December 31, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Layoffs in November

In November, there were 2,699 mass layoff actions as measured by new filings for unemployment benefits. Each action involved at least 50 workers from one establishment and the number laid off totaled 293,074.

[Chart data—TXT]

Over the January-November 2001 period, the total number of events, at 18,920, and initial claims, at 2,228,945, were substantially higher than in January-November 2000, at 13,061 and 1,508,849, respectively.

After the events of September 11, BLS added a new code for reason for layoff, 'non-natural disaster,' for use in the quarterly reporting of extended mass layoffs (those lasting more than 30 days). In the 10 weeks following the September 11 attacks (the weeks ending September 15 through November 17), employers reported 350 extended mass layoff events involving 103,781 workers separated as a direct or indirect effect of the attacks.

These data are products of the Mass Layoff Statistics program. Mass layoffs data for October and November 2001 are preliminary and subject to revision. For more information, see news release USDL 01-496, Mass Layoffs in November 2001.