Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2009-05-22

Employers took 2,712 mass layoff actions in April that resulted in the separation of 271,226 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in April decreased by 221 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 28,162. Compared to last year, the number of mass layoff events and associated initial claims more than doubled. In April, the manufacturing sector reported 1,111 mass layoff events, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 135,252 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff events in manu- facturing decreased by 148, and initial claims decreased by 20,657.