Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2012-05-22

Employers took 1,388 mass layoff actions in April involving 135,600 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 April increased by 115 from March, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 14,290. In April, 287 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 33,243 initial claims. (See table 1.) The national unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in April, little changed from the prior month but down from 9.0 percent a year earlier. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 115,000 over the month and by 1,816,000 over the year. Table A. Six-digit NAICS industries with the largest number of mass layoff initial claims in April 2012, private nonfarm, not seasonally adjusted School and employee bus transportation ....