June 1997 — 1997-09-10

In June 1997, there were 1,113 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 110,267 persons. Both layoff events and the number of claimants for unemployment insurance were higher than in June 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 and issued in a quarterly release, which reports on mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass layoffs") and provides more information on the industry classification and location of the establishment and on the demographics of the laid-off workers. See the Technical Note for more detailed definitions.