Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2011-11-22

Employers took 1,353 mass layoff actions in October involving 118,689 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 October decreased by 142 from September, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 34,540. In October, 345 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 33,849 initial claims. (See table 1.) The national unemployment rate was 9.0 percent in October, essentially unchanged from the prior month but down from 9.7 percent a year earlier. In October, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 80,000 over the month and by 1,501,000 over the year. The number of mass layoff events in October was 1,101, not seasonally adjusted, resulting in 96,914 initial claims for unemployment insurance.