For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, May 22, 2013 USDL-13-0990
Technical information: (202) 691-6392 * mlsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/mls
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
MASS LAYOFFS -- APRIL 2013
Employers took 1,199 mass layoff actions in April involving 116,849 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 decreased by
138 from March, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 11,090. In
April, 293 mass layoff events occurred in the manufacturing sector resulting in 29,744
initial claims. Monthly mass layoff events 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 7.5 percent in April, essentially unchanged from the
prior month and down from 8.1 percent a year earlier. Total nonfarm payroll employment
increased by 165,000 over the month, and increased by 2,077,000 over the year.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in April was 1,174, not seasonally adjusted, resulting
in 119,196 initial claims for unemployment insurance. (See table 2.) Over the year,
the number of average weekly mass layoff events for April decreased by 61 to 294, and
associated average weekly initial claims decreased by 6,791 to 29,799. Fourteen 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 transportation and
warehousing. (See table 3.) School and employee bus transportation was the six-digit
industry with the largest number of private nonfarm initial claims due to mass layoffs
in April. (See table A.)
Table A. Six-digit NAICS industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims
in April 2013, private nonfarm, not seasonally adjusted
Industry April peak
Initial claims Year Initial claims
School and employee bus transportation .... 10,210 2011 23,573
Temporary help services (1) ............... 8,778 2001 17,507
Motion picture and video production ....... 7,632 1997 15,908
Tax preparation services .................. 3,997 2010 6,514
Food service contractors .................. 3,723 2011 10,948
Hotels and motels, except casino hotels ... 2,580 2010 4,130
Discount department stores ................ 2,253 2009 4,462
Skiing facilities ......................... 2,077 2010 2,640
Payroll services .......................... 1,980 2000 5,165
Warehouse clubs and supercenters .......... 1,885 2010 2,466
1 See the Technical Note for more information on these industries.
The manufacturing sector accounted for 22 percent of mass layoff events and associated
initial claims in the private economy in April. Within manufacturing, the numbers of mass
layoff claimants were highest in food and in machinery. Nine of the 21 manufacturing
subsectors experienced over-the-year decreases in average weekly initial claims. (See
table 3.)
Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Among the census regions, the West had the largest number of initial claims due to mass
layoffs in April. 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 had the highest number of mass layoff initial claims in
April, followed by New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Thirty-one states
experienced over-the-year decreases in average weekly initial claims, led by New York
and New Jersey. (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.
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The Mass Layoffs news release for May 2013 is scheduled to be released on Friday,
June 21, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
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| Mass Layoffs Data Discontinued |
| |
|On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the-board spending |
|cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and |
|Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor |
|Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent |
|of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve |
|these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, |
|including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all "measuring green jobs" products. The |
|final release of Mass Layoffs Statistics data will occur on June 21st, with |
|publication of the May 2013 data. |
| |
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