Mass Layoffs (Monthly) News Release — 2011-12-22

Employers took 1,331 mass layoff actions in November involving 129,887 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 November decreased by 22 from October, while the number of associated initial claims increased by 11,198. In November, 322 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 36,343 initial claims. (See table 1.) The national unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in November, down from 9.0 percent the prior month and from 9.8 percent a year earlier. In November, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 120,000 over the month and by 1,600,000 over the year. The number of mass layoff events in November was 1,393, not seasonally adjusted, resulting in 127,750 initial claims for unemployment insurance.