Mass Layoffs In November 2003 — 2003-12-23

Employers initiated 1,438 mass layoff actions in November 2003, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to 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 138,543. (See table 1.) The number of layoff events and initial claims were sharply lower than a year ago, with the number of initial claims at the lowest level for November since 1997. (November 2003 contained 4 weeks for pos- sible mass layoffs, compared with 5 weeks in each November of the prior 2 years.) Fewer mass-layoff initial claims were filed against employers in tem- porary help services, payroll services, farm labor, and highway, street, and bridge construction in November 2003 compared with November 2002.