May 1997 — 1997-07-31

In May 1997, there were 1,056 mass layoff actions by employers as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 93,477 persons. Both layoff events and the number of workers involved were higher than in May 1996. (See table 1.) The monthly series in this release covers mass layoffs of 50 or more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of duration. Information on the length of the layoff is obtained later for the quarterly release, which includes only mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs"), along with more information on the establishment classification and location and on the demographics of the laid-off workers. See the Technical Note for more detailed definitions.