Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2010-11-23

Employers took 1,651 mass layoff actions in October that resulted in the separation of 148,059 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 action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in October increased by 121 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 9,839. In October, 356 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally ad- justed, resulting in 37,438 initial claims; both figures increased over the month. (See table 1.) The national unemployment rate was 9.6 percent in October, unchanged from the prior month and down from 10.1 percent a year earlier. In October, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 151,000 over the month and by 829,000 from a year earlier.