Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2009-01-28

In December, employers took 2,275 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 employer; the number of workers involved totaled 226,117 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of mass layoff events in December decreased by 58 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims increased slightly by 478. Over the year, the number of mass layoff events increased by 806, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 80,201. In December, 871 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, sea- sonally adjusted, resulting in 105,402 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff events in manufacturing increased by 3, and initial claims increased by 4,759, the fifth consecutive over-the-month increase for both measures.