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USDL-11-1375
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Thursday, September 22, 2011
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 • [email protected] • www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact:
(202) 691-5902 • [email protected]
MASS LAYOFFS — AUGUST 2011
Employers took 1,587 mass layoff actions in August involving 165,547 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 August increased by 8 from July, and the number of associated
initial claims increased by 20,547. In August, 391 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing
sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 48,997 initial claims. (See table 1.)
Chart 1. Mass layoff events, seasonally adjusted,
September 2006-August 2011
Events
3,500
Chart 2. Mass layoff initial claims, seasonally adjusted,
September 2006-August 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 August, unchanged from the prior month but down
from 9.6 percent a year earlier. In August, total nonfarm payroll employment was unchanged from the
prior month at 131.1 million and increased over the year by 1.3 million.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in August was 961, not seasonally adjusted, resulting in 99,213 initial
claims for unemployment insurance. Mass layoff events decreased by 15 from August 2010, while
associated initial claims increased by 6,778. (See table 2.) Nine of the 19 major industry sectors in the
private economy reported over-the-year increases in initial claims, with the largest increases occurring in
information and manufacturing. The six-digit industry with the largest number of initial claims in
August 2011 was wired telecommunications carriers. (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 August 2011,
not seasonally adjusted
August peak
Industry
Initial claims
Year
Initial claims
Wired telecommunications carriers .....................
15,014
2011
15,014
8,557
5,359
2,027
1,868
1,820
1999
2003
2003
2011
2001
2011
11,533
6,538
6,812
1,868
8,166
1
Temporary help services ..................................
School and employee bus transportation .............
Motion picture and video production ..................
Food service contractors ...................................
Automobile manufacturing ..................................
Lawn and garden equipment manufacturing .........
1
Professional employer organizations .................
Household refrigerator and home freezer mfg. .....
Warehouse clubs and supercenters .....................
1
2
(2)
1,504
1,482
1,431
2008
2011
2009
(2)
5,252
1,482
1,552
See the Technical Note for more information on these industries.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
The manufacturing sector accounted for 24 percent of all mass layoff events and 27 percent of initial
claims filed in August. A year earlier, manufacturing made up 24 percent of events and 25 percent of
initial claims. Within this sector, the number of claimants in August 2011 was greatest in the
transportation equipment subsector. Eleven of the 21 manufacturing subsectors experienced over-theyear increases in initial claims, with the largest increase occurring in machinery. (See table 3.)
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Three of the 4 regions and 8 of the 9 divisions experienced over-the-year increases in initial claims for
unemployment insurance due to mass layoffs in August. Among the census regions, the Northeast
registered the largest over-the-year increase in initial claims. Of the geographic divisions, the Middle
Atlantic had the largest over-the-year increase in initial claims. (See table 5.)
California recorded the highest number of mass layoff initial claims in August, followed by
Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Thirty states and the District of Columbia
experienced over-the-year increases in initial claims, led by Massachusetts and New Jersey. (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.
-2-
____________
The Mass Layoffs news release for September is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, October 25,
2011, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
Upcoming Changes to the Mass Layoffs News Release
The following changes will be introduced in the October 2011 mass layoffs news release scheduled
to be released on Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

Charts 1 and 2 will be replaced with a single chart showing 10 years of mass layoff initial
claims data.

Table A will only show private nonfarm industries.

Seasonally adjusted data will be removed from Table 3 since these data are shown in Table 1.
Select three-digit industry detail will be added to several two-digit industries. Public education
industry detail will be displayed within the state and local government sections of Table 3. The
previous two months’ data will be removed; the current month and the previous year’s data
will be shown.

Table 4 will be removed from the monthly release and issued as a supplemental table to the
quarterly release. Table 5 and Table 6 will be combined to create a new Table 4. The
geographic divisions shown in Table 5 will be removed, and the states will be grouped into
their respective Census regions. The previous two months’ data will be removed; the current
month and previous year’s data will be shown.

The new Tables 3 and 4 will include average weekly mass layoff events and average weekly
initial claims for the current month and previous year. See the Technical Note for a description
of average weekly analysis.
-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, September 2007 to August 2011,
seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2007
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
1,233
1,330
1,397
1,553
121,998
133,063
145,339
154,275
1,140
1,210
1,269
1,435
115,675
124,455
135,651
144,785
430
439
408
463
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 ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
1,534
1,421
1,286
1,564
1,599
1,532
1,579
1,587
149,799
130,818
118,523
143,927
143,540
143,444
145,000
165,547
1,344
1,220
1,128
1,401
1,405
1,348
1,363
1,373
132,730
116,190
105,636
129,702
127,494
128,105
124,745
150,136
341
291
253
327
373
341
342
391
39,189
26,060
27,619
35,022
38,673
35,693
35,460
48,997
Events
Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, September 2007 to August 2011,
not seasonally adjusted
Total
Date
Private nonfarm
Manufacturing
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
Events
Initial
claimants
2007
September ...................................................
October ........................................................
November ....................................................
December ....................................................
717
1,083
1,799
2,167
67,385
108,455
198,220
224,214
667
929
1,593
2,071
64,026
97,716
181,184
216,898
246
338
514
699
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 ..............................................................
June .............................................................
July ...............................................................
August ..........................................................
2,558
1,024
908
1,750
1,367
1,661
2,176
961
246,463
85,585
85,095
189,919
119,911
159,930
216,774
99,213
2,372
919
844
1,625
1,221
1,238
1,759
875
229,765
78,718
80,014
176,478
108,531
122,821
174,078
93,159
693
222
191
397
270
226
602
228
75,006
18,471
20,869
47,104
25,199
22,986
71,814
26,916
Events
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Industry
August
2010
June
2011
July
2011
August
2011
August
2010
June
2011
July
2011
August
2011
1,658
1,453
409
1,532
1,348
341
1,579
1,363
342
1,587
1,373
391
163,325
141,489
47,668
143,444
128,105
35,693
145,000
124,745
35,460
165,547
150,136
48,997
Total ............................................................
976
1,661
2,176
961
92,435
159,930
216,774
99,213
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 .......................
923
26
897
1,282
44
1,238
904
29
875
84,610
1,589
83,021
125,944
3,123
122,821
(2)
(2)
84
226
51
–
8
6
10
(2)
–
65
228
51
6
8
3
10
–
11
7
6
–
(2)
–
6,910
23,088
4,312
(2)
(2)
6,847
22,986
5,011
–
1,131
420
1,119
182,960
8,882
174,078
–
94,711
1,552
93,159
(2)
–
105
230
54
1,867
108
1,759
–
6
8
11
5
11
16
10
12
30
7
10
562
691
621
835
925
2,077
999
1,303
4,869
1,417
319
1,324
10,430
4,356
6,155
1,945
514
4,657
490
14,605
902
2,532
1,286
3,424
Seasonally adjusted
Total ...............................................................
Total, private nonfarm ........................................
Manufacturing ..................................................
Not seasonally adjusted
1
(2)
4
3
9
(2)
17
7
3
–
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
10
8
7
12
18
15
8
32
6
4
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
108
45
36
24
7
43
6
158
6
36
17
50
Government .........................................................
Federal ............................................................
State ................................................................
Local ................................................................
1
2
(2)
–
53
18
12
23
Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
(2)
118
602
84
(2)
12
5
5
(2)
29
9
14
3
28
4
9
(2)
(2)
11
5
11
10
16
10
9
34
7
9
(2)
12
36
13
24
27
34
19
19
193
31
9
18
82
144
41
18
7
32
5
170
26
177
30
120
53
–
21
165
114
52
43
10
51
5
320
29
104
30
74
17
17
79
74
58
26
4
24
4
162
11
30
17
65
8
(2)
309
10
78
221
(2)
57
10
15
32
379
18
29
332
(2)
888
272
573
(2)
8,990
71,814
9,998
(2)
–
4,628
26,916
4,585
472
944
200
1,024
–
1,242
512
569
–
(2)
1,083
427
383
(2)
3,341
1,107
1,526
869
2,826
298
930
(2)
(2)
880
380
914
607
2,042
716
915
4,871
771
826
(2)
935
3,359
1,612
2,450
2,980
4,799
1,735
2,628
26,488
2,770
726
(2)
–
1,440
7,177
19,513
5,721
1,158
779
3,378
351
16,582
1,604
14,975
1,664
14,179
4,129
–
1,594
17,189
9,326
5,289
2,769
856
4,372
654
31,193
1,993
7,079
2,867
6,445
1,336
1,347
6,804
7,181
18,813
1,647
235
1,737
269
13,158
1,329
2,279
1,438
4,533
654
7,825
1,933
894
4,998
33,986
1,942
2,086
29,958
(2)
33,814
784
12,220
20,810
(2)
4,502
833
1,267
2,402
(2)
1,355
559
246
–
NOTE: Dash represents zero.
303
705
685
415
1,051
4,407
884
2,537
4,688
952
741
Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, July 2009 to August 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
2,034
406,823
38.7
76.9
2,416
468,577
43.7
88.9
1,870
368,664
38.3
79.0
2,008
396,441
47.6
94.5
1,370
260,030
39.9
80.4
1,999
390,445
43.3
88.1
1,490
257,031
36.0
66.2
Events
Initial
claimants
2009
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 ............................................
June ...........................................
1,750
1,367
1,661
189,919
119,911
159,930
1,625
1,221
1,238
176,478
108,531
122,821
Second Quarter .........................
4,778
469,760
4,084
407,830
July ............................................
August ........................................
2,176
961
216,774
99,213
1,759
875
174,078
93,159
2010
2011
1
The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm
2,p
1,624
2,p
231,643
p
39.8
p
56.8
data on these layoffs become available. Experience suggests that the
mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days. The initial claimant realization
number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards
rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial claimants
by less than 10 percent and the number of initial claimants associated
associated with layoffs lasting more than 30 days.
2
These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more
with such events increases by 25-40 percent.
p
= preliminary.
Table 5. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division,
not seasonally adjusted
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
Census region and division
August
2010
June
2011
July
2011
August
2011
August
2010
June
2011
July
2011
August
2011
United States 1 .........................................
976
1,661
2,176
961
92,435
159,930
216,774
99,213
Northeast ..........................................................
New England ................................................
Middle Atlantic ..............................................
183
34
149
276
53
223
363
44
319
187
23
164
16,706
3,743
12,963
30,513
5,004
25,509
34,691
3,808
30,883
29,937
7,784
22,153
South ................................................................
South Atlantic ...............................................
East South Central .......................................
West South Central ......................................
274
160
55
59
482
273
60
149
624
358
164
102
277
174
47
56
21,631
12,404
4,584
4,643
45,180
24,626
5,603
14,951
62,261
33,888
17,365
11,008
25,771
15,565
4,879
5,327
Midwest ............................................................
East North Central ........................................
West North Central .......................................
157
124
33
326
236
90
505
359
146
181
132
49
17,140
13,603
3,537
33,813
26,402
7,411
62,114
41,262
20,852
20,541
14,839
5,702
West .................................................................
Mountain .......................................................
Pacific ...........................................................
362
31
331
577
64
513
684
67
617
316
36
280
36,958
2,197
34,761
50,424
6,011
44,413
57,708
6,339
51,369
22,964
3,048
19,916
1
See footnote 1, table 3.
NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that
comprise the census divisions are: New England: Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia,
Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama,
Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota;
Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon,
and Washington.
Table 6. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
not seasonally adjusted
Initial claimants for
unemployment insurance
Mass layoff events
State
August
2010
Total 1 ................................................
976
Alabama ...............................................
Alaska ...................................................
Arizona .................................................
Arkansas ...............................................
California ..............................................
Colorado ...............................................
Connecticut ...........................................
Delaware ..............................................
District of Columbia ..............................
Florida ...................................................
Georgia .................................................
Hawaii ...................................................
Idaho .....................................................
14
10
5
3
287
5
8
Illinois ....................................................
Indiana ..................................................
Iowa ......................................................
Kansas ..................................................
Kentucky ...............................................
Louisiana ..............................................
Maine ....................................................
Maryland ...............................................
Massachusetts ......................................
Michigan ...............................................
Minnesota .............................................
Mississippi ............................................
Missouri ................................................
(2)
(2)
93
30
5
7
June
2011
July
2011
1,661
6,904
(2)
1,561
3,185
39,788
708
807
415
(2)
2,137
1,607
46,009
704
713
233
1,310
307
341
909
17,552
547
280
(2)
9,161
4,789
275
832
(2)
12,098
5,152
(2)
(2)
5,176
2,447
(2)
1,220
(2)
255
6,436
2,722
1,359
682
2,003
2,056
458
1,102
1,133
5,413
1,249
240
3,176
5,599
5,700
2,397
1,372
6,294
1,936
667
1,486
1,632
14,164
11,406
1,853
4,068
5,514
1,215
1,796
1,497
1,935
378
531
441
1,292
614
6,432
663
5,185
4,871
306
1,026
875
363
7,381
568
14,892
8,083
583
7,739
1,206
3,435
8,610
(2)
247
1,158
(2)
6,817
338
7,506
1,624
410
2,420
323
2,724
882
2,871
(2)
4
61
28
14
8
22
28
7
12
16
55
17
5
42
48
31
19
12
54
21
9
13
16
130
68
25
36
35
13
9
9
13
7
3,707
1,554
1,743
366
1,422
1,010
6
5
12
3
44
8
55
45
4
8
10
5
81
9
142
80
3
67
6
27
96
4
28
(2)
11
10
23
Puerto Rico ...........................................
12
(2)
13
86
3
7
25
17
3
50
–
10
(2)
4
12
21
7
10
17
(2)
4
11
(2)
23
5
71
21
3
25
(2)
363
1,464
2,385
307
1,057
864
(2)
257
484
657
2,449
(2)
5,547
698
June
2011
(2)
10
70
(2)
1,671
4,967
(2)
6,150
481
2,967
13,892
4
20
(2)
792
1,276
1,878
25
58
4
10
37
3
698
3,058
(2)
41
15
(2)
17
14
(2)
(2)
747
818
(2)
38
3,388
(2)
1,438
9,229
424
716
2,071
1,231
189
5,681
(2)
–
–
–
–
83
–
See footnote 1, table 3.
Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
3
Data starting in November 2010 may not be comparable to prior
2
1,922
9
Rhode Island ........................................
South Carolina ......................................
South Dakota ........................................
Tennessee ............................................
Texas ....................................................
Utah ......................................................
Vermont ................................................
Virginia ..................................................
Washington ...........................................
West Virginia ........................................
Wisconsin .............................................
Wyoming ...............................................
1
1,407
884
268
275
31,007
355
880
(2)
(2)
18
59
(2)
14
4
5
10
251
6
3
(2)
(2)
6,506
2,996
381
504
(2)
42
6
28
124
37
99,213
(2)
(2)
78
30
(2)
59
9
–
216,774
(2)
147
45
4
7
6
31
8
11
159,930
(2)
114
43
4
8
(2)
(2)
(2)
92,435
60
Montana ................................................
Nebraska ..............................................
Nevada .................................................
New Hampshire ....................................
New Jersey ...........................................
New Mexico ..........................................
New York ..............................................
North Carolina 3 ....................................
North Dakota ........................................
Ohio ......................................................
Oklahoma .............................................
Oregon ..................................................
Pennsylvania ........................................
9
38
961
(2)
23
17
571
8
8
3
6
16
14
4
14
12
–
2,176
20
(2)
27
August
2010
(2)
18
29
462
9
10
6
32
14
9
4
18
16
–
August
2011
–
–
19
–
2,569
12
–
987
941
July
2011
August
2011
(2)
812
6,030
1,986
607
613
1,145
(2)
836
7,830
–
–
2,314
6,259
529
1,021
3,836
218
(2)
4,028
1,537
(2)
1,988
1,170
–
8,060
(2)
3,704
–
–
2,333
1,282
data due to a change in MLS unemployment insurance
input procedures.
NOTE: Dash represents zero.

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