For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, November 9, 2011 USDL-11-1611 

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 2011 

Employers in the private nonfarm sector initiated 1,226 mass layoff events in the third quarter of 2011 

that resulted in the separation of 184,493 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, the U.S. Bureau of 

Labor Statistics reported today. Total extended mass layoff events decreased over the year from 1,370 to 

1,226, and associated worker separations fell from 222,357 to 184,493. Events and separations reached 

their lowest third quarter levels since 2007. Both events and separations have decreased over the year for 

eight consecutive quarters. (See table A.) Third quarter 2011 layoff data are preliminary and are subject 

to revision. (See the Technical Note.) 

Both events and separations in the manufacturing sector declined to series’ lows during the third quarter 

of 2011. Fifty percent of private nonfarm employers indicated they anticipated some type of recall, up 

from 45 percent a year earlier. 

The national unemployment rate averaged 9.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, in the third quarter of 

2011, down from 9.5 percent a year earlier. Private nonfarm payroll employment, not seasonally 

adjusted, increased by 1.7 percent (1,826,000) over the year. 

Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs 

Over the year ending in the third quarter of 2011, the number of extended mass layoff events declined in 

13 of the 18 major private nonfarm industry sectors. The transportation and warehousing and the 

accommodation and food services sectors experienced the largest declines in the numbers of worker 

separations over the year. Eight of the 21 manufacturing subsectors experienced over-the-year decreases 

in the number of layoff events. (See table 1.) 

Both events and separations in the manufacturing sector were at series’ lows in the third quarter of 2011. 

Thirty-eight percent of manufacturing employers with an extended mass layoff event in the third quarter 

of 2011 anticipated recalling at least some of the displaced workers. 

Administrative and waste service firms had 198 extended mass layoff events and 33,584 separations, 

primarily due to contract completion. This sector accounted for 16 percent of the layoff events and 18 

percent of the related separations in the third quarter. In these events, 55 percent of the employers 

anticipated recalling at least some of the displaced workers. 
- 2 - 

Table A. Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity

Period Layoff events Separations Initial claimants

2007

January-March..................... 1,110 225,600 199,250 

April-June............................ 1,421 278,719 259,234 

July-September.................... 1,018 160,024 173,077 

October-December.............. 1,814 301,592 347,151 

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-Septemberr

................... 1,370 222,357 260,077 

October-Decemberr

............. 1,999 338,643 390,575 

2011

January-Marchr

 ................... 1,490 225,456 258,134 

April-Juner

 .......................... 1,810 317,422 341,245 

July-Septemberp

 .................. 1,226 184,493 181,777 

 r

 = revised.

 p

 = preliminary.

Reasons for Extended Layoffs 

Business demand factors accounted for 47 percent of the events and related separations in the private 

nonfarm sector during the third quarter of 2011, primarily as a result of contract completion. Layoffs due 

to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 23 percent of extended mass layoff events and 21 

percent of related separations during the quarter. Over the year, the largest decrease in worker 

separations occurred in layoffs attributed to seasonal factors. (See table 2 and the chart.) 

Movement of Work 

In the third quarter of 2011, 35 extended mass layoffs involved movement of work and were associated 

with 6,216 worker separations, a series low for both figures. Over the year, the number of such events 

decreased by 16, and the number of separations decreased by 1,337. Movement of work layoffs 

accounted for 4 percent of total nonseasonal events during the quarter. (See table 9.) 
- 3 - 

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

extended mass layoff events in the third quarter 2011, by residency of claimants

 Total, 372 metropolitan areas ................. 222,829 ... 157,035 ...

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. .... 37,587 1 38,676 1 

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long

 Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. ................................ 35,827 2 12,704 2 

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. ....... 10,865 3 8,645 3 

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif. ......... 9,408 4 6,877 4 

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. ........ 6,879 6 5,244 5 

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. ......... 7,010 5 4,985 6 

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. .......... 3,881 9 3,151 7 

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, Calif. 4,346 7 2,546 8 

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, Calif. ......... 1,887 18 2,300 9 

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.

 -N.J.-Del.-Md. .......................................... 3,757 10 2,203 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

2010 IIIr 2011 IIIp

Initial 

claimants Rank Initial claimants Rank

Fifty-seven percent of the events related to movement of work were from manufacturing industries. (See 

table 6.) Employers cited organizational changes as the economic reason for layoff in 31 percent of the 

events involving movement of work. (See table 7.) Among workers affected by the movement of work, 

the largest proportion was in the South. (See table 8.) 

The 35 events with movement of work for the third quarter involved 49 identifiable relocations of work 

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

separations for 28 of these actions. Among these actions, 93 percent were domestic reassignments, and 

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

Recall Expectations 

Fifty percent of the private nonfarm employers reporting an extended mass layoff in the third quarter of 

2011 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, up from 45 percent a year earlier. Of those 

employers expecting to recall workers, 29 percent indicated the offer would be extended to all displaced 

employees, and 61 percent of employers anticipated extending the offer to at least half of the workers–

both percentages reached third quarter series’ lows. Among employers expecting to recall laid-off 

workers, a series low 58 percent intend to do so within 6 months. Excluding extended mass layoff events 

due to seasonal work and vacation period, in which 98 percent of the employers expected a recall, 

employers anticipated recalling laid-off workers in 36 percent of the events. (See table 11.) 
- 4 - 

Size of Extended Layoffs 

The average size of a layoff (as measured by the number of separations per layoff event) was 150 

workers during the third quarter of 2011. (See table 12.) Events were largely concentrated at the lower 

end of the extended layoff-size spectrum, with 73 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 181,777 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were associated with extended mass 

layoffs in the third quarter. Of these claimants, 15 percent were black, 22 percent were Hispanic, 41 

percent were women, and 19 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, 15 percent were Hispanic, 47 

percent were women, and 20 percent were 55 years of age or older. 

Geographic Distribution 

Among the four census regions, the West recorded the highest number of separations due to extended 

mass layoff events in the third quarter of 2011. Among the nine census divisions, the highest numbers of 

displaced workers were in the Pacific. Three of the 4 regions and 8 of the 9 divisions registered fewer 

laid-off workers compared with the third quarter of 2010. (See table 4.) 

California recorded the largest number of worker separations in the third quarter of 2011, followed by 

New York and Illinois. Over the year, 28 states reported decreased numbers of separated workers 

associated with extended mass layoff events during the third quarter, led by New York and Florida. New 

York accounted for 53 percent of the total over-the-year decline in worker separations. (See table 5.) 

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

layoff events in the third quarter of 2011 resided within metropolitan areas. Among the 372 metropolitan 

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

claimants. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa., accounted for 35 percent of the 

total over-the-year decline in metropolitan area resident initial claims. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, 

Calif., entered into the highest 10 metropolitan areas in terms of initial claims by residency of claimant 

during the quarter, replacing Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Fla., from the previous year. (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 22, 2011, 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 occur but are not likely to 

be significant. While the MLS employers and layoff events 

are not subject to sampling error, and all such employers are 

asked the interview questions, the employer responses are 

subject to nonsampling error. Nonsampling error 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. For the third 

quarter of 2011, outright refusal to participate in the employer 

interview accounted for 3.6 percent of all private nonfarm 

events. Although included in the total number of instances 

involving the movement of work, employers in 21 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, 2010 and 2011

Industry

III II III III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 .................................. 1,370 1,810 1,226 222,357 317,422 184,493 260,077 341,245 181,777 

 Mining ............................................................. 4 ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) 1,067 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 774 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Utilities ............................................................ 4 ( 2 ) – 535 ( 2 ) – 649 ( 2 ) –

 Construction .................................................... 210 237 188 21,251 29,631 21,275 31,957 37,768 20,477 

 Manufacturing ................................................. 265 263 231 39,171 40,023 36,271 47,128 47,049 32,498 

 Food ........................................................... 63 66 63 9,692 9,804 10,990 13,206 11,255 8,282 

 Beverage and tobacco products ................ 4 ( 2 ) 5 344 ( 2 ) 807 495 ( 2 ) 827 

 Textile mills ................................................ – 3 4 – 446 541 – 2,488 807 

 Textile product mills ................................... ( 2 ) 3 3 ( 2 ) 201 368 ( 2 ) 380 383 

 Apparel ....................................................... 10 11 5 1,541 3,373 1,203 1,783 3,625 1,312 

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

 Wood products ........................................... 14 6 8 1,983 619 1,325 1,988 747 1,127 

 Paper ......................................................... ( 2 ) 7 5 ( 2 ) 1,420 788 ( 2 ) 1,077 566 

 Printing and related support activities ........ 6 9 10 500 637 868 1,426 913 1,070 

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

 Chemicals ................................................. 17 9 5 2,007 915 438 2,388 892 478 

 Plastics and rubber products ..................... 8 12 8 613 1,230 2,487 772 1,284 991 

 Nonmetallic mineral products ..................... 13 5 6 1,435 412 801 1,583 584 664 

 Primary metals ........................................... 12 6 4 2,490 991 722 2,609 812 412 

 Fabricated metal products ......................... 16 15 7 2,267 2,025 1,196 3,638 2,257 1,193 

 Machinery .................................................. 15 16 15 2,661 4,005 1,609 3,850 3,629 1,643 

 Computer and electronic products ............. 25 17 11 2,783 2,135 2,034 3,551 2,165 1,676 

 Electrical equipment and appliances ......... 9 5 9 1,005 424 1,806 1,226 539 1,536 

 Transportation equipment .......................... 35 54 46 7,453 9,415 6,635 5,739 11,584 8,137 

 Furniture and related products ................... 7 7 11 1,014 879 1,060 1,417 1,248 978 

 Miscellaneous manufacturing .................... 6 9 6 959 842 593 858 1,326 416 

 Wholesale trade .............................................. 33 35 24 3,901 4,243 2,684 3,829 4,637 2,313 

 Retail trade ...................................................... 79 90 55 21,209 15,725 13,624 22,919 18,730 10,553 

 Transportation and warehousing .................... 159 160 94 24,188 37,832 12,044 28,229 41,037 11,387 

 Information ...................................................... 54 56 83 14,322 15,755 19,276 20,310 17,470 22,890 

 Finance and insurance .................................... 55 60 36 10,239 9,145 6,181 13,005 11,707 5,999 

 Real estate and rental and leasing ................. 14 18 6 2,289 2,843 686 1,563 3,049 854 

 Professional and technical services ................ 62 96 67 10,938 21,359 10,154 12,242 23,393 10,672 

 Management of companies and enterprises ... 4 9 ( 2 ) 347 1,031 ( 2 ) 373 879 ( 2 )

 Administrative and waste services .................. 146 169 198 31,164 32,294 33,584 34,154 36,891 37,786 

 Educational services ....................................... 34 37 18 3,972 4,920 2,274 4,926 5,932 2,175 

 Health care and social assistance .................. 84 225 87 8,213 27,577 8,247 9,110 28,309 7,471 

 Arts, entertainment, and recreation ................. 51 71 42 5,882 15,912 5,184 8,590 9,628 4,476 

 Accommodation and food services ................. 87 202 71 20,545 48,790 10,580 16,941 43,623 9,247 

 Other services, except public administration .. 25 75 19 3,124 8,470 1,907 3,378 10,118 1,859 

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

 1

 For the third quarter of 2011, 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, 2010 and 2011

Reason for layoff

III II III III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ................................................... 1,370 1,810 1,226 222,357 317,422 184,493 260,077 341,245 181,777 

Business demand ............................................................. 487 517 573 76,408 74,273 86,495 97,617 97,331 94,186 

 Contract cancellation ..................................................... 32 30 34 4,366 3,617 4,886 4,273 3,743 4,595 

 Contract completion ....................................................... 241 317 378 41,565 49,032 60,737 52,652 67,133 68,946 

 Domestic competition ..................................................... – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) Excess inventory/saturated market ................................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Import competition ......................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Slack work/insufficient demand/non-seasonal

 business slowdown ................................................. 209 166 155 29,510 21,063 18,542 38,844 25,949 19,869 

Organizational changes .................................................... 83 70 65 16,963 16,501 10,168 14,485 12,548 8,710 

 Business-ownership change .......................................... 17 17 18 8,485 8,755 2,453 2,863 2,305 1,365 

 Reorganization or restructuring of company .................. 66 53 47 8,478 7,746 7,715 11,622 10,243 7,345 

Financial issues ................................................................ 110 117 87 15,653 15,854 17,206 19,645 19,484 12,465 

 Bankruptcy ..................................................................... 14 26 16 2,450 3,668 6,811 1,283 3,359 4,164 

 Cost control/cost cutting/increase profitability ................ 63 61 41 8,290 7,084 6,328 13,116 11,060 5,104 

 Financial difficulty ........................................................... 33 30 30 4,913 5,102 4,067 5,246 5,065 3,197 

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

 ) 33 17 ( 2 ) 4,369 2,034 ( 2 ) 7,379 2,091 

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

 ) 3 3 ( 2 ) 513 253 ( 2 ) 674 273 

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

 Governmental regulations/intervention .......................... 6 5 ( 2 ) 727 690 ( 2 ) 726 1,890 ( 2 ) Labor dispute/contract negotiations/strike ..................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 731 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 680 

 Material or supply shortage ............................................ – 17 ( 2 ) – 2,034 ( 2 ) – 3,132 ( 2 ) Model changeover ......................................................... – ( 2 ) 4 – ( 2 ) 467 – ( 2 ) 551 

 Plant or machine repair/maintenance ............................ 5 3 ( 2 ) 411 439 ( 2 ) 502 358 ( 2 ) Product line discontinued ............................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

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

 ) 11 8 ( 2 ) 2,039 1,131 ( 2

 ) 2,152 942 

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

 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 )

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

 Extreme weather-related event ...................................... – 7 ( 2 ) – 1,244 ( 2 ) – 1,529 ( 2 )

Seasonal ........................................................................... 372 773 282 52,613 151,716 38,763 67,305 148,934 35,158 

 Seasonal ........................................................................ 212 468 164 33,122 95,525 25,828 43,056 87,414 21,879 

 Vacation period–school related or otherwise ................. 160 305 118 19,491 56,191 12,935 24,249 61,520 13,279 

Other/miscellaneous ......................................................... 300 289 194 58,946 52,670 28,696 59,035 53,417 28,225 

 Other .............................................................................. 14 29 20 1,583 3,848 3,537 1,756 4,596 3,117 

 Data not provided: refusal .............................................. 69 67 46 18,937 18,421 8,928 18,937 18,447 8,906 

 Data not provided: does not know ................................. 217 193 128 38,426 30,401 16,231 38,342 30,374 16,202 

 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, 2011

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

 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 2011r 2011p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ........... 1,810 1,226 341,245 181,777 17.3 14.9 17.6 21.8 51.8 40.9 23.9 19.4 

Alabama ...................................... 21 6 3,868 1,062 55.7 31.3 2.7 1.3 64.6 32.2 18.8 18.5 

Alaska .......................................... 11 4 2,346 563 6.1 5.5 18.6 13.1 35.0 35.9 27.8 24.3 

Arizona ........................................ 31 9 5,164 1,178 8.4 7.6 45.0 32.5 55.9 57.8 19.9 18.2 

Arkansas ..................................... 25 7 5,214 580 31.7 22.9 8.0 12.2 58.6 47.2 18.7 15.3 

California ..................................... 388 461 82,319 82,294 9.3 8.5 37.1 33.9 46.4 39.0 18.2 16.1 

Colorado ...................................... 18 9 2,967 932 4.5 4.4 22.7 27.3 53.8 51.0 20.8 16.6 

Connecticut ................................. 27 5 4,251 450 14.3 32.0 15.6 25.6 57.4 64.4 28.4 21.6 

Delaware ..................................... 10 3 1,177 739 43.5 40.5 8.4 10.3 58.4 35.5 22.3 12.2 

District of Columbia ..................... 5 ( 2 ) 672 ( 2 ) 77.8 81.1 5.5 1.4 69.2 63.7 27.7 7.5 

Florida ......................................... 75 36 14,141 5,906 21.4 19.2 28.7 25.9 52.7 33.2 26.3 24.5 

Georgia ........................................ 48 26 9,705 3,052 45.6 52.2 4.4 3.2 57.6 47.3 22.4 19.2 

Hawaii .......................................... 4 – 503 – .4 – 8.7 – 39.0 – 20.3 –

Idaho ........................................... 12 4 1,516 361 .1 .3 11.2 15.5 41.3 44.9 21.4 16.3 

Illinois .......................................... 109 67 24,589 10,093 21.6 22.8 11.2 13.1 52.8 36.4 22.8 17.3 

Indiana ......................................... 35 14 6,869 4,028 10.2 6.1 1.5 3.9 40.5 26.8 20.6 19.6 

Iowa ............................................. 10 5 1,885 652 8.5 10.4 3.8 2.5 67.5 34.5 30.4 15.6 

Kansas ........................................ 17 7 2,093 794 18.5 17.6 2.2 4.3 63.6 53.1 23.7 26.6 

Kentucky ...................................... 30 17 3,598 2,041 13.3 19.7 .3 .1 43.9 45.1 17.3 16.5 

Louisiana ..................................... 40 16 5,540 1,731 60.3 43.7 3.1 5.3 65.1 39.7 26.3 25.9 

Maine ........................................... 12 ( 2 ) 1,730 ( 2 ) .7 1.4 .5 – 38.4 58.3 29.5 36.0 

Maryland ...................................... 13 4 1,643 1,080 56.7 35.0 2.3 1.5 58.9 57.1 23.4 31.6 

Massachusetts ............................ 17 16 2,368 1,656 12.4 12.7 1.8 .4 57.3 60.4 30.2 23.4 

Michigan ...................................... 50 26 7,791 3,768 19.0 13.0 3.4 1.7 64.8 40.6 24.6 17.3 

Minnesota .................................... 24 14 3,920 1,399 7.2 6.3 4.2 2.1 32.4 26.7 22.0 24.2 

Mississippi ................................... 6 11 1,146 1,118 80.0 75.3 1.2 3.0 64.5 45.6 16.9 14.4 

Missouri ....................................... 43 19 7,920 2,620 27.9 27.6 1.5 1.5 69.3 59.8 31.7 26.5 

Montana ...................................... 10 ( 2

 ) 990 ( 2 ) .4 1.0 3.7 1.9 56.4 9.7 28.8 16.5 

Nebraska ..................................... 8 4 1,104 358 12.0 12.8 3.8 7.3 46.8 51.4 36.1 29.6 

Nevada ........................................ 13 6 2,125 868 14.0 5.2 18.8 20.3 43.9 21.9 23.2 21.7 

New Hampshire ........................... 4 3 1,111 220 .5 1.4 1.2 5.0 65.8 65.9 34.0 34.1 

New Jersey .................................. 66 59 14,274 6,280 21.5 25.8 6.6 11.6 69.2 61.7 33.2 31.7 

New Mexico ................................. 17 12 2,089 1,090 2.0 1.5 49.4 43.0 54.7 40.4 20.1 17.2 

New York ..................................... 97 116 22,128 14,284 17.9 14.7 13.7 16.7 50.1 48.6 27.0 22.0 

North Carolina ............................. 17 24 4,160 3,121 34.5 33.3 12.4 8.8 47.6 34.8 24.3 21.2 

North Dakota ............................... ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) – .7 – 2.6 – 4.6 – 25.0 –

Ohio ............................................. 80 36 13,296 3,722 14.0 10.8 3.0 3.1 42.8 24.8 23.9 20.9 

Oklahoma .................................... 12 ( 2 ) 1,614 ( 2 ) 17.0 14.2 7.7 2.7 59.5 21.7 21.4 34.5 

Oregon ........................................ 37 14 7,789 1,997 3.7 1.6 18.4 23.4 51.6 61.7 22.1 26.0 

Pennsylvania ............................... 121 52 22,865 6,343 12.3 9.9 5.1 4.6 54.5 42.2 35.9 27.1 

Rhode Island ............................... 7 ( 2

 ) 2,011 ( 2 ) 3.5 5.8 14.7 69.6 80.6 84.1 39.6 7.2 

South Carolina ............................. 12 10 1,854 1,102 65.9 56.0 1.1 8.6 72.8 57.6 27.4 21.5 

South Dakota ............................... ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) – 4.7 – 11.8 – 74.8 – 22.0 –

Tennessee ................................... 15 20 2,914 3,068 22.7 46.3 .1 .2 58.0 53.8 35.5 28.3 

Texas ........................................... 48 25 10,791 3,741 16.4 22.5 47.4 41.1 43.1 28.6 17.3 13.4 

Utah ............................................. 14 3 1,580 259 1.3 .8 8.7 6.9 41.6 51.0 14.5 13.1 

Vermont ....................................... 16 5 2,192 651 1.0 .8 .4 .3 45.8 45.9 25.9 26.3 

Virginia ........................................ 30 8 4,713 902 37.5 34.5 5.5 3.1 55.5 38.0 20.6 20.8 

Washington ................................. 36 13 5,311 2,203 5.5 4.4 18.7 16.7 40.8 31.0 17.4 22.3 

West Virginia ............................... 10 ( 2 ) 1,264 ( 2 ) .1 – – – 10.5 4.1 14.1 21.2 

Wisconsin .................................... 54 21 9,471 2,481 12.0 9.5 3.7 8.9 56.1 28.1 32.9 23.3 

Wyoming ..................................... ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) – .8 – 6.2 – 19.7 – 9.4 –

Puerto Rico .................................. 13 12 2,774 2,998 .1 .1 99.4 99.4 60.9 54.6 13.2 7.0 

 1 See footnote 1, table 1. r

 = revised.

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

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: Dash represents zero.
Table 4. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 

private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011

Census region and division

Layoff events Separations Initial claimants for

unemployment insurance

III II III III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 

 United States1 .................................. 1,370 1,810 1,226 222,357 317,422 184,493 260,077 341,245 181,777 

Northeast ................................................. 386 367 259 54,204 61,707 28,857 65,696 72,930 30,092 

 New England ........................................ 34 83 32 5,794 17,350 4,318 4,994 13,663 3,185 

 Middle Atlantic ...................................... 352 284 227 48,410 44,357 24,539 60,702 59,267 26,907 

South ........................................................ 255 417 218 46,561 66,613 33,688 49,052 74,014 29,922 

 South Atlantic ....................................... 155 220 115 26,931 34,507 17,068 29,803 39,329 16,355 

 East South Central ............................... 51 72 54 11,614 10,212 9,598 10,559 11,526 7,289 

 West South Central .............................. 49 125 49 8,016 21,894 7,022 8,690 23,159 6,278 

Midwest .................................................... 184 432 213 30,381 75,635 34,701 31,278 79,217 29,915 

 East North Central ............................... 144 328 164 20,943 58,403 27,175 25,341 62,016 24,092 

 West North Central .............................. 40 104 49 9,438 17,232 7,526 5,937 17,201 5,823 

West ......................................................... 545 594 536 91,211 113,467 87,247 114,051 115,084 91,848 

 Mountain .............................................. 42 118 44 8,966 31,060 6,449 6,291 16,816 4,791 

 Pacific .................................................. 503 476 492 82,245 82,407 80,798 107,760 98,268 87,057 

 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, 2010 and 2011

State

III II III III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 2010r 2011r 2011p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ........................ 1,370 1,810 1,226 222,357 317,422 184,493 260,077 341,245 181,777 

Alabama ................................................... 11 21 6 2,618 3,683 1,063 2,995 3,868 1,062 

Alaska ...................................................... 10 11 4 3,621 3,110 1,673 3,381 2,346 563 

Arizona ..................................................... 9 31 9 1,841 5,519 765 1,671 5,164 1,178 

Arkansas .................................................. 5 25 7 643 2,982 728 957 5,214 580 

California .................................................. 442 388 461 71,620 66,846 75,420 95,616 82,319 82,294 

Colorado .................................................. 11 18 9 1,508 8,337 1,272 1,235 2,967 932 

Connecticut .............................................. 9 27 5 2,847 5,202 659 1,997 4,251 450 

Delaware .................................................. ( 2 ) 10 3 ( 2 ) 1,289 399 ( 2 ) 1,177 739 

District of Columbia .................................. ( 2 ) 5 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 672 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 672 ( 2 ) Florida ...................................................... 73 75 36 15,456 14,755 6,678 14,023 14,141 5,906 

Georgia .................................................... 12 48 26 1,406 4,693 2,595 2,396 9,705 3,052 

Hawaii ...................................................... 5 4 – 710 413 – 567 503 –

Idaho ........................................................ 3 12 4 226 1,967 453 289 1,516 361 

Illinois ....................................................... 68 109 67 10,397 25,506 12,571 12,527 24,589 10,093 

Indiana ..................................................... 11 35 14 870 3,805 1,972 1,445 6,869 4,028 

Iowa ......................................................... 4 10 5 662 1,422 725 535 1,885 652 

Kansas ..................................................... 8 17 7 978 1,930 791 1,190 2,093 794 

Kentucky .................................................. 13 30 17 4,509 3,133 2,510 2,009 3,598 2,041 

Louisiana .................................................. 12 40 16 1,434 8,710 2,405 1,244 5,540 1,731 

Maine ....................................................... ( 2 ) 12 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,423 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,730 ( 2 )

Maryland .................................................. 20 13 4 4,707 2,602 1,275 3,633 1,643 1,080 

Massachusetts ......................................... 18 17 16 2,151 2,975 2,466 2,255 2,368 1,656 

Michigan ................................................... 13 50 26 966 6,605 4,309 1,547 7,791 3,768 

Minnesota ................................................ 9 24 14 965 4,240 1,980 1,099 3,920 1,399 

Mississippi ................................................ 14 6 11 2,268 1,312 1,352 1,527 1,146 1,118 

Missouri .................................................... 14 43 19 6,026 8,372 3,488 2,582 7,920 2,620 

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

 ) 10 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,205 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 990 ( 2 )

Nebraska .................................................. 4 8 4 697 1,088 542 414 1,104 358 

Nevada ..................................................... 6 13 6 775 3,527 1,484 1,035 2,125 868 

New Hampshire ....................................... – 4 3 – 2,174 335 – 1,111 220 

New Jersey .............................................. 52 66 59 7,749 12,969 6,471 7,442 14,274 6,280 

New Mexico ............................................. 7 17 12 1,066 2,960 1,867 1,206 2,089 1,090 

New York ................................................. 230 97 116 32,885 12,986 12,732 41,037 22,128 14,284 

North Carolina 3

 ........................................ 20 17 24 1,464 1,341 3,241 5,639 4,160 3,121 

North Dakota ............................................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

Ohio ......................................................... 32 80 36 5,686 13,134 5,104 5,380 13,296 3,722 

Oklahoma ................................................. 3 12 ( 2 ) 927 1,717 ( 2 ) 513 1,614 ( 2 ) Oregon ..................................................... 19 37 14 3,122 7,789 1,997 3,408 7,789 1,997 

Pennsylvania ............................................ 70 121 52 7,776 18,402 5,336 12,223 22,865 6,343 

Rhode Island ............................................ 3 7 ( 2

 ) 274 1,995 ( 2 ) 258 2,011 ( 2 )

South Carolina ......................................... 15 12 10 1,978 3,167 1,212 2,043 1,854 1,102 

South Dakota ........................................... – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) –

Tennessee ............................................... 13 15 20 2,219 2,084 4,673 4,028 2,914 3,068 

Texas ....................................................... 29 48 25 5,012 8,485 3,629 5,976 10,791 3,741 

Utah ......................................................... 4 14 3 3,200 5,955 258 675 1,580 259 

Vermont ................................................... ( 2 ) 16 5 ( 2 ) 2,581 650 ( 2 ) 2,192 651 

Virginia ..................................................... 11 30 8 1,445 4,417 998 1,662 4,713 902 

Washington .............................................. 27 36 13 3,172 4,249 1,708 4,788 5,311 2,203 

West Virginia ............................................ ( 2 ) 10 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,571 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,264 ( 2 ) Wisconsin ................................................. 20 54 21 3,024 9,353 3,219 4,442 9,471 2,481 

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

Puerto Rico .............................................. 16 13 12 1,591 1,876 1,853 3,389 2,774 2,998 

 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 November 2010 may not be comparable to prior data NOTE: Dash represents zero.

due to a change in MLS unemployment insurance input 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, 2010 and 2011

III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ............................................... 51 42 35 7,553 6,922 6,216 

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

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

 Construction ................................................................. – 3 – – 448 –

 Manufacturing .............................................................. 29 19 20 3,462 3,717 4,247 

 Food ........................................................................ 9 5 5 988 1,400 549 

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

 Textile mills ............................................................. – – – – – –

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

 Apparel ................................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

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

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

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

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

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

 Chemicals .............................................................. 3 ( 2

 ) – 564 ( 2 ) –

 Plastics and rubber products .................................. ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 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 .......................... 5 3 ( 2 ) 402 577 ( 2 )

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

 Transportation equipment ....................................... ( 2 ) 5 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 838 ( 2 )

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

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

 Wholesale trade ........................................................... 3 3 ( 2

 ) 500 288 ( 2 )

 Retail trade .................................................................. ( 2 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 708 ( 2 )

 Transportation and warehousing ................................. 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 509 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

 Information ................................................................... ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 )

 Finance and insurance ................................................ ( 2 ) 7 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 845 ( 2 )

 Real estate and rental and leasing .............................. ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

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

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

 Administrative and waste services ............................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 417 

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

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

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

 Accommodation and food services .............................. ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) – –

 Other services, except public administration ............... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 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, 2010 and 2011

Reason for layoff

III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 

 Total, private nonfarm1 ................................................... 51 42 35 7,553 6,922 6,216 

Business demand ............................................................. ( 2

 ) ( 2 ) 10 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3,036 

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

 ) ( 2 ) 4 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 712 

 Contract completion ....................................................... ( 2 ) 5 – ( 2 ) 894 –

 Domestic competition ..................................................... – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) Excess inventory/saturated market ................................ – – ( 2 ) – – ( 2 ) Import competition ......................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) –

 Slack work/insufficient demand/non-seasonal

 business slowdown ................................................. 8 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,114 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

Organizational changes .................................................... 23 17 11 3,229 1,985 1,233 

 Business-ownership change .......................................... 3 ( 2

 ) – 490 ( 2 ) –

 Reorganization or restructuring of company .................. 20 ( 2 ) 11 2,739 ( 2 ) 1,233 

Financial issues ................................................................ 14 13 10 2,162 2,247 1,674 

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

 Cost control/cost cutting/increase profitability ................ ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) Financial difficulty ........................................................... ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

Production specific ............................................................ ( 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 ............................ – – – – – –

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

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

 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 )

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

 ) – – ( 2 ) –

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

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

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

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

 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 )

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

 ) – ( 2 ) ( 2 ) – ( 2 )

 Data not provided: refusal .............................................. – – ( 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, 2010 and 2011

Census region and division

Layoff events Separations

III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 

 United States1 ...................................... 51 42 35 7,553 6,922 6,216 

Northeast ..................................................... 12 5 11 1,940 893 1,543 

 New England ............................................ 5 ( 2

 )( 2 ) 1,034 ( 2 )( 2 )

 Middle Atlantic .......................................... 7 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 906 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

South ............................................................ 18 9 12 2,230 1,422 3,401 

 South Atlantic ........................................... 7 ( 2

 )( 2 ) 777 ( 2 )( 2 )

 East South Central ................................... 6 ( 2 ) 6 614 ( 2 ) 2,282 

 West South Central .................................. 5 5 ( 2 ) 839 734 ( 2 )

Midwest ........................................................ 9 10 7 1,368 1,163 873 

 East North Central ................................... 5 ( 2

 ) 3 626 ( 2 ) 525 

 West North Central .................................. 4 ( 2 ) 4 742 ( 2 ) 348 

West ............................................................. 12 18 5 2,015 3,444 399 

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

 ) 5 ( 2 )( 2 ) 1,169 ( 2 )

 Pacific ...................................................... ( 2 ) 13 ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,275 ( 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, 2010 and 2011

III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p

Total, private nonfarm1 ................................. 1,370 1,810 1,226 222,357 317,422 184,493 

 Total, excluding seasonal

 and vacation events2

 ........................... 998 1,037 944 169,744 165,706 145,730 

 Total, movement of work3

 .................... 51 42 35 7,553 6,922 6,216 

 Movement of work actions .............. 75 50 49 ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 )

 With separations reported .......... 41 25 28 3,574 3,293 2,905 

 With separations unknown ......... 34 25 21 ( 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, 2010 and 2011

III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p

With separations reported2 ................................. 41 25 28 3,574 3,293 2,905 

By location

 Out-of-country relocations ................................ 8 6 2 1,198 916 110 

 Within company ............................................ 4 4 – 340 733 –

 Different company ........................................ 4 2 2 858 183 110 

 Domestic relocations ........................................ 33 19 26 2,376 2,377 2,795 

 Within company ............................................ 28 17 23 1,824 2,119 2,498 

 Different company ........................................ 5 2 3 552 258 297 

 Unable to assign place of 

 relocation ....................................................... ––––––

By company

 Within company ................................................ 32 21 23 2,164 2,852 2,498 

 Domestic ....................................................... 28 17 23 1,824 2,119 2,498 

 Out of country ............................................... 4 4 – 340 733 –

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

 Different company ............................................ 9 4 5 1,410 441 407 

 Domestic ....................................................... 5 2 3 552 258 297 

 Out of country ............................................... 4 2 2 858 183 110 

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

 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.

III II III III II III III II III

2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p 2010 2011r 2011p

Anticipate a recall ............................................... 45.3 60.1 50.0 92.5 96.2 97.9 27.7 33.2 35.7

 Timeframe

Within 6 months .................................................. 65.0 78.5 57.9 85.8 91.1 85.5 39.1 51.2 35.3

 Within 3 months ............................................ 54.7 52.6 47.8 74.7 58.3 69.6 29.7 40.1 30.0

 Size of recall

At least half ......................................................... 68.1 81.9 61.0 91.6 95.0 89.5 38.8 53.5 37.7

 All workers .................................................... 39.0 45.2 29.4 61.0 57.0 46.4 11.6 19.8 15.4

 1

 See footnote 1, table 1.

 r

 = revised.

 p

 = preliminary.

Percent of layoff events, excluding those due to 

seasonal and vacation period

Table 11. Summary of employer expectations of a recall from extended mass layoffs, private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011

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, 2010 and 2011

III II III

2010 2011r 2011p

 Total, private nonfarm1 .................................................... 162 175 150 

Industry

Mining ................................................................................... 267 285 50 

Utilities .................................................................................. 134 223 –

Construction .......................................................................... 101 125 113 

Manufacturing ....................................................................... 148 152 157 

Wholesale trade .................................................................... 118 121 112 

Retail trade ............................................................................ 268 175 248 

Transportation and warehousing .......................................... 152 236 128 

Information ............................................................................ 265 281 232 

Finance and insurance .......................................................... 186 152 172 

Real estate and rental and leasing ....................................... 164 158 114 

Professional and technical services ...................................... 176 222 152 

Management of companies and enterprises ......................... 87 115 79 

Administrative and waste services ........................................ 213 191 170 

Educational services ............................................................. 117 133 126 

Health care and social assistance ........................................ 98 123 95 

Arts, entertainment, and recreation ....................................... 115 224 123 

Accommodation and food services ....................................... 236 242 149 

Other services, except public administration ........................ 125 113 100 

Unclassified establishments .................................................. –––

Reason for layoff groupings

Business demand ................................................................. 157 144 151 

Organizational changes ........................................................ 204 236 156 

Financial issues .................................................................... 142 136 198 

Production specific ................................................................ 101 132 120 

Disaster/Safety ...................................................................... 60 185 141 

Seasonal ............................................................................... 141 196 137 

Other/miscellaneous ............................................................. 196 182 148 

 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 2011p

Number Percent Number Percent

 Total ........................................................................ 1,226 100.0 184,493 100.0 

 50-99 ..................................................................... 661 53.9 45,681 24.8 

 100-149 ................................................................. 231 18.8 26,932 14.6 

 150-199 .................................................................. 114 9.3 19,210 10.4 

 200-299 .................................................................. 104 8.5 24,413 13.2 

 300-499 .................................................................. 66 5.4 23,524 12.8 

 500-999 .................................................................. 35 2.9 22,192 12.0 

 1,000 or more ......................................................... 15 1.2 22,541 12.2 

 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, 2005-11

1000

800400600200

0

2005:3 2006:3 2007:3 2008:3 2009:3 2010:3 

Seasonal Business demand Organizational changes Financial issues Production specific Disa

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