June 24, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Initial claims for unemployment insurance due to layoffs, May 2005

In May 2005, the manufacturing sector accounted for 30 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance filed because of mass layoff events; within manufacturing, the number of claimants was highest in transportation equipment and food processing.

[Chart data—TXT]

Administrative and waste services accounted for nine percent of initial claims filed in May, with layoffs mainly from temporary help services. 

Eight percent of initial claims filed during the month were from construction, mostly among specialty trade contractors. 

Accommodation and food services accounted for eight percent of initial claims, primarily from food service contractors. 

Transportation and warehousing accounted for seven percent initial claims during the month, largely from school and employee bus transportation. 

An additional six percent of initial claims were from the information sector, mainly from motion picture and video production.

Government establishments also accounted for six percent of initial claims filed in May, mostly in executive, legislative, and general government agencies and educational services.

These data are from the Mass Layoff Statistics program. To learn more about job cutbacks and workers separated from their jobs, see Mass Layoffs in May 2005, news release 05-1117. These data are not seasonally adjusted, and are preliminary and subject to revision.