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Three of the 4 regions and 8 of the 9 divisions experienced over-the-year decreases in initial claims due
to mass layoffs in February. Among the census regions, the South registered the largest over-the-year
decrease in initial claims. Of the geographic divisions, the East South Central had the largest over-theyear decline in initial claims. (See table 5.)
California recorded the highest number of initial claims in February, followed by Pennsylvania and
Florida. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia experienced over-the-year decreases in initial
claims, led by Kentucky and Pennsylvania. (See table 6.)
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 Mass Layoffs news release for March is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 22, 2011, at
10:00 a.m. (EDT).
-2-
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, March 2007 to February 2011,
seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2007
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,202
1,238
1,159
1,207
1,295
1,217
1,233
1,330
1,397
1,553
124,521
126,334
113,578
127,776
136,168
122,450
121,998
133,063
145,339
154,275
1,092
1,102
1,064
1,097
1,193
1,126
1,140
1,210
1,269
1,435
115,835
115,271
106,573
119,007
128,208
115,305
115,675
124,455
135,651
144,785
384
358
347
342
401
312
430
439
408
463
47,658
42,989
44,637
37,552
55,906
34,877
51,731
56,970
56,985
59,445
2008
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,437
1,604
1,500
1,292
1,582
1,631
1,581
1,791
2,192
2,221
2,415
2,443
146,900
175,128
150,502
128,901
161,944
164,508
164,497
181,107
233,034
229,254
228,107
245,661
1,302
1,441
1,388
1,162
1,444
1,488
1,443
1,653
2,024
2,062
2,256
2,264
135,622
163,475
140,424
118,016
152,230
153,014
153,720
171,705
219,532
215,787
214,631
231,138
431
471
435
449
468
491
463
583
635
697
900
927
55,562
59,118
56,156
58,402
62,452
68,198
62,425
77,874
82,471
92,408
102,284
114,280
2009
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
2,272
2,801
2,950
2,579
2,758
2,506
2,192
2,419
2,305
1,975
1,754
1,725
238,717
315,507
295,543
251,032
288,319
250,275
223,697
220,262
219,924
195,347
154,223
156,274
2,103
2,636
2,758
2,368
2,557
2,293
1,977
2,177
2,095
1,780
1,585
1,545
224,850
300,042
279,027
234,796
271,425
232,814
203,365
201,951
204,596
177,977
141,439
141,649
756
1,194
1,205
997
1,187
1,048
620
778
799
570
464
420
100,927
138,583
144,713
121,435
147,548
135,389
72,932
83,837
91,665
63,646
51,891
43,584
2010
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,716
1,492
1,635
1,675
1,665
1,729
1,528
1,658
1,541
1,649
1,579
1,483
171,633
149,369
146,901
159,358
155,352
153,937
138,581
163,325
137,941
147,204
148,800
137,992
1,541
1,318
1,436
1,498
1,405
1,504
1,316
1,453
1,331
1,445
1,397
1,272
157,597
135,490
131,953
143,814
133,913
134,837
121,378
141,489
119,654
130,264
133,845
122,688
494
351
347
371
314
326
296
409
336
353
350
319
60,059
40,564
37,273
48,646
30,967
32,646
30,752
47,668
34,641
37,394
39,072
35,977
2011
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
1,534
1,421
149,799
130,818
1,344
1,220
132,730
116,190
341
291
39,189
26,060
Events
Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, March 2007 to February 2011,
not seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2007
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,082
1,219
923
1,599
1,599
963
717
1,083
1,799
2,167
123,974
127,444
85,816
172,810
175,419
93,458
67,385
108,455
198,220
224,214
1,015
1,115
856
1,318
1,450
908
667
929
1,593
2,071
118,431
118,040
81,153
148,669
164,939
88,345
64,026
97,716
181,184
216,898
367
309
224
313
684
220
246
338
514
699
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 ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
2,860
1,183
1,197
1,840
1,354
1,861
2,124
976
920
1,642
1,676
1,931
278,679
102,818
111,727
199,690
123,333
171,190
206,254
92,435
77,654
148,638
158,048
184,130
2,682
1,091
1,111
1,697
1,170
1,355
1,732
897
806
1,373
1,477
1,763
265,074
96,022
105,514
184,654
109,203
125,872
172,248
83,021
67,987
127,865
142,591
172,881
962
282
273
424
216
212
532
230
187
351
389
465
104,846
30,728
29,745
55,178
19,334
21,083
64,200
23,088
19,403
40,861
41,383
52,816
2011
January ........................................................
February .......................................................
2,558
1,024
246,463
85,585
2,372
919
229,765
78,718
693
222
75,006
18,471
Events
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Industry
February
2010
December
2010
January
2011
February
2011
February
2010
December
2010
January
2011
February
2011
1,492
1,318
351
1,483
1,272
319
1,534
1,344
341
1,421
1,220
291
149,369
135,490
40,564
137,992
122,688
35,977
149,799
132,730
39,189
130,818
116,190
26,060
Total ............................................................
1,183
1,931
2,558
1,024
102,818
184,130
246,463
85,585
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 .......................
1,128
37
1,091
5
–
166
282
45
6
5
5
4
1,830
67
1,763
29
2,438
66
2,372
15
5
325
693
94
5
31
9
20
976
57
919
4
176,405
3,524
172,881
2,439
234,708
4,943
229,765
1,188
390
23,906
75,006
9,313
752
4,455
793
1,776
82,230
3,512
78,718
322
(2)
104
222
58
5
5
4
5
98,241
2,219
96,022
761
–
12,200
30,728
4,031
407
431
557
265
(2)
43
14
12
(2)
22
12
6
(2)
1,850
721
960
(2)
4,930
1,049
983
(2)
1,872
750
679
(2)
18
51
56
23
51
46
14
15
128
44
14
(2)
7
5
16
8
8
11
13
4
19
9
(2)
872
1,014
794
981
681
2,466
1,538
1,386
10,104
1,346
(2)
759
262
1,141
794
446
897
847
1,078
1,275
533
(2)
24
114
49
58
22
7
43
(2)
166
8
28
11
50
4
–
(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
(2)
1,612
4,569
4,239
3,046
4,174
5,446
1,020
1,572
19,478
4,263
1,073
48
5
17
26
4,577
631
947
2,999
Seasonally adjusted
Total ...............................................................
Total, private nonfarm ........................................
Manufacturing ..................................................
Not seasonally adjusted
1
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)
27
10
12
(2)
9
10
12
9
12
20
18
12
45
16
(2)
379
465
52
8
21
8
18
3
39
14
13
10
8
25
48
21
29
18
13
12
78
20
7
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 .....................................................
(2)
27
128
51
40
32
9
33
6
191
4
31
16
61
8
1
(2)
225
9
46
24
208
15
1
32
241
212
53
31
17
52
6
381
19
56
55
158
21
–
Government .........................................................
Federal ............................................................
State ................................................................
Local ................................................................
55
8
12
35
101
10
22
69
120
23
32
65
1
2
Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
23
105
114
25
29
13
44
(2)
29,458
52,816
6,590
856
2,239
981
1,294
850
3,623
1,055
934
892
561
2,392
4,212
1,919
2,380
2,724
1,214
2,372
12,534
2,521
673
1,706
9,985
13,341
2,818
2,151
1,408
3,549
(2)
7,003
18,471
5,115
287
468
270
693
(2)
2,187
9,346
5,630
8,959
1,407
369
3,729
(2)
17,203
958
3,904
1,843
27,239
1,153
92
2,839
27,038
22,440
7,915
2,758
1,150
4,019
439
34,996
2,672
3,880
5,494
12,107
1,528
–
(2)
13,894
474
1,685
629
4,088
161
–
7,725
1,215
1,724
4,786
11,755
2,922
3,272
5,561
3,355
384
1,029
1,942
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, January 2009 to February 2011,
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
3,979
835,551
50.3
103.5
3,395
731,049
48.4
99.7
2,034
406,823
38.7
76.9
2,416
468,577
43.7
88.9
1,870
368,459
38.3
79.0
2,008
395,224
47.6
94.2
1,370
256,636
39.9
79.4
Events
Initial
claimants
2009
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
April ............................................
May ............................................
June ...........................................
1,840
1,354
1,861
199,690
123,333
171,190
1,697
1,170
1,355
184,654
109,203
125,872
Second Quarter .........................
5,055
494,213
4,222
419,729
July ............................................
August ........................................
September .................................
2,124
976
920
206,254
92,435
77,654
1,732
897
806
172,248
83,021
67,987
Third Quarter .............................
4,020
376,343
3,435
323,256
October ......................................
November ..................................
December ..................................
1,642
1,676
1,931
148,638
158,048
184,130
1,373
1,477
1,763
127,865
142,591
172,881
Fourth Quarter ...........................
5,249
490,816
4,613
443,337
2,558
1,024
246,463
85,585
2,372
919
229,765
78,718
2010
2,p
1,910
2,p
268,431
p
41.4
p
60.5
2011
January ......................................
February ....................................
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
February
2010
December
2010
January
2011
February
2011
United States 1 .........................................
1,183
1,931
2,558
Northeast ..........................................................
New England ................................................
Middle Atlantic ..............................................
215
39
176
356
50
306
South ................................................................
South Atlantic ...............................................
East South Central .......................................
West South Central ......................................
319
178
69
72
Midwest ............................................................
East North Central ........................................
West North Central .......................................
West .................................................................
Mountain .......................................................
Pacific ...........................................................
1
February
2010
December
2010
1,024
102,818
184,130
246,463
85,585
591
81
510
173
32
141
21,705
4,682
17,023
35,601
5,278
30,323
58,802
7,047
51,755
16,047
4,259
11,788
493
287
110
96
687
431
156
100
260
166
44
50
29,681
13,052
9,917
6,712
51,554
27,744
12,784
11,026
66,552
40,880
16,508
9,164
19,998
11,371
4,343
4,284
221
169
52
565
394
171
613
464
149
180
130
50
21,128
16,776
4,352
58,560
42,375
16,185
63,468
45,790
17,678
15,075
11,550
3,525
428
58
370
517
90
427
667
66
601
411
35
376
30,304
4,276
26,028
38,415
7,274
31,141
57,641
6,046
51,595
34,465
2,440
32,025
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
2011
February
2011
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
February
2010
December
2010
January
2011
February
2011
Total 1 ..............................................
1,183
1,931
2,558
1,024
102,818
184,130
246,463
85,585
Alabama ..............................................
Alaska .................................................
Arizona ................................................
Arkansas .............................................
California .............................................
Colorado .............................................
Connecticut .........................................
Delaware .............................................
District of Columbia .............................
Florida .................................................
Georgia ...............................................
Hawaii .................................................
Idaho ...................................................
17
3
8
1,758
267
700
(2)
92
42
(2)
5,523
2,708
(2)
7,554
4,306
(2)
11
–
15
(2)
85
28
3
4
(2)
709
1,006
7,730
392
1,075
768
44,274
1,126
1,048
411
452
9,464
8,952
388
698
1,583
( )
23,191
706
847
378
3,758
915
940
563
25,602
964
576
429
(2)
87
34
70
4
13
6
530
11
11
5
4
128
84
6
8
12
( )
335
10
10
5
34
9
9
6
365
14
7
6
110
49
39
23
38
21
6
9
19
67
34
19
54
86
43
39
23
47
29
11
25
34
127
19
13
55
35
15
9
5
13
6
4,311
1,907
1,122
7,516
6,487
4,007
5,440
5,472
2,309
900
1,888
3,225
10,398
1,988
1,163
4,713
3,508
1,471
870
308
1,682
518
( )
4
6
17
10
8
17
13,672
5,314
3,897
2,923
5,003
1,741
431
611
2,372
8,985
2,932
2,128
4,763
8
14
26
3
49
8
115
6
9
12
9
109
7
207
2
( )
9
5
4
19
3
45
470
1,157
2,449
326
6,036
640
12,383
560
1,086
1,299
722
9,853
467
24,950
(2)
634
394
537
2,243
164
4,161
80
5
87
6
25
142
100
3
93
11
36
194
30
9
9
77
(2)
3,790
306
1,571
8,782
8,876
375
7,826
1,410
2,234
11,904
9,865
390
9,241
1,048
4,390
16,952
1,984
(2)
35
3
19
108
7
11
10
26
8
41
10
5
1,545
886
1,264
2,648
555
5,124
2,125
340
(2)
19
63
10
5
30
28
(2)
26
54
7
8
42
25
–
(2)
1,895
7,312
805
309
3,177
2,390
(2)
2,143
5,039
720
597
4,497
2,151
–
( )
115
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 3 ..................................
North Dakota .......................................
Ohio ....................................................
Oklahoma ...........................................
Oregon ................................................
Pennsylvania ......................................
Rhode Island .......................................
South Carolina ....................................
South Dakota ......................................
Tennessee ..........................................
Texas ..................................................
Utah ....................................................
Vermont ..............................................
Virginia ................................................
Washington .........................................
West Virginia .......................................
Wisconsin ...........................................
Wyoming .............................................
Puerto Rico .........................................
2
40
22
13
–
32
12
2
( )
7
8
32
13
5
24
4
2
( )
16
7
16
6
52
5
–
15
56
(2)
6
22
11
5
40
(2)
21
81
–
10
2
(2)
25
2
( )
12
3
349
4
4
3
2
February
2010
2
–
6,844
1,442
2
( )
724
646
3,694
1,456
282
1,667
258
2
( )
1,331
1,095
1,408
391
6,833
27
–
451
–
11
32
6
6
10
13
3
33
–
1,033
4,894
(2)
483
1,704
769
509
3,074
(2)
–
16
December
2010
2,459
–
6,578
–
940
January
2011
2
( )
12,148
February
2011
2
( )
838
283
29,769
383
331
239
(2)
5,071
2,221
232
225
2
( )
306
534
1,091
675
446
1,038
–
2,473
1,015
896
5,384
–
632
2,468
370
558
899
955
216
3,007
(2)
–
2,854
1,808
1
See footnote 1, table 3.
data due to a change in MLS unemployment insurance
2
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
input procedures.
3
Data starting in November 2010 may not be comparable to prior
NOTE: Dash represents zero.