Mass Layoffs In October 2005 — 2005-11-23

In October 2005, employers took 1,088 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 establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 106,238, on a seasonally adjusted basis. (See table 1.) The number of layoff events in October declined by 1,132 from September (as revised, see box note) to 1,088, the lowest number of events for any month since October 2000. The number of associated initial claims fell by 181,454 from Sep- tember (as revised) to 106,238 and was at its lowest total for any month since August 1998. In the manufacturing sector, 316 mass layoff events were reported during October 2005, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 45,589 initial claims; both figures were sharply lower than a month earlier.