Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2011-10-25

Employers took 1,495 mass layoff actions in September involving 153,229 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. The number of mass layoff events in September decreased by 92 from August, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 12,318. In September, 376 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 39,929 initial claims. (See table 1.) The national unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in September, unchanged from the prior month but down from 9.6 percent a year earlier. In September, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 103,000 over the month and by 1,490,000 over the year. The number of mass layoff events in September was 1,189, not seasonally adjusted, resulting in 117,232 initial claims for unemployment insurance.