Third Quarter — 1998-12-31

In July through September of 1998, there were 1,215 mass layoff actions by employers that resulted in the separation of 241,212 workers from their jobs for more than 30 days, according to preliminary figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the first 3 quarters of 1998, the total of extended layoff events, at 4,068, and worker separations, at 814,597, were slightly higher than in the corresponding period of 1997 (3,968 and 807,799, respectively). "Seasonal work" accounted for 28 percent of the third-quarter 1998 layoff events and separations, as the growing season ended for certain produce. Layoffs due to internal company restructuring reached the highest level since fourth-quarter 1996. Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 12 percent of all events and affected 40,652 workers, up from 29,872 workers in the same period a year ago.