Extended Mass Layoffs (Quarterly) News Release — 2013-02-14

Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 1,674 mass layoff events in the fourth quarter of 2012 that resulted in the separation of 319,639 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 1,903 and 334,383, respectively. (See table A.) Permanent worksite closures accounted for 7 percent of all events and 10 percent of all separations during the fourth quarter of 2012, primarily in the manufacturing sector. Fourth quarter 2012 layoff data are preliminary and are subject to revision. (See the Technical Note.) Preliminary fourth quarter 2012 data indicate that in New Jersey and New York, 31 extended mass layoff events related to Hurricane Sandy resulted in 6,759 worker separations. Construction industry firms reported 528 extended mass layoff events and 68,463 separations in the fourth quarter of 2012, largely due to the completion of seasonal work.