Extended Mass Layoffs (Quarterly) News Release — 2012-02-10

Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 1,638 mass layoff events in the fourth quarter of 2011 that resulted in the separation of 266,971 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the year, total extended mass layoff events and associated worker separations were down from 1,999 and 338,643, respectively. Total events and separations reached their lowest fourth quarter levels since 2005, while manufacturing sector events and separations declined to their lowest fourth quarter levels in program history. (See table A.) Fourth quarter 2011 layoff data are preliminary and are subject to revision. (See the Technical Note.) Permanent worksite closures accounted for only 5 percent of extended mass layoff events in the fourth quarter of 2011, the lowest proportion of events due to closure for any quarter in program history (with data available back to 1995).