Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2011-05-20

Employers took 1,564 mass layoff actions in April involving 143,927 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 mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in April increased by 278 from March, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 25,404. In April, 327 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 35,022 initial claims; both figures increased over the month. (See table 1.) The national unemployment rate was 9.0 percent in April, up from 8.8 percent the prior month but down from 9.8 percent a year earlier. In April, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 244,000 over the month and by 1,313,000 from a year earlier. The number of mass layoff events in April was 1,750, not seasonally adjusted, resulting in 189,919 initial claims.