For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Thursday, November 8, 2012 USDL-12-2203 

Technical information: (202) 691-6392 • mlsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/mls 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS — THIRD QUARTER 2012 

Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 885 mass layoff events in the third quarter of 2012 that 

resulted in the separation of 138,484 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, the U.S. Bureau of 

Labor Statistics reported today. Over the year, total extended mass layoff events and associated worker 

separations were down from 1,393 and 235,325, respectively. (See table A.) Permanent worksite 

closures accounted for 11 percent of all events and 14 percent of all separations during the third quarter 

of 2012, primarily in the manufacturing sector. Third quarter 2012 layoff data are preliminary and are 

subject to revision. (See the Technical Note.) 

Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs

Manufacturing industries reported 196 extended mass layoff events and 29,350 separations in the third 

quarter of 2012, largely due to slack work/insufficient demand. This sector accounted for 22 percent of 

layoff events and 21 percent of related separations during the quarter. (See table 1.) 

The administrative and waste services sector had 137 events and 22,869 separations, primarily due to 

contract completion, in the third quarter of 2012. The industry accounted for 15 percent of layoff events 

and 17 percent of separations. The construction sector reported 122 layoff events and 13,001 

separations, also primarily due to contract completion. 

Reasons for Extended Layoffs

Business demand factors, primarily contract completion, accounted for 44 percent of both extended 

mass layoff events and related separations in the private nonfarm sector during the third quarter of 2012. 

Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 20 percent of the events and 19 percent of 

related separations during the quarter. (See table 2 and the chart.) 

Movement of Work 

In the third quarter of 2012, 29 extended mass layoffs involved movement of work and were associated 

with 3,941 worker separations. Fifty-five percent of the events related to movement of work were from 

manufacturing industries. Employers cited organizational changes as the economic reason for layoff in 

52 percent of the events involving movement of work. Among workers affected by the movement of 

work, the largest proportions were in the South. (See tables 6-8.) 
- 2 - 

Table A. Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity

Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants

2008

January-March..................... 1,340 230,098 259,292 

April-June............................ 1,756 354,713 339,630 

July-September.................... 1,581 290,453 304,340 

October-December.............. 3,582 641,714 766,780 

2009

January-March..................... 3,979 705,141 835,551 

April-June............................ 3,395 651,318 731,049 

July-September.................... 2,034 345,531 406,823 

October-December.............. 2,416 406,212 468,577 

2010

January-March..................... 1,870 314,512 368,664 

April-June............................ 2,008 381,622 396,441 

July-September.................... 1,370 222,357 260,077 

October-December.............. 1,999 338,643 390,584 

2011

January-March..................... 1,490 225,456 258,220 

April-June............................ 1,810 317,546 342,530 

July-September.................... 1,393 235,325 291,066 

October-Decemberr

 ............ 1,903 334,383 403,457 

2012

January-Marchr

 ................... 1,294 246,956 291,040 

April-Juner

 .......................... 1,959 385,665 382,868 

July-Septemberp

 .................. 885 138,484 124,963 

 r

 = revised.

 p

 = preliminary.

The 29 events with movement of work for the third quarter involved 41 identifiable relocations of work 

actions. (See table 9.) Employers were able to provide information on the specific number of worker 

separations for 21 of these actions. Among these actions, most were domestic reassignments and 

involved work moving within the same company. (See table 10.) 

Recall Expectations

Forty-seven percent of the private nonfarm employers reporting an extended mass layoff in the third 

quarter of 2012 anticipated recalling at least some of the displaced workers. Of those employers 

expecting to recall workers, 22 percent indicated the offer would be extended to all displaced employees 

and 62 percent anticipated extending the offer to at least half of the workers. Among employers 

expecting to recall laid-off workers, 60 percent intend to do so within six months. Excluding extended 

mass layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period, employers anticipated recalling the laidoff workers in 35 percent of the events. (See table 11.) 
- 3 - 

Table B. Metropolitan areas with the largest number of initial claimants associated with

extended mass layoff events in third quarter 2012, by residency of claimants

 Total, 372 metropolitan areas ................. 252,439 ... 109,268 ...

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. .... 69,035 1 22,283 1 

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long

 Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. ................................ 18,069 2 10,291 2 

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. ....... 14,860 3 5,235 3 

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. ......... 7,358 6 4,799 4 

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif. ......... 11,077 4 4,365 5 

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. ........ 9,084 5 2,484 6 

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. .......... 5,107 7 2,394 7 

Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev. ............................. 1,408 28 2,307 8 

Visalia-Porterville, Calif. ................................. 1,980 17 2,168 9 

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, Calif. 4,403 8 1,826 10 

 r

 = revised.

 p

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: The geographic boundaries of the metropolitan areas shown in this table are defined in

 Office of Management and Budget Bulletin 10-02, December 1, 2009.

Metropolitan area

2011 IIIr 2012 IIIp

Initial 

claimants Rank Initial claimants Rank

Size of Extended Layoffs

The average size of a layoff (as measured by the number of separations per layoff event) was 156 

workers during the third quarter of 2012. (See table 12.) Events were largely concentrated at the lower 

end of the extended layoff-size spectrum, with 71 percent involving fewer than 150 workers. 

Conversely, only 4 percent of layoff events involved 500 or more workers. (See table 13.) 

Initial Claimant Characteristics

A total of 124,963 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with extended mass 

layoffs in the third quarter of 2012. Of these claimants, 16 percent were black, 23 percent were 

Hispanic, 42 percent were women, and 20 percent were 55 years of age or older. (See table 3.) In the 

entire civilian labor force for the same period, 12 percent of all persons were black, 16 percent were 

Hispanic, 47 percent were women, and 21 percent were 55 years of age or older. 

Geographic Distribution 

Among the four census regions, the West recorded the highest number of extended mass layoff events in 

the third quarter of 2012, primarily in the administrative and support services sector. Among the nine 

census divisions, the highest number of extended mass layoff events was in the Pacific. (See table 4.) 
- 4 - 

California recorded the largest number of extended mass layoff events in the third quarter of 2012, 

followed by New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Excluding layoff activity due to seasonal work and 

vacation period reasons, California, New York, and Illinois reported the largest numbers of events. (See 

table 5.) 

Eighty-seven percent of the initial claimants for unemployment insurance associated with extended mass 

layoff events in the third quarter of 2012 resided within metropolitan areas. Among the 372 metropolitan 

areas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif., reported the highest number of resident initial 

claimants. (See table B.)

Note 

The quarterly series on extended mass layoffs cover layoffs of at least 31-days duration that involve 50 

or more individuals from a single employer filing initial claims for unemployment insurance during a 

consecutive 5-week period. Approximately 30 days after a mass layoff is triggered, the employer is 

contacted for additional information. Data for the current quarter are preliminary and subject to revision. 

This release also includes revised data for previous quarters. Data are not seasonally adjusted, but survey 

data suggest that there is a seasonal pattern to layoffs. Thus, comparisons between consecutive quarters 

should not be used as an indicator of trend. For additional information about the program, see the 

Technical Note. 

____________ 

The Mass Layoffs news release for October is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 20, 

2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). 
Technical Note 

The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federalstate program which identifies, describes, and tracks the 

effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each state's 

unemployment insurance database. Employers which have at 

least 50 initial claims filed against them during a consecutive 

5-week period are contacted by the state agency to determine 

whether these separations are of at least 31 days duration, 

and, if so, information is obtained on the total number of 

persons separated and the reasons for these separations. 

Employers are identified according to industry classification 

and location, and unemployment insurance claimants are 

identified by such demographic factors as age, race, gender, 

ethnic group, and place of residence. The program yields 

information on an individual's entire spell of unemployment, 

to the point when regular unemployment insurance benefits 

are exhausted. 

Definitions 

Domestic relocation. A movement of work from an 

establishment within the U.S. to a location also inside the 

U.S., either within the same company or to a different 

company altogether (domestic outsourcing). 

Employer. A firm covered by state unemployment 

insurance laws. Information on employers is obtained from 

the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) 

program, which is administered by the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics (BLS). 

Extended mass layoff event. A layoff defined by the 

filing of 50 or more initial claims for unemployment 

insurance benefits from an employer during a 5-week period, 

with at least 50 workers separated for more than 30 days. 

Such layoffs involve both persons subject to recall and those 

who are terminated. 

Initial claimant. A person who files any notice of 

unemployment to initiate a request either for a determination 

of entitlement to and eligibility for compensation, or for a 

subsequent period of unemployment within a benefit year or 

period of eligibility. 

Movement of work. The reassignment of work activities 

previously performed at the worksite by the company 

experiencing the layoff (1) to another worksite within the 

company; (2) to another company under formal contractual 

arrangements at the same worksite; or (3) to another company 

under formal contractual arrangements at another worksite 

either within or outside of the U.S. 

Outsourcing. A movement of work that was formerly 

conducted in-house by employees paid directly by a company 

to a different company under a contractual arrangement. 

Overseas relocation. A movement of work from an 

establishment within the U.S. to a location outside of the U.S. 

(offshoring), either within the same company or to a different 

company altogether (offshore outsourcing). 

Relocation of work action. A movement-of-work action 

where the employer provides information on the new location 

of work and/or the number of workers affected by the 

movement. Events may involve more than one action per 

employer if work is moved to more than one location. 

Separations. The number of individuals who have 

become displaced during an extended mass layoff event as 

provided by the employer, regardless of whether they file for 

unemployment insurance or not. 

Worksite closure. The complete closure of an employer 

or the partial closure of an employer with multiple locations 

where entire worksites affected by layoffs are closed. 

Revisions to preliminary data 

The latest quarterly data in this news release are 

considered preliminary. After the initial publication of 

quarterly information, more data are collected as remaining 

employer interviews for the quarter are completed and 

additional initial claimant information associated with 

extended layoff events is received. 

Movement of work concepts and questions 

Beginning in 2004, the economic reasons "domestic 

relocation" and "overseas relocation" were replaced by the 

movement of work concept. The movement of work data are 

not collected in the same way as the relocation reasons in 

releases prior to 2004; therefore, the movement of work data 

are not comparable to the data for those discontinued reasons. 

Questions on movement of work and location are asked 

for all layoff events when the reason for separation is other 

than “seasonal work” or “vacation period,” as these are 

unlikely. Movement of work questions are asked after the 

analyst verifies that a layoff in fact occurred and lasted more 

than 30 days. If the reason for layoff is other than seasonal or 

vacation, the employer was asked the following: 

(1) “Did this layoff include your company moving work 

from this location(s) to a different geographic location(s) 

within your company?” 

(2) “Did this layoff include your company moving work 

that was performed in-house by your employees to a different 

company, through contractual arrangements?” 
A “yes” response to either question is followed by: “Is 

the location inside or outside of the U.S.?” and “How many 

of the layoffs were a result of this relocation?” 

Layoff actions are classified as “domestic relocation” if 

the employer responds “yes” to questions 1 and/or 2 and 

indicates the location(s) was inside the U.S.; “overseas 

relocation” indicates that the location(s) was outside the U.S. 

Reliability of the data 

The identification of employers and layoff events in the 

MLS program and associated characteristics of claimants is 

based on administrative data on covered employers and 

unemployment insurance claims, and, therefore, is not subject 

to issues associated with sampling error. Nonsampling errors 

such as typographical errors may affect the identification of 

layoff events and associated claimants, but are not likely to 

be significant. 

With one exception, all employers in the private 

nonfarm sector identified as having a mass layoff based on 

administrative data are asked the interview questions. These 

employer responses are also subject to nonsampling error. 

Nonsampling errors can occur for many reasons, including 

the inability to obtain information for all respondents, 

inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct 

information, and errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data. 

Beginning with first quarter 2012 data, employers in 

California identified as having mass layoff events from the 

administrative and support services (NAICS 561) industry 

subsector are randomly selected to participate in the employer 

interview. Sampling weights are applied to data collected 

from these employer interviews, which represent responses 

for those employers not selected for employer contact. These 

data are subject to sampling errors which can result from the 

variation that occurs by chance because a sample is surveyed 

rather than the entire universe of NAICS 561 employers in 

California identified as having layoff events. 

For the third quarter of 2012, outright refusal to 

participate in the employer interview accounted for 5.2 

percent of all private nonfarm events. Although included in 

the total number of instances involving the movement of 

work, employers in 20 relocations were unable to provide the 

number of separations specifically associated with the 

movement of work, 5 of which involved out-of-country 

moves.

Additional information 

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 
Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,

private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

Industry

III II III III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 .................................. 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963 

 Mining ............................................................. ( 2

 ) 13 10 ( 2 ) 1,834 1,169 ( 2 ) 1,587 836 

 Utilities ............................................................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 221 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 217 

 Construction .................................................... 216 232 122 27,503 27,454 13,001 33,822 34,874 12,861 

 Manufacturing ................................................. 262 214 196 45,393 39,415 29,350 50,313 40,823 24,585 

 Food ........................................................... 70 70 45 14,718 11,104 7,246 15,001 11,014 6,523 

 Beverage and tobacco products ................ 9 ( 2 ) 3 1,353 ( 2 ) 301 1,990 ( 2 ) 308 

 Textile mills ................................................ 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 541 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,479 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Textile product mills ................................... 3 6 ( 2 ) 368 947 ( 2 ) 460 1,062 ( 2 )

 Apparel ....................................................... 5 7 3 1,246 1,255 508 1,611 1,311 466 

 Leather and allied products ........................ – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Wood products ........................................... 9 3 – 1,392 336 – 1,268 244 –

 Paper ......................................................... 4 5 5 682 1,600 522 518 802 482 

 Printing and related support activities ........ 11 12 3 1,089 1,609 298 1,454 1,665 302 

 Petroleum and coal products ..................... – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 )

 Chemicals .................................................. 9 7 7 889 1,388 701 1,008 1,410 680 

 Plastics and rubber products ..................... 9 6 9 2,678 550 787 1,322 467 602 

 Nonmetallic mineral products ..................... 6 5 5 811 465 664 717 500 911 

 Primary metals ........................................... 4 7 9 804 2,779 3,596 498 2,441 1,125 

 Fabricated metal products ......................... 8 6 17 1,341 635 1,700 1,471 1,028 1,849 

 Machinery .................................................. 16 16 20 2,607 3,602 2,220 3,704 3,322 2,749 

 Computer and electronic products ............. 15 15 22 2,617 2,878 2,284 2,383 1,980 2,031 

 Electrical equipment and appliances ......... 11 4 3 2,445 1,203 411 2,483 1,538 433 

 Transportation equipment .......................... 49 31 31 7,531 6,217 6,116 9,729 8,749 4,596 

 Furniture and related products ................... 12 5 ( 2 ) 1,461 380 ( 2 ) 1,452 415 ( 2 )

 Miscellaneous manufacturing .................... 8 4 7 820 659 659 765 701 540 

 Wholesale trade .............................................. 25 42 18 2,951 6,393 1,828 2,832 5,246 1,628 

 Retail trade ...................................................... 70 111 51 18,151 23,909 9,323 15,428 27,249 8,893 

 Transportation and warehousing .................... 101 191 67 13,476 36,865 10,665 14,597 39,416 9,164 

 Information ...................................................... 98 89 43 23,673 32,841 13,783 42,888 39,207 12,769 

 Finance and insurance .................................... 43 36 27 8,115 8,112 4,901 9,497 7,607 3,670 

 Real estate and rental and leasing ................. 7 14 3 904 2,103 712 1,686 2,485 698 

 Professional and technical services ................ 72 113 42 11,799 31,803 7,476 16,193 28,182 5,933 

 Management of companies and enterprises ... 6 9 4 510 1,254 374 1,260 1,321 361 

 Administrative and waste services .................. 221 261 137 44,286 57,919 22,869 63,534 54,783 25,057 

 Educational services ....................................... 22 47 24 2,666 5,963 3,161 2,852 6,332 3,042 

 Health care and social assistance .................. 95 244 44 9,305 31,987 5,182 9,307 29,720 4,163 

 Arts, entertainment, and recreation ................. 45 82 25 8,309 17,752 4,084 8,482 9,840 3,103 

 Accommodation and food services ................. 85 186 57 15,861 49,742 9,050 15,492 43,780 6,901 

 Other services, except public administration .. 21 69 12 2,034 9,511 1,335 2,379 9,524 1,082 

 Unclassified ..................................................... 1 ( 2

 ) – 114 ( 2 ) – 114 ( 2 ) –

 1

 For the third quarter of 2012, data on layoffs were reported by employers r = revised.

in all states and the District of Columbia. p

 = preliminary.

 2

 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. NOTE: Dash represents zero.

Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance
Table 2. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 

private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

Reason for layoff

III II III III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ................................................... 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963 

Business demand ............................................................. 629 637 393 103,741 120,750 61,221 157,685 143,624 59,799 

 Contract cancellation ..................................................... 36 39 26 5,138 7,216 4,910 5,917 7,208 2,571 

 Contract completion ....................................................... 419 446 263 75,760 88,893 45,105 121,189 110,332 47,092 

 Domestic competition ..................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Excess inventory/saturated market ................................ 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,105 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 660 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Import competition ......................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Slack work/insufficient demand/non-seasonal

 business slowdown ................................................. 166 147 99 20,349 23,897 10,146 29,142 25,558 9,146 

Organizational changes .................................................... 76 94 62 12,258 18,402 10,537 12,385 14,654 7,753 

 Business-ownership change .......................................... 18 21 11 2,309 6,507 2,385 1,490 2,083 914 

 Reorganization or restructuring of company .................. 58 73 51 9,949 11,895 8,152 10,895 12,571 6,839 

Financial issues ................................................................ 102 103 63 19,232 20,427 11,293 18,227 19,244 7,416 

 Bankruptcy ..................................................................... 21 18 9 7,544 4,591 4,450 5,337 3,535 1,232 

 Cost control/cost cutting/increase profitability ................ 44 51 29 6,572 9,460 3,700 7,791 11,444 3,689 

 Financial difficulty ........................................................... 37 34 25 5,116 6,376 3,143 5,099 4,265 2,495 

Production specific ............................................................ 17 ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) 2,074 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,363 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Automation/technological advances .............................. 3 ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) 253 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 294 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Energy related ................................................................ – – – – – – – – –

 Governmental regulations/intervention .......................... ( 2 ) 4 5 ( 2 ) 695 965 ( 2 ) 470 644 

 Labor dispute/contract negotiations/strike ..................... 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 731 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 704 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Material or supply shortage ............................................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Model changeover ......................................................... 4 3 ( 2 ) 467 1,440 ( 2 ) 618 2,077 ( 2 ) Plant or machine repair/maintenance ............................ 3 5 5 390 627 433 504 1,352 440 

 Product line discontinued ............................................... – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 )

Disaster/safety .................................................................. 9 ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) 1,251 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,127 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Hazardous work environment ........................................ ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Natural disaster (not weather related) ............................ ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) Non-natural disaster ....................................................... – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Extreme weather-related event ...................................... ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

Seasonal ........................................................................... 303 825 179 50,094 162,821 26,291 52,846 145,352 22,957 

 Seasonal ........................................................................ 185 428 109 37,154 94,863 18,415 38,820 75,464 14,125 

 Vacation period–school related or otherwise ................. 118 397 70 12,940 67,958 7,876 14,026 69,888 8,832 

Other/miscellaneous ......................................................... 257 280 167 46,675 58,304 26,130 46,433 54,657 24,294 

 Other .............................................................................. 23 21 19 3,812 3,421 4,296 3,549 3,220 2,477 

 Data not provided: refusal .............................................. 54 87 47 13,884 18,059 7,181 13,892 17,908 7,179 

 Data not provided: does not know ................................. 180 172 101 28,979 36,824 14,653 28,992 33,529 14,638 

 1

 See footnote 1, table 1. p = preliminary.

 2

 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. NOTE: Dash represents zero. r = revised.

Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance
Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 

private nonfarm sector, second and third quarters, 2012

Total Percent of total

State

Layoff events initial

claimants Black Hispanic

origin Women Persons age 55and over

II III II III II III II III II III II III

 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 2012r 2012p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ........... 1,959 885 382,868 124,963 17.0 15.6 20.1 23.4 50.5 41.6 23.0 20.2 

Alabama ...................................... 23 4 3,668 1,137 61.5 51.3 2.2 6.1 69.4 55.0 21.4 9.3 

Alaska .......................................... 11 6 2,034 1,462 6.8 7.3 8.3 20.9 39.1 30.4 28.6 30.9 

Arizona ........................................ 22 14 4,406 1,546 6.0 14.2 56.1 32.8 65.5 51.5 23.6 12.3 

Arkansas ..................................... 19 9 4,558 1,226 27.6 30.9 7.2 4.6 50.4 38.9 25.4 18.6 

California ..................................... 631 278 144,227 50,965 9.3 9.0 33.9 36.6 43.0 41.9 17.1 16.4 

Colorado ...................................... 25 9 3,706 942 4.9 9.0 20.1 16.6 48.8 32.1 18.2 13.7 

Connecticut ................................. 18 12 2,966 1,295 16.3 16.0 12.8 24.0 64.9 55.4 33.1 22.2 

Delaware ..................................... 7 ( 2 ) 763 ( 2 ) 49.4 64.3 9.4 7.1 77.5 55.4 26.1 17.9 

District of Columbia ..................... 5 – 731 – 87.0 – 2.9 – 69.1 – 27.4 –

Florida ......................................... 49 26 7,703 2,770 31.6 30.8 33.7 27.8 68.5 43.3 28.8 19.8 

Georgia ........................................ 37 13 7,031 1,222 54.7 45.8 2.4 .7 58.8 39.7 23.6 24.6 

Hawaii .......................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) .9 – 8.6 21.0 15.8 4.8 15.4 3.2 

Idaho ........................................... 6 3 473 218 – – 3.2 21.1 51.8 39.9 25.8 28.9 

Illinois .......................................... 111 58 25,056 7,223 23.9 22.9 11.2 17.0 54.9 36.7 22.8 18.7 

Indiana ......................................... 33 13 5,655 1,470 15.4 17.1 1.9 1.8 42.6 29.5 21.9 18.6 

Iowa ............................................. 10 8 1,442 817 9.7 8.7 5.6 5.3 61.0 48.7 33.2 23.9 

Kansas ........................................ 21 ( 2 ) 3,733 ( 2 ) 16.6 20.8 5.9 2.0 47.7 57.8 28.7 44.6 

Kentucky ...................................... 27 17 3,684 1,918 12.6 15.2 .1 .1 42.5 33.3 20.6 23.6 

Louisiana ..................................... 35 15 5,121 1,681 69.5 49.1 3.0 6.4 71.1 41.5 28.3 26.2 

Maine ........................................... 11 4 1,261 433 .6 6.2 .6 3.9 42.0 37.9 22.7 28.6 

Maryland3

 .................................... 30 9 4,443 1,409 30.9 18.6 1.1 .6 48.3 40.0 33.1 29.0 

Massachusetts ............................ 21 6 3,845 445 17.1 13.3 1.6 – 63.9 52.8 27.9 32.4 

Michigan ...................................... 37 17 5,454 1,498 20.7 13.8 2.8 4.1 68.7 28.8 27.2 16.0 

Minnesota .................................... 15 11 2,090 1,117 7.7 5.6 3.2 2.7 41.6 25.3 27.6 21.7 

Mississippi ................................... 7 5 1,126 352 69.9 64.5 6.7 2.6 52.4 50.6 18.9 9.9 

Missouri ....................................... 49 13 9,702 1,794 22.7 27.3 1.8 1.3 59.8 37.0 28.7 36.1 

Montana ...................................... 11 – 1,045 – 1.0 – 3.8 – 55.3 – 27.8 –

Nebraska ..................................... 5 ( 2 ) 835 ( 2 ) 17.2 27.1 3.4 1.6 62.8 46.8 44.0 39.4 

Nevada ........................................ 21 17 4,708 2,513 10.9 8.8 24.1 31.4 38.2 47.3 24.7 26.7 

New Hampshire ........................... 6 – 1,233 – .5 – 1.2 – 69.3 – 32.8 –

New Jersey .................................. 91 18 20,689 1,838 21.9 20.6 6.1 7.8 67.9 60.1 36.0 21.8 

New Mexico ................................. 16 6 1,858 700 1.6 3.4 52.9 32.0 50.6 35.9 22.0 21.6 

New York ..................................... 107 90 18,675 13,429 18.5 19.3 18.8 19.0 50.8 49.6 25.8 26.6 

North Carolina ............................. 10 6 2,008 671 56.1 55.3 4.6 2.1 56.8 33.4 16.9 25.0 

North Dakota ............................... – ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) – 2.3 – 11.4 – 13.6 – 14.8 

Ohio ............................................. 66 35 9,292 3,181 15.9 13.2 3.4 3.2 49.3 30.9 25.1 21.4 

Oklahoma .................................... ( 2 ) 6 ( 2 ) 509 3.2 8.4 19.2 7.1 46.8 60.9 23.1 21.2 

Oregon ........................................ 35 19 6,700 2,094 2.8 1.1 17.5 22.3 48.8 40.1 21.6 18.6 

Pennsylvania ............................... 106 46 18,570 5,690 11.6 10.9 4.4 6.4 52.8 36.5 32.4 26.5 

Rhode Island ............................... 9 ( 2

 ) 1,908 ( 2 ) 4.2 – 16.1 75.8 71.6 78.8 33.7 4.5 

South Carolina ............................. 12 8 2,146 1,038 54.9 52.1 2.2 1.7 63.9 43.7 22.0 21.4 

South Dakota ............................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Tennessee ................................... 18 12 2,992 1,335 22.5 32.3 – – 53.6 40.9 33.5 28.5 

Texas ........................................... 51 26 11,817 3,876 16.8 31.7 46.6 32.9 45.0 45.2 16.7 15.2 

Utah ............................................. 9 3 1,028 295 1.3 .3 10.0 20.0 45.1 5.4 15.5 6.8 

Vermont ....................................... 3 – 446 – 1.1 – .4 – 36.5 – 18.6 –

Virginia ........................................ 26 3 5,475 397 48.0 34.8 4.8 11.6 54.6 48.9 22.5 18.4 

Washington ................................. 37 17 5,859 2,007 8.5 9.8 15.2 29.5 36.8 35.4 19.7 19.6 

West Virginia ............................... 6 3 936 378 .1 .5 .1 .3 15.9 6.6 18.7 48.4 

Wisconsin .................................... 48 12 9,089 1,236 14.2 4.3 3.9 3.6 60.0 39.9 35.7 25.6 

Wyoming ..................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) .7 5.5 9.9 16.4 18.4 8.2 12.2 11.0 

Puerto Rico .................................. 20 8 3,841 1,226 .1 .1 99.6 99.8 53.9 54.2 10.4 6.9 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. r

 = revised.

 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. p

 = preliminary.

 3 Data starting in June 2012 may not be comparable to prior data NOTE: Dash represents zero.

due to a change in MLS unemployment insurance procedures.
Table 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 

private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

Census region and division

Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance

III II III III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 

 United States1 .................................. 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963 

Northeast ................................................. 282 372 177 37,504 69,210 22,340 42,444 69,593 23,196 

 New England ........................................ 34 68 23 4,635 13,552 2,358 3,732 11,659 2,239 

 Middle Atlantic ...................................... 248 304 154 32,869 55,658 19,982 38,712 57,934 20,957 

South ........................................................ 249 364 163 41,153 64,223 25,600 47,311 64,358 19,975 

 South Atlantic ....................................... 140 182 69 21,324 34,237 10,808 26,659 31,236 7,941 

 East South Central ............................... 56 75 38 11,240 11,856 5,918 11,158 11,470 4,742 

 West South Central .............................. 53 107 56 8,589 18,130 8,874 9,494 21,652 7,292 

Midwest .................................................... 231 395 171 42,714 71,225 24,223 43,640 72,348 18,915 

 East North Central ............................... 179 295 135 33,298 52,671 19,540 36,282 54,546 14,608 

 West North Central .............................. 52 100 36 9,416 18,554 4,683 7,358 17,802 4,307 

West ......................................................... 631 828 374 113,954 181,007 66,321 157,671 176,569 62,877 

 Mountain .............................................. 47 112 53 7,322 32,952 8,574 6,609 17,528 6,287 

 Pacific .................................................. 584 716 321 106,632 148,055 57,747 151,062 159,041 56,590 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and 

 r = revised. Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and

 p = preliminary. Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin;

 NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North

census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,

New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California,

New York, and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and
Table 5. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,

private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

State

III II III III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ........................ 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 291,066 382,868 124,963 

Alabama ................................................... 6 23 4 1,800 3,385 1,136 1,817 3,668 1,137 

Alaska ...................................................... 6 11 6 3,348 3,071 2,454 2,152 2,034 1,462 

Arizona ..................................................... 9 22 14 790 7,981 1,556 1,346 4,406 1,546 

Arkansas .................................................. 10 19 9 1,756 4,045 945 1,742 4,558 1,226 

California .................................................. 548 631 278 98,495 132,040 50,669 143,070 144,227 50,965 

Colorado .................................................. 9 25 9 1,273 7,245 1,938 1,163 3,706 942 

Connecticut .............................................. 6 18 12 809 2,966 1,295 625 2,966 1,295 

Delaware .................................................. 3 7 ( 2 ) 251 618 ( 2 ) 879 763 ( 2 ) District of Columbia .................................. ( 2 ) 5 – ( 2 ) 730 – ( 2 ) 731 –

Florida ...................................................... 44 49 26 7,962 8,815 3,649 7,539 7,703 2,770 

Georgia .................................................... 26 37 13 2,726 7,031 1,222 5,779 7,031 1,222 

Hawaii ...................................................... – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Idaho ........................................................ 4 6 3 453 1,306 405 424 473 218 

Illinois ....................................................... 66 111 58 14,338 24,914 9,863 14,385 25,056 7,223 

Indiana ..................................................... 19 33 13 2,667 3,330 1,548 5,662 5,655 1,470 

Iowa ......................................................... 5 10 8 725 1,319 754 745 1,442 817 

Kansas ..................................................... 7 21 ( 2 ) 802 3,908 ( 2 ) 813 3,733 ( 2 )

Kentucky .................................................. 19 27 17 2,660 3,891 2,871 2,235 3,684 1,918 

Louisiana .................................................. 17 35 15 2,905 5,496 2,681 2,614 5,121 1,681 

Maine ....................................................... ( 2 ) 11 4 ( 2 ) 1,776 308 ( 2 ) 1,261 433 

Maryland3

 ................................................. 16 30 9 3,564 5,921 3,297 3,022 4,443 1,409 

Massachusetts ......................................... 17 21 6 2,633 4,764 689 1,987 3,845 445 

Michigan ................................................... 26 37 17 4,310 5,602 2,138 5,664 5,454 1,498 

Minnesota ................................................ 14 15 11 1,980 2,705 1,400 1,993 2,090 1,117 

Mississippi ................................................ 12 7 5 1,409 1,575 651 1,364 1,126 352 

Missouri .................................................... 22 49 13 5,367 9,980 1,925 3,449 9,702 1,794 

Montana ................................................... ( 2

 ) 11 – ( 2 ) 2,103 – ( 2 ) 1,045 –

Nebraska .................................................. 4 5 ( 2 ) 542 642 ( 2 ) 358 835 ( 2 )

Nevada ..................................................... 8 21 17 1,924 4,496 3,676 1,804 4,708 2,513 

New Hampshire ....................................... 3 6 – 335 1,796 – 243 1,233 –

New Jersey .............................................. 67 91 18 11,591 22,695 1,738 9,638 20,689 1,838 

New Mexico ............................................. 12 16 6 1,904 3,411 612 1,356 1,858 700 

New York ................................................. 120 107 90 13,919 18,861 13,178 19,424 18,675 13,429 

North Carolina .......................................... 24 10 6 3,241 2,325 520 5,830 2,008 671 

North Dakota ............................................ – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) Ohio ......................................................... 36 66 35 6,452 9,298 4,408 5,450 9,292 3,181 

Oklahoma ................................................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 6 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 492 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 509 

Oregon ..................................................... 14 35 19 2,368 7,949 2,761 2,368 6,700 2,094 

Pennsylvania ............................................ 61 106 46 7,359 14,102 5,066 9,650 18,570 5,690 

Rhode Island ............................................ ( 2

 ) 9 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,938 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,908 ( 2 )

South Carolina ......................................... 12 12 8 1,470 1,825 821 1,645 2,146 1,038 

South Dakota ........................................... – – – – – – – – –

Tennessee ............................................... 19 18 12 5,371 3,005 1,260 5,742 2,992 1,335 

Texas ....................................................... 25 51 26 3,668 8,451 4,756 4,912 11,817 3,876 

Utah ......................................................... 3 9 3 278 4,810 327 279 1,028 295 

Vermont ................................................... 5 3 – 650 312 – 669 446 –

Virginia ..................................................... 11 26 3 1,440 4,801 378 1,488 5,475 397 

Washington .............................................. 16 37 17 2,421 4,770 1,783 3,472 5,859 2,007 

West Virginia ............................................ ( 2 ) 6 3 ( 2 ) 2,171 865 ( 2 ) 936 378 

Wisconsin ................................................. 32 48 12 5,531 9,527 1,583 5,121 9,089 1,236 

Wyoming .................................................. – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 )

Puerto Rico .............................................. 29 20 8 3,808 2,480 803 6,501 3,841 1,226 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. r

 = revised.

 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. p

 = preliminary.

 3 Data starting in June 2012 may not be comparable to prior data NOTE: Dash represents zero.

due to a change in MLS unemployment insurance procedures.

Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance
Table 6. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,

selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ............................................... 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941 

 Mining .......................................................................... ––––––

 Utilities ......................................................................... – – – – – –

 Construction ................................................................. – – – – – –

 Manufacturing .............................................................. 21 17 16 4,351 4,594 1,982 

 Food ........................................................................ 5 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 549 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Beverage and tobacco products ............................. – – – – – –

 Textile mills ............................................................. – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 )

 Textile product mills ................................................ ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 Apparel ................................................................... – – – – – –

 Leather and allied products .................................... – – – – – –

 Wood products ........................................................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Paper ...................................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Printing and related support activities ..................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Petroleum and coal products .................................. – – – – – –

 Chemicals .............................................................. – ( 2

 ) 3 – ( 2 ) 236 

 Plastics and rubber products .................................. ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 )

 Nonmetallic mineral products ................................. ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 Primary metals ........................................................ – – – – – –

 Fabricated metal products ...................................... – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 )

 Machinery ............................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Computer and electronic products .......................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Electrical equipment and appliances ...................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Transportation equipment ....................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Furniture and related products ................................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Miscellaneous manufacturing ................................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Wholesale trade ........................................................... ( 2

 ) 3 – ( 2 ) 558 –

 Retail trade .................................................................. ( 2 ) 7 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,386 ( 2 )

 Transportation and warehousing ................................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Information ................................................................... 3 ( 2 ) 3 435 ( 2 ) 562 

 Finance and insurance ................................................ ( 2 ) 3 5 ( 2 ) 449 802 

 Real estate and rental and leasing .............................. – – – – – –

 Professional and technical services ............................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Management of companies and enterprises ............... – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) –

 Administrative and waste services ............................... 4 4 – 858 801 –

 Educational services .................................................... – – – – – –

 Health care and social assistance ............................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Arts, entertainment, and recreation ............................. – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) –

 Accommodation and food services .............................. – – – – – –

 Other services, except public administration ............... ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 Unclassified ................................................................. ––––––

 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. p = preliminary.

 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. NOTE: Dash represents zero.

 r = revised.

Industry

Layoff events Separations
Table 7. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work, 

selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

Reason for layoff

III II III III II III

2011r 2012r 2012p 2011r 2012r 2012p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ................................................... 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941 

Business demand ............................................................. 11 5 – 3,140 1,518 –

 Contract cancellation ..................................................... 4 ( 2

 ) – 712 ( 2 ) –

 Contract completion ....................................................... – – – – – –

 Domestic competition ..................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Excess inventory/saturated market ................................ ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 Import competition .......................................................... ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 business slowdown 

................................................. ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

Organizational changes .................................................... 13 24 15 1,824 5,460 2,144 

 Business-ownership change .......................................... ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Reorganization or restructuring of company .................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

Financial issues ................................................................. ( 2

 ) 8 9 ( 2 ) 1,202 1,216 

 Bankruptcy ..................................................................... ––––––

 Cost control/cost cutting/increase profitability ................ ( 2 ) 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,202 ( 2 ) Financial difficulty ........................................................... ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 )

Production specific ............................................................ ( 2

 ) ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2

 ) ( 2

 ) ( 2 )

 Automation/technological advances .............................. ( 2

 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 Energy related ................................................................ – – – – – –

 Governmental regulations/intervention .......................... – – – – – –

 Labor dispute/contract negotiations/strike ..................... – – – – – –

 Material or supply shortage ............................................ – – – – – –

 Model changeover ......................................................... – – – – – –

 Plant or machine repair/maintenance ............................ – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) Product line discontinued ............................................... – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 )

Disaster/safety .................................................................. ( 2

 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 Hazardous work environment ........................................ ––––––

 Natural disaster (not weather related) ............................ – – – – – –

 Non-natural disaster ....................................................... – – – – – –

 Extreme weather-related event ...................................... ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

Other/miscellaneous ......................................................... ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Other .............................................................................. ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Data not provided: refusal .............................................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Data not provided: does not know ................................. – – – – – –

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. p = preliminary.

 2

 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. NOTE: Dash represents zero.

 r

 = revised.

Layoff events Separations
Table 8. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,

selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

Census region and division

Layoff events Separations

III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 

 United States1 ...................................... 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941 

Northeast ...................................................... 12 5 3 1,693 588 206 

 New England ............................................ ( 2

 )( 2 )( 2 )( 2 )( 2 )( 2 )

 Middle Atlantic .......................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

South ............................................................ 13 12 11 3,505 2,484 1,490 

 South Atlantic ........................................... ( 2

 )( 2 ) 5 ( 2 )( 2 ) 630 

 East South Central ................................... 6 6 3 2,282 650 499 

 West South Central .................................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 361 

Midwest ........................................................ 7 10 10 873 2,750 1,396 

 East North Central .................................... 3 7 6 525 1,900 703 

 West North Central ................................... 4 3 4 348 850 693 

West ............................................................. 6 15 5 840 3,190 849 

 Mountain ................................................... ( 2

 ) 4 ( 2 )( 2 ) 728 ( 2 )

 Pacific ....................................................... ( 2 ) 11 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,462 ( 2 )

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South 

 2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, 

 r = revised. Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central: Arkansas,

 p = preliminary. Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, 

 NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, 

 the census divisions are: New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massa- Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: 

chusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and 

New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Table 9. Extended mass layoff events and separations, selected measures, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p

Total, private nonfarm1 ................................. 1,393 1,959 885 235,325 385,665 138,484 

 Total, excluding seasonal

 and vacation events2

 ............................ 1,090 1,134 706 185,231 222,844 112,193 

 Total, movement of work3

 ..................... 38 42 29 6,911 9,012 3,941 

 Movement of work actions ............... 53 56 41 ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 )

 With separations reported .......... 31 30 21 3,443 3,750 1,585 

 With separations unknown ......... 22 26 20 ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 )

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. 4 Data are not available.

 2 The questions on movement of work were not asked of employers r = revised.

when the reason for layoff was either seasonal work or vacation period. p = preliminary.

 3 Movement of work can involve more than one action.

Action

Layoff events Separations
Table 10. Movement of work actions by type of separation where number of separations is known by employers,

selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p

With separations reported2 ................................. 31 30 21 3,443 3,750 1,585 

By location

 Out-of-country relocations ................................ 3 3 1 185 1,315 10 

 Within company ............................................ – 3 1 – 1,315 10 

 Different company ........................................ 3 – – 185 – –

 Domestic relocations ........................................ 28 26 20 3,258 2,360 1,575 

 Within company ............................................ 24 26 19 2,520 2,360 1,420 

 Different company ........................................ 4 – 1 738 – 155 

 Unable to assign place of 

 relocation ....................................................... – 1 – – 75 –

By company

 Within company ................................................ 24 29 20 2,520 3,675 1,430 

 Domestic ....................................................... 24 26 19 2,520 2,360 1,420 

 Out of country ............................................... – 3 1 – 1,315 10 

 Unable to assign ........................................... ––––––

 Different company ............................................ 7 1 1 923 75 155 

 Domestic ....................................................... 4 – 1 738 – 155 

 Out of country ............................................... 3 – – 185 – –

 Unable to assign ........................................... – 1 – – 75 –

 1

 Only actions for which separations associated with the r = revised.

movement of work were reported are shown. p = preliminary.

 2

 See footnote 1, table 1. Note: Dash represents zero.

Table 11. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from extended mass layoffs, private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

III II III III II III III II III

2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p 2011 2012r 2012p

Anticipate a recall ............................................... 48.3 63.0 47.1 97.4 96.1 96.1 34.7 38.9 34.7

 Timeframe

Within 6 months .................................................. 54.8 70.0 60.2 83.7 90.9 86.6 32.3 32.4 41.6

 Within 3 months ............................................ 45.0 49.2 49.9 67.1 62.4 67.4 27.8 25.4 37.6

 Size of recall

At least half ......................................................... 58.1 71.0 62.4 88.1 92.9 91.3 34.7 31.5 42.0

 All workers .................................................... 28.1 38.1 22.3 45.4 54.7 33.1 14.6 8.2 14.7

 1

 See footnote 1, table 1.

 r

 = revised.

 p

 = preliminary.

Percent of layoff events, excluding those due to 

seasonal and vacation period

Activities

Actions1 Separations

Nature of recall

Percent of total layoff events1 Percent of layoff events due to seasonal work 

and vacation period
measures, private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2011 and 2012

III II III

2011r 2012r 2012p

 Total, private nonfarm1 .................................................... 169 197 156 

Industry

Mining ................................................................................... 78 141 117 

Utilities .................................................................................. 120 215 74 

Construction .......................................................................... 127 118 107 

Manufacturing ....................................................................... 173 184 150 

Wholesale trade .................................................................... 118 152 102 

Retail trade ............................................................................ 259 215 183 

Transportation and warehousing .......................................... 133 193 159 

Information ............................................................................ 242 369 321 

Finance and insurance .......................................................... 189 225 182 

Real estate and rental and leasing ....................................... 129 150 237 

Professional and technical services ...................................... 164 281 178 

Management of companies and enterprises ......................... 85 139 94 

Administrative and waste services ........................................ 200 222 167 

Educational services ............................................................. 121 127 132 

Health care and social assistance ........................................ 98 131 118 

Arts, entertainment, and recreation ....................................... 185 216 163 

Accommodation and food services ....................................... 187 267 159 

Other services, except public administration ........................ 97 138 111 

Unclassified establishments .................................................. 114 95 –

Reason for layoff groupings

Business demand ................................................................. 165 190 156 

Organizational changes ........................................................ 161 196 170 

Financial issues .................................................................... 189 198 179 

Production specific ................................................................ 122 246 139 

Disaster/Safety ...................................................................... 139 270 168 

Seasonal ............................................................................... 165 197 147 

Other/miscellaneous ............................................................. 182 208 156 

 1

 See footnote 1, table 1. p = preliminary.

 r

 = revised. NOTE: Dash represents zero.

Table 13. Distribution of extended layoff events by size of layoff, private nonfarm sector, 

third quarter 2012p

Number Percent Number Percent

 Total ........................................................................ 885 100.0 138,484 100.0 

 50-99 ..................................................................... 416 47.0 30,102 21.7 

 100-149 ................................................................. 208 23.5 24,540 17.7 

 150-199 .................................................................. 96 10.8 16,064 11.6 

 200-299 .................................................................. 85 9.6 20,327 14.7 

 300-499 .................................................................. 41 4.6 15,088 10.9 

 500-999 .................................................................. 31 3.5 20,964 15.1 

 1,000 or more ......................................................... 8 0.9 11,399 8.2 

 p

 = preliminary.

Table 12. Average number of separations in extended mass layoff events by selected

Measure

Average number of separations

Size Layoff events Separations
Extended Mass Layoff Events by Reason Categories

Third quarters, 2006-12

1000

800400600200

0

2006:3 2007:3 2008:3 2009:3 2010:3 2011:3 

Seasonal Business demand Organizational changes Financial issues Production specific Disa

1 The chart excludes information on layoffs due to other/miscellaneous reasons.p = preliminary.