November 1996 — 1997-02-26

In November 1996, there were 1,355 mass layoff actions by employers as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to the U.S. Department of Labor�s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 122,341 persons. Although the number of layoff events were higher than in November 1995, the number of workers involved decreased slightly over the year. (See table 1.) The monthly series in this release covers mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of duration. Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later for a quarterly release, which includes only mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs") and more information on the establishment classification and location and on the demographics of the laid-off workers. See the Technical Note for more detailed definitions.