For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, September 21, 2012 USDL-12-1889
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 * mlsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
MASS LAYOFFS -- AUGUST 2012
Employers took 1,267 mass layoff actions in August involving 127,454 workers as
measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Data are seasonally adjusted.)
Each mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. Mass layoff
events in August decreased by 73 from July, and the number of associated initial
claims decreased by 9,966. Year-to-date mass layoff events (10,692) and initial
claims (1,032,764) both recorded their lowest figures for a January-August period
since 2007. In August, 314 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing
sector resulting in 38,667 initial claims. Mass layoff data are identified using
administrative data sources without regard to layoff duration. (See table 1 and
the note at the end of this release.)
The national unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in August, down from 8.3 percent
the prior month and from 9.1 percent a year earlier. Total nonfarm payroll
employment increased by 96,000 over the month and by 1,808,000 over the year.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in August was 1,063, not seasonally adjusted,
resulting in 104,045 initial claims for unemployment insurance. (See table 2.)
Over the year, the number of average weekly mass layoff events for August
decreased by 27 to 213, and associated average weekly initial claims decreased
by 3,994 to 20,809. Six of the 19 major industry sectors in the private economy
reported over-the-year decreases in average weekly initial claims, with the
largest decrease occurring in information. (See table 3.) In August 2012, the
six-digit industry with the largest number of private nonfarm initial claims
due to mass layoffs was temporary help services. (See table A.)
In August, the manufacturing sector accounted for 25 percent of mass layoff
events and 31 percent of associated initial claims in the private economy.
Within manufacturing, the numbers of mass layoff claimants were highest in
transportation equipment and in food. Fourteen of the 21 manufacturing
subsectors experienced over-the-year decreases in average weekly initial
claims. (See table 3.)
Table A. Six-digit NAICS industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims
in August 2012, private nonfarm, not seasonally adjusted
August peak
Industry
Initial Claims Year Initial claims
Temporary help services (1) ................... 8,257 1999 11,533
School and employee bus transportation ........ 6,975 2012 6,975
Motion picture and video production ........... 3,138 2003 6,812
Professional employer organizations (1) ....... 2,236 2008 5,252
Rolled, drawn, extruded, and alloyed copper ... (2) 2012 (2)
Motor vehicle metal stamping .................. (2) 2012 (2)
Automobile manufacturing ...................... 1,935 2001 8,166
Discount department stores .................... 1,916 2007 2,953
Department stores, except discount ............ 1,834 1996 2,151
Food service contractors ...................... 1,399 2011 1,826
1 See the Technical Note for more information on these industries.
2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Among the census regions, the South registered the largest number of initial
claims due to mass layoffs in August. Three of the 4 regions experienced over-
the-year decreases in average weekly initial claims, with the largest decrease
occurring in the Northeast. (See table 4.)
Among the states, California recorded the highest number of mass layoff initial
claims in August, followed by New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and North Carolina.
Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia experienced over-the-year
decreases in average weekly initial claims, led by Massachusetts, New Jersey,
and South Carolina. (See table 4.)
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. The monthly
data series in this release are subjected to average weekly analysis, which
mitigates the effect of differing lengths of months. See the Technical Note for
more detailed definitions and for a description of average weekly analysis.
____________
The Mass Layoffs news release for September is scheduled to be released on
Tuesday, October 23, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
