Mass Layoffs In December 2005 And Annual Averages For 2005 — 2006-01-25

In December 2005, employers took 1,308 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 149,565. (See table 1.) The number of layoff events in December rose by 103 from November, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 28,782. In the manufacturing sector, 365 mass layoff events were reported during December 2005, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 49,641 initial claims. Both figures were higher than a month earlier. (See table 1.) In December, the 10 industries reporting the highest number of mass- layoff initial claims, not seasonally adjusted, accounted for 91,499 ini- tial claims, 36 percent of the total.