Research >> Economics
October Mass Layoffs total 1,360 actions, 131,173 workers
Employers took 1,360 mass layoff actions in October involving 131,173 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 October increased by 44 from September, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 8,711. In October, 344 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector resulting in 42,946 initial claims. Monthly mass layoff data are identified using administrative data sources without regard to layoff duration.
The national unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in October, essentially unchanged from the prior month and down from 8.9 percent a year earlier. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 171,000 over the month and by 1,949,000 over the year.
Posted: November 20, 2012 Tuesday 10:00 AM