Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2012-06-20

Employers took 1,380 mass layoff actions in May involving 130,191 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. Mass layoff events in May decreased by 8 from April, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 5,409. Year-to- date mass layoff events (6,768) and initial claims (636,484) both recorded their lowest figures since 2007. In May, 264 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 29,675 initial claims. (See table 1.) The national unemployment rate was 8.2 percent in May, essentially unchanged from the prior month but down from 9.0 percent a year earlier. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 69,000 over the month and by 1,782,000 over the year.