Mass Layoffs In September 2006 — 2006-10-25

In September 2006, employers took 1,132 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 116,773, on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of layoff events decreased by 61 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims de- creased by 11,171. During September 2006, 381 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 45,040 initial claims. The number of events in manufacturing was higher than a month earlier, while the number of initial claims decreased. (See table 1.) Compared with September 2005, which included the effects of Hurricane Katrina, September 2006 shows a sharp decrease in the number of events and associated initial claims.