For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, June 22, 2011
USDL-11-0920
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 • [email protected] • www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact:
(202) 691-5902 • [email protected]
MASS LAYOFFS — MAY 2011
Employers took 1,599 mass layoff actions in May involving 143,540 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 May increased by 35, or 2 percent, from April, while the number of
associated initial claims decreased by 387, or less than 1 percent. In May, 373 mass layoff events were
reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 38,673 initial claims; both figures
increased over the month. (See table 1.)
Chart 1. Mass layoff events, seasonally adjusted,
June 2006-May 2011
Events
3,500
Chart 2. Mass layoff initial claims, seasonally adjusted,
June 2006-May 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
100,000
500
50,000
0
0
Total
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
The national unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in May, essentially unchanged from the prior month
but down from 9.6 percent a year earlier. In May, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by
54,000 over the month and by 870,000 over the year.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in May was 1,367, not seasonally adjusted, resulting in 119,911 initial
claims for unemployment insurance. The number of mass layoff events was about the same (1,354
events) as recorded in May 2010, while associated initial claims decreased by 3,422, or 3 percent. (See
table 2.) Fourteen of the 19 major industry sectors in the private economy reported over-the-year
declines in initial claims, with the largest decreases occurring in construction, retail trade, and
professional and technical services. The six-digit industry with the largest number of initial claims in
Table A. Industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims in May 2011,
not seasonally adjusted
May peak
Industry
Initial claims
Year
Initial claims
1
Temporary help services ..................................
Food service contractors ...................................
Child day care services ......................................
Motion picture and video production ..................
Colleges and universities ....................................
Full-service restaurants ......................................
Junior colleges ...................................................
Other individual and family services ....................
Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors
Casino hotels .....................................................
1
9,546
8,601
7,120
4,142
2,095
1,998
1,857
1,824
1,705
1,694
2002
2009
2011
1999
2011
2009
2010
2011
2009
2009
16,992
11,216
7,120
8,985
2,095
2,437
2,049
1,824
2,176
2,323
See the Technical Note for more information on this industry.
May 2011 was temporary help services. (See table A. The table includes both publicly and privately
owned entities.)
The manufacturing sector accounted for 20 percent of all mass layoff events and 21 percent of initial
claims filed in May. A year earlier, manufacturing made up 16 percent of events and initial claims.
Within this sector, the number of claimants in May 2011 was greatest in the food and transportation
equipment subsectors. Twelve of the 21 manufacturing subsectors experienced over-the-year increases
in initial claims, with the largest increases occurring in food and in transportation equipment. (See
table 3.)
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Two of the 4 regions and 5 of the 9 divisions experienced over-the-year decreases in initial claims for
unemployment insurance due to mass layoffs in May. Among the census regions, the West registered the
largest over-the-year decrease in initial claims. Of the geographic divisions, the Pacific had the largest
over-the-year decline in initial claims. The East South Central division registered the largest over-theyear increase in initial claims. (See table 5.)
California recorded the highest number of mass layoff initial claims in May, followed by Pennsylvania,
Florida, and Mississippi. Twenty-nine states experienced over-the-year increases in initial claims, led by
Mississippi. (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
-2-
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 June is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 22, 2011, 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, June 2007 to May 2011,
seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2007
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,207
1,295
1,217
1,233
1,330
1,397
1,553
127,776
136,168
122,450
121,998
133,063
145,339
154,275
1,097
1,193
1,126
1,140
1,210
1,269
1,435
119,007
128,208
115,305
115,675
124,455
135,651
144,785
342
401
312
430
439
408
463
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 .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
1,534
1,421
1,286
1,564
1,599
149,799
130,818
118,523
143,927
143,540
1,344
1,220
1,128
1,401
1,405
132,730
116,190
105,636
129,702
127,494
341
291
253
327
373
39,189
26,060
27,619
35,022
38,673
Events
Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, June 2007 to May 2011,
not seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2007
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,599
1,599
963
717
1,083
1,799
2,167
172,810
175,419
93,458
67,385
108,455
198,220
224,214
1,318
1,450
908
667
929
1,593
2,071
148,669
164,939
88,345
64,026
97,716
181,184
216,898
313
684
220
246
338
514
699
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 .......................................................
March ...........................................................
April ..............................................................
May ..............................................................
2,558
1,024
908
1,750
1,367
246,463
85,585
85,095
189,919
119,911
2,372
919
844
1,625
1,221
229,765
78,718
80,014
176,478
108,531
693
222
191
397
270
75,006
18,471
20,869
47,104
25,199
Events
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Industry
May
2010
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
May
2010
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
1,665
1,405
314
1,286
1,128
253
1,564
1,401
327
1,599
1,405
373
155,352
133,913
30,967
118,523
105,636
27,619
143,927
129,702
35,022
143,540
127,494
38,673
Seasonally adjusted
Total .............................................................
Total, private nonfarm ......................................
Manufacturing ................................................
Not seasonally adjusted
1
Total ...........................................................
1,354
908
1,750
1,367
123,333
85,095
189,919
119,911
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 .....................
1,197
27
1,170
874
30
844
3
4
99
191
45
4
3
3
4
–
24
7
5
1,685
60
1,625
4
1,243
22
1,221
5
110,968
1,765
109,203
183,436
6,958
176,478
270
109,881
1,350
108,531
308
(2)
161
397
84
6
5
6
10
–
19
6
8
–
(2)
137
270
64
82,046
2,032
80,014
247
547
7,569
20,869
4,338
242
328
481
374
–
2,354
622
359
(2)
12,121
47,104
9,064
438
792
536
964
–
1,681
590
858
–
(2)
9,875
25,199
6,036
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 ....................
8
6
5
12
12
20
13
11
20
5
9
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 ....................................................
18
121
47
41
23
9
61
(2)
175
10
84
32
129
34
–
18
89
44
36
19
6
35
3
151
4
33
13
88
8
–
Government .......................................................
Federal ...........................................................
State ...............................................................
Local ..............................................................
157
19
39
99
34
5
10
19
1
2
(2)
5
159
216
47
5
3
3
8
–
11
3
12
3
Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
(2)
(2)
4
5
8
12
11
10
8
19
10
5
5
21
9
12
21
16
18
16
117
9
9
27
147
194
42
42
15
80
7
262
17
46
45
127
9
(2)
65
6
18
41
(2)
12
(2)
10
(2)
10
9
14
(2)
8
14
6
11
11
12
12
7
45
12
5
(2)
449
12,129
19,334
4,015
386
391
407
498
–
913
277
1,065
205
530
329
342
1,147
910
1,971
1,015
865
2,860
409
799
(2)
(2)
321
404
536
916
1,077
808
2,886
2,887
1,099
530
21
108
38
36
24
7
50
1,183
9,982
4,781
6,310
1,761
698
5,534
(2)
203
15
102
24
148
28
–
(2)
17,363
766
7,337
2,063
16,045
2,933
–
1,393
9,012
5,133
3,788
1,354
452
3,771
194
11,303
265
2,038
893
10,491
695
–
124
12
32
80
12,365
1,864
2,904
7,597
3,049
532
1,389
1,128
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
453
2,113
926
944
1,758
2,552
1,675
1,736
18,328
831
865
2,005
16,501
26,537
5,689
3,482
1,389
8,572
550
23,380
2,522
3,397
4,650
17,269
845
(2)
6,483
582
1,714
4,187
(2)
1,045
(2)
1,174
(2)
755
934
1,182
(2)
503
1,082
635
1,053
848
2,054
731
1,049
4,146
888
456
1,777
8,244
3,371
5,394
1,616
457
4,062
(2)
15,938
1,201
11,059
1,835
15,483
2,361
–
10,030
1,160
2,136
6,734
Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, April 2009 to May 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
3,395
731,049
48.4
99.7
2,034
406,823
38.7
76.9
2,416
468,577
43.7
88.9
1,870
368,642
38.3
79.0
2,008
395,573
47.6
94.2
1,370
259,886
39.9
80.4
1,999
388,285
43.3
87.6
Events
Initial
claimants
2009
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
January ......................................
February ....................................
March .........................................
2,558
1,024
908
246,463
85,585
85,095
2,372
919
844
229,765
78,718
80,014
First Quarter ...............................
4,490
417,143
4,135
388,497
April ............................................
May ............................................
1,750
1,367
189,919
119,911
1,625
1,221
176,478
108,531
2010
2011
1
The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm
2,p
1,397
2,p
179,686
p
33.8
p
46.3
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
May
2010
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
May
2010
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
United States 1 .........................................
1,354
908
1,750
1,367
123,333
85,095
189,919
119,911
Northeast ..........................................................
New England ................................................
Middle Atlantic ..............................................
203
29
174
169
22
147
402
67
335
210
30
180
17,575
2,421
15,154
15,540
1,883
13,657
54,129
8,926
45,203
17,726
2,505
15,221
South ................................................................
South Atlantic ...............................................
East South Central .......................................
West South Central ......................................
428
216
94
118
250
116
61
73
431
210
125
96
468
234
131
103
38,299
19,282
8,431
10,586
26,112
9,765
6,539
9,808
42,685
17,371
16,048
9,266
43,457
18,785
14,830
9,842
Midwest ............................................................
East North Central ........................................
West North Central .......................................
261
175
86
172
124
48
383
310
73
288
217
71
26,176
17,981
8,195
17,168
11,640
5,528
44,126
37,250
6,876
26,017
18,948
7,069
West .................................................................
Mountain .......................................................
Pacific ...........................................................
462
73
389
317
46
271
534
118
416
401
68
333
41,283
6,357
34,926
26,275
4,292
21,983
48,979
12,547
36,432
32,711
5,948
26,763
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
May
2010
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
May
2010
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
Total 1 ..............................................
1,354
908
1,750
1,367
123,333
85,095
189,919
119,911
Alabama ..............................................
Alaska .................................................
Arizona ................................................
Arkansas .............................................
California .............................................
Colorado .............................................
Connecticut .........................................
Delaware .............................................
District of Columbia .............................
Florida .................................................
Georgia ...............................................
Hawaii .................................................
Idaho ...................................................
24
11
24
6
345
10
10
18
28
9
40
2,171
1,259
2,369
553
31,197
1,024
823
3,080
1,137
5,635
(2)
4
104
39
4
6
56
16
5
10
(2)
98
40
6
10
37
6
15
15
285
10
11
5
5
102
40
5
6
2,072
( )
11
3
230
5
5
(2)
301
7,027
4,227
264
367
4,060
1,593
659
886
(2)
7,600
3,380
420
896
3,604
489
1,394
1,647
22,874
1,171
769
334
276
6,363
4,038
351
370
Illinois ..................................................
Indiana ................................................
Iowa ....................................................
Kansas ................................................
Kentucky .............................................
Louisiana ............................................
Maine ..................................................
Maryland .............................................
Massachusetts ....................................
Michigan .............................................
Minnesota ...........................................
Mississippi ..........................................
Missouri ..............................................
56
21
16
15
28
29
3
12
9
24
11
11
30
37
12
10
5
20
11
5
4
7
21
9
14
21
56
41
17
5
56
22
7
5
17
50
16
27
23
47
28
6
12
33
29
4
5
10
38
10
40
32
6,699
1,931
1,984
1,464
2,758
2,646
204
816
865
2,924
965
922
2,396
3,495
1,336
2,060
727
2,387
1,239
575
431
624
2,359
707
1,413
1,755
6,701
4,689
2,143
381
9,722
1,669
818
365
2,040
6,813
1,023
1,987
2,259
4,749
2,189
1,069
1,365
3,431
2,531
318
462
1,068
3,368
932
5,957
2,620
Montana ..............................................
Nebraska ............................................
Nevada ...............................................
New Hampshire ..................................
New Jersey .........................................
New Mexico ........................................
New York ............................................
North Carolina 3 ..................................
North Dakota .......................................
Ohio ....................................................
Oklahoma ...........................................
Oregon ................................................
Pennsylvania ......................................
4
6
13
3
34
8
67
7
9
23
7
70
9
153
4
8
13
3
34
10
56
267
593
994
264
2,685
673
6,338
(2)
279
524
(2)
1,494
640
5,159
438
768
1,703
1,107
11,776
711
22,636
414
860
1,133
233
2,937
783
4,743
2,462
681
3,909
350
1,324
6,131
1,917
1,240
3,928
1,891
367
2,337
7,004
(2)
11,082
392
2,886
10,791
(2)
5,170
902
1,586
7,541
Rhode Island .......................................
South Carolina ....................................
South Dakota ......................................
Tennessee ..........................................
Texas ..................................................
Utah ....................................................
Vermont ..............................................
Virginia ................................................
Washington .........................................
West Virginia .......................................
Wisconsin ...........................................
Wyoming .............................................
Puerto Rico .........................................
13
7
47
6
18
73
4
10
2
–
–
2
( )
3
7
(2)
19
7
49
18
–
22
5
20
79
2
( )
7
(2)
31
77
8
–
–
( )
13
14
26
11
5
27
–
19
9
54
3
2
2
( )
348
15
10
8
14
40
(2)
63
9
21
90
9
19
( )
11
265
839
( )
489
2,105
1,913
( )
949
(2)
14
67
13
17
23
28
(2)
21
50
8
(2)
2,580
7,037
663
–
667
7,970
423
(2)
1,259
7,118
1,232
1,800
2,063
2,725
(2)
1,838
4,762
554
2
2
( )
32
( )
76
(2)
(2)
(2)
11
–
–
2
( )
29,264
1,750
1,056
551
(2)
87
6
25
112
( )
21
16
5
41
2
2
( )
1,045
232
17,478
557
410
2
17
24
–
–
2
2
2
( )
2,559
2
( )
7,965
( )
2,050
1,463
385
3,472
–
(2)
(2)
(2)
1,735
1,114
1,676
2,815
3,151
882
297
2,518
( )
1,102
1,099
2
2
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.