Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2008-07-23

In June, employers took 1,643 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 re- ported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single em- ployer; the number of workers involved totaled 165,697, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Layoff events were the highest for the month of June since 2003, and associated initial claimants reached its highest level since 2002. The number of mass layoff events this June increased by 17 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims was 5,690 lower. In June, 541 mass layoff events were reported in the manu- facturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 76,514 initial claims. Both measures were at their highest monthly levels since August 2003. Over the month, mass layoff events in manufacturing increased by 13 and initial claims increased by 4,456.