Technical information:      (202) 691-6392       USDL 05-2352
http://www.bls.gov/mls/

                                                 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                    691-5902       Thursday, December 22, 2005


                       MASS LAYOFFS IN NOVEMBER 2005
   
   
   In November 2005, employers took 1,183 mass layoff actions, seasonally
adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits
during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department
of Labor reported today.  Each action involved at least 50 persons from
a single establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 118,098,
on a seasonally adjusted basis.  (See table 1.)  The number of layoff events
in November rose by 95 from October and the number of associated initial
claims increased by 11,860.  In the manufacturing sector, 353 mass layoff
events were reported during November 2005, seasonally adjusted, resulting
in 44,595 initial claims.  The number of mass layoff events in manufacturing
was somewhat higher than a month earlier, while the number of initial claims
was lower.  (See table 1.)
   
   From January through November 2005, the total number of events (seasonally
adjusted), at 14,306, was lower than in January-November 2004 (14,689), while
the number of initial claims (seasonally adjusted), at 1,563,837, was higher
(1,468,844).
   
   Data have been tabulated on the results of employer interviews for 899
mass layoff events that were potentially related to Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita.  These layoff events occurred almost entirely in Louisiana and Missis-
sippi during the period from August 28 to October 1.  Of these events, 343
were identified by the employer as directly or indirectly due to the hurri-
canes and lasting more than 30 days.  The number of workers in these extend-
ed mass layoffs totaled 49,480, not seasonally adjusted.  For the remainder
of the private sector layoff events potentially related to the hurricanes,
employers said that either any layoffs were temporary (30 days or less) or
that there were no layoffs at all.  Also included in the 899 potential hur-
ricane-related events are layoffs at government agencies, for which employer
interviews are not conducted.  In these cases, a final determination about
whether the event was hurricane related could not be made.


                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Industries with the largest mass-layoff initial claims in November 2005p
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               | Initial |       November peak
                  Industry                     | claims  |--------------------------
                                               |         |   Year  | Initial claims
-----------------------------------------------|---------|---------|----------------
Highway, street, and bridge construction.......|  8,425  |   2001  |     14,805
Temporary help services .......................|  5,347  |   2000  |     19,023
Food service contractors ......................|  3,737  |   2004  |      4,356
Professional employer organizations ...........|  2,830  |   2002  |      4,088
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders .......|  2,776  |   1999  |     11,613
School and employee bus transportation ........|  2,039  |   2002  |      2,998
Motion picture and video production ...........|  1,912  |   2000  |      8,664
Motor vehicle seating and interior trim mfg. ..|  1,807  |   2000  |      1,807
Hotels and motels, except casino hotels .......|  1,641  |   2001  |      3,215
Broadwoven fabric mills .......................|  1,581  |   2000  |      4,068
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  p = preliminary.


Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

   In November, the 10 industries reporting the highest number of mass-
layoff initial claims, not seasonally adjusted, accounted for 32,095
initial claims, 28 percent of the total.  (See table A.)  The two indus-
tries with the highest number of initial claims were highway, street,
and bridge construction, with 8,425, and temporary help services, with
5,347.  Together, these two industries accounted for 12 percent of all
initial claims during the month.

   The manufacturing sector accounted for 29 percent of all mass layoff
events and 36 percent of all initial claims filed in November 2005.  A year
earlier, manufacturing comprised 29 percent of events and 34 percent of
initial claims.  Within manufacturing, the number of claimants in November
2005 was highest in transportation equipment (11,665, largely automotive-
related), followed by food manufacturing (7,092).  (See table 3.)
   
   Construction accounted for 15 percent of events and 14 percent of initial
claims filed in November, with layoffs mainly from highway, street, and bridge
construction.  Eleven percent of all layoff events and 10 percent of initial
claims filed during the month were from administrative and waste services,
largely from temporary help services.  Accommodation and food services account-
ed for 7 percent of events and initial claims in November, mostly from food ser-
vice and drinking places.  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting accounted
for 9 percent of events and 6 percent of initial claims during the month, large-
ly among farm labor contractors and crew leaders.  An additional 5 percent of
events and 4 percent of initial claims were from retail trade, primarily from
general merchandise stores.
   
   Government establishments accounted for 5 percent of events and 6 percent
of initial claims filed in November, mostly from executive, legislative, and
general government agencies and educational services.
   
   On a not seasonally adjusted basis, the number of layoff events decreased
by 145 over the year to 1,254, and the number of associated initial claims
fell by 14,296 to 116,127.  These were the lowest event and initial claim
totals for any November since 1997.  The largest over-the- year decreases
in initial claims were reported in administrative and support services
(-6,306), machinery manufacturing (-1,673), computer and electronic products
manufacturing (-1,533), and motion picture and sound recording industries
(-1,530).  The largest over-the-year increase in initial claims was in trans-
portation equipment manufacturing (+4,704).

                                  - 3 -

Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

   Among the four census regions, the largest number of initial claims in
November due to mass layoffs was in the Midwest (34,901).  (See table 5.)
Transportation equipment manufacturing and heavy and civil engineering
construction accounted for 35 percent of the Midwest total.  The South had
the next largest number of initial claims (31,437), followed by the West
(30,664) and the Northeast (19,125).
   
   The number of initial claimants from mass layoffs decreased over the
year in three of the four regions.  The largest decrease occurred in the
West (-16,190), followed by the Midwest (-4,749) and the Northeast (-221).
The South had the only over-the-year increase (+6,864).  Five of the nine
geographic divisions had over-the-year decreases in the number of initial
claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest in the Pacific
(-14,272), followed by the East North Central (-2,806) division.  The
South Atlantic (+4,263) and West South Central (+1,956) divisions reported
the largest over-the-year increases.
   
   Among the states, California recorded the highest number of initial
claims filed due to mass layoff events in November (21,324).  Wisconsin had
the next highest initial claims total, with 10,176 initial claims, followed
by Pennsylvania (9,986), Florida (7,138), and Ohio (5,607).  These five
states accounted for 54 percent of all mass layoff events and 47 percent of
all initial claims for unemployment insurance.  (See table 6.)
   
   California had the largest over-the-year decrease in the number of
initial claims (-12,765).  Illinois had the next largest over-the-year
decrease (-2,862), followed by Indiana (-2,318) and New Jersey (-2,147).
The largest over-the-year increases occurred in Florida (+4,031), Penn-
sylvania (+2,386), and Louisiana (+2,241).
   
   From January to November, California reported 321,212 mass-layoff
initial claims, 21 percent of the national total.  Louisiana had the next
largest number of claims over this period (119,732), followed by Michigan
(100,995) and Ohio (100,106).
   
Note
   
   The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or more
workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of the lay-
offs.  For private nonfarm establishments, information on the length of the
layoff is obtained later and issued in a quarterly release that reports on
mass layoffs lasting more than 30 days (referred to as "extended mass lay-
offs").  The quarterly release provides more information on the industry
classification and location of the establishment and on the demographics
of the laid-off workers.  Because monthly figures include short-term lay-
offs of 30 days or less, the sum of the figures for the 3 months in a quar-
ter will be higher than the quarterly figure for mass layoffs of more than
30 days.  (See table 4.)  See the Technical Note for more detailed defini-
tions.
   
                       ____________________________
   

   The report on Mass Layoffs in December 2005 is scheduled to be released
on Wednesday, January 25, 2006.





                                  - 4 -

Technical Note
   
   
   The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program
that uses a standardized, automated approach to identifying, describing,
and tracking the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each
state's unemployment insurance database.  Each month, states report on
establishments which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them
during a consecutive 5-week period.  These establishments then are con-
tacted by the state agency to determine whether these separations lasted
31 days or longer, and, if so, other information concerning the layoff is
collected.  States report on layoffs lasting more than 1 month on a quart-
erly basis.
   
   A given month contains an aggregation of the weekly unemployment
insurance claims filings for the Sunday through Saturday weeks in that
month.  All weeks are included for the particular month, except if the
first day of the month falls on Saturday.  In this case, the week is
included in the prior month's tabulations.  This means that some months
will contain 4 weeks and others, 5 weeks, the number of weeks in a
given month may be different from year to year, and the number of weeks in
a year may vary.  Therefore, analysis of over-the-month and over-the-year
change in not seasonally adjusted series should take this calendar effect
into consideration.
   
   The MLS program resumed operations in April 1995 after it had been
terminated in November 1992 due to lack of funding.  Prior to April 1995,
monthly layoff statistics were not available.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
   
Definitions
   
   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.
   
   Mass layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits filed against an establishment during a 5-week period,
regardless of duration.
   
Seasonal adjustment

   Effective with the release of data for January 2005, BLS began publish-
ing six seasonally adjusted monthly MLS series.  The six series are the
numbers of mass layoff events and mass layoff initial claims for the total,
private nonfarm, and manufacturing sectors.
   
   Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and removing the effect
on time series data of regularly recurring seasonal events such as changes
in the weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
The use of seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes
in time series, particularly those associated with general economic expan-
sions and contractions.
   
   The MLS data are seasonally adjusted using the X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjust-
ment method on a concurrent basis.  Concurrent seasonal adjustment uses all
available monthly estimates, including those for the current month, in devel-
oping seasonal adjustment factors.  Revisions to the most recent 5 years
of seasonally adjusted data will be made once a year with the issuance of
December data.  Before the data are seasonally adjusted, prior adjustments
are made to the original data to adjust them for differences in the number
of weeks used to calculate the monthly data.  Because weekly unemployment
insurance claims are aggregated to form monthly data, a particular month's
value could be calculated with 5 weeks of data in one year and 4 weeks
in another.  The effects of these differences could seriously distort the
seasonal factors if they were ignored in the seasonal adjustment process.
These effects are modeled in the X-12-ARIMA program and are permanently
removed from the final seasonally adjusted series.





Table 1. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, December 2001 to November 2005,
seasonally adjusted

                                       Total            Private nonfarm         Manufacturing   

             Date                                                                               
                                           Initial               Initial               Initial  
                                 Events   claimants    Events   claimants     Events  claimants 
     
             2001           

December ...................     1,799     194,759     1,658     183,178       722      93,193
             
             2002           

January ....................     1,801     208,835     1,659     195,862       739      96,689
February ...................     1,773     204,089     1,620     192,450       701      91,285
March ......................     1,674     187,924     1,517     175,998       610      75,367
April ......................     1,685     186,574     1,497     169,228       591      69,481
May ........................     1,720     191,841     1,558     178,993       611      74,809
June .......................     1,615     170,307     1,438     156,759       551      73,064
July .......................     1,637     179,165     1,457     164,398       568      73,230
August .....................     1,475     160,855     1,330     149,148       562      65,564
September ..................     1,909     217,475     1,742     202,640       607      79,413
October ....................     1,716     178,860     1,524     162,411       598      71,765
November ...................     1,644     176,462     1,500     165,578       607      70,640
December ...................     1,825     193,627     1,661     179,368       638      86,714
             
             2003           

January ....................     1,383     134,258     1,193     120,033       402      49,440
February ...................     1,771     185,502     1,589     173,392       643      75,331
March ......................     1,773     176,540     1,577     161,662       618      75,289
April ......................     1,735     176,645     1,574     165,416       646      86,857
May ........................     1,709     186,158     1,532     173,123       624      87,615
June .......................     1,704     163,646     1,515     148,547       636      70,888
July .......................     1,653     163,061     1,444     147,883       590      71,203
August .....................     1,502     170,353     1,364     156,731       540      71,944
September ..................     1,559     145,961     1,370     132,233       471      56,274
October ....................     1,541     154,908     1,312     136,604       412      49,518
November ...................     1,400     137,651     1,241     125,115       397      46,955
December ...................     1,425     141,780     1,281     129,464       420      53,436
             
             2004           

January ....................     1,458     146,147     1,257     127,917       413      50,074
February ...................     1,237     126,421     1,091     115,302       358      36,783
March ......................     1,348     142,480     1,211     134,118       409      63,380
April ......................     1,422     149,049     1,239     132,180       360      43,158
May ........................     1,178     114,247     1,016     100,499       314      37,950
June .......................     1,375     141,300     1,215     129,466       361      47,548
July .......................     1,363     139,374     1,200     127,011       390      49,276
August .....................     1,392     130,483     1,208     115,035       330      36,422
September ..................     1,281     123,761     1,153     114,223       332      45,917
October ....................     1,274     125,414     1,145     116,042       350      44,908
November ...................     1,361     130,168     1,201     117,545       402      43,504
December ...................     1,211     119,649     1,064     108,157       283      34,940
             
             2005           

January ....................     1,457     150,990     1,321     140,826       379      58,908
February ...................     1,128     117,684     1,001     107,415       345      43,186
March ......................     1,194     130,848     1,060     121,408       371      55,377
April ......................     1,274     136,837     1,142     126,807       395      63,121
May ........................     1,196     128,771     1,060     117,036       359      53,243
June .......................     1,175     127,887     1,059     118,736       347      55,820
July .......................     1,249     131,326     1,107     118,835       360      48,967
August .....................     1,142     127,466     1,002     115,674       328      48,155
September ..................     2,220     287,692     1,970     237,108       426      54,993
October(p) .................     1,088     106,238       962      97,180       316      45,589
November(p) ................     1,183     118,098     1,053     107,293       353      44,595


    p = preliminary. 



      
Table 2. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, December 2001 to November 2005,
not seasonally adjusted            

                                       Total            Private nonfarm        Manufacturing   

             Date                                                                              
                                           Initial               Initial               Initial 
                                 Events   claimants    Events   claimants    Events   claimants

            2001                      

December ...................     2,440     268,893     2,319     259,497     1,103     136,820
                       
            2002            

January ....................     2,146     263,777     2,028     252,245       892     128,825
February ...................     1,382     138,808     1,253     129,849       481      58,784
March ......................     1,460     161,316     1,335     151,305       500      59,613
April ......................     1,506     165,814     1,378     153,216       461      50,897
May ........................     1,723     179,799     1,571     166,801       488      52,720
June .......................     1,584     162,189     1,266     136,424       336      42,130
July .......................     2,042     245,294     1,819     226,892       907     135,271
August .....................     1,248     128,103     1,151     119,874       427      48,668
September ..................     1,062     124,522       957     114,736       352      43,755
October ....................     1,497     171,100     1,270     149,327       493      64,655
November ...................     2,153     240,171     1,860     216,237       719      92,712
December ...................     2,474     264,158     2,324     252,807       984     126,826
                       
            2003            

January ....................     2,315     225,430     2,130     210,918       822      90,244
February ...................     1,363     124,965     1,222     116,264       435      48,161
March ......................     1,207     113,026     1,099     104,468       390      41,063
April ......................     1,581     161,412     1,470     152,937       499      62,349
May ........................     1,703     174,204     1,538     160,729       499      61,278
June .......................     1,691     157,552     1,336     127,743       389      40,845
July .......................     2,087     226,435     1,815     206,901       946     136,410
August .....................     1,258     133,839     1,163     124,131       405      52,620
September ..................       868      82,647       756      73,914       271      31,428
October ....................     1,523     158,240     1,265     137,706       438      53,741
November ...................     1,438     138,543     1,234     123,524       408      48,419
December ...................     1,929     192,633     1,793     182,750       648      77,915
                       
            2004            

January ....................     2,428     239,454     2,226     220,687       848      89,551
February ...................       941      84,201       832      76,577       240      23,043
March ......................       920      92,554       847      87,782       258      34,686
April ......................     1,458     157,314     1,316     142,657       343      36,172
May ........................       988      87,501       878      78,786       219      22,141
June .......................     1,379     134,588     1,077     110,804       222      27,307
July .......................     2,094     253,929     1,860     234,877       885     145,895
August .....................       809      69,033       745      63,876       194      17,698
September ..................       708      68,972       637      63,102       189      25,808
October ....................     1,242     127,918     1,101     117,375       372      48,265
November ...................     1,399     130,423     1,201     115,549       412      44,243
December ...................     1,614     161,271     1,487     152,092       436      50,726
                       
            2005            

January ....................     2,564     263,952     2,421     253,409       823     108,985
February ...................       810      74,644       722      68,372       230      24,931
March ......................       806      88,937       733      83,793       246      33,030
April ......................     1,373     158,582     1,263     148,133       395      59,129
May ........................       986     101,358       891      93,332       249      30,424
June .......................     1,157     120,463       941     103,307       216      32,783
July .......................     1,981     244,216     1,745     222,377       856     136,210
August .....................       645      67,582       598      63,484       188      22,531
September ..................     1,662     213,281     1,505     179,042       318      47,497
October(p) .................       905      91,941       757      80,694       249      37,276
November(p) ................     1,254     116,127     1,079     102,182       363      41,442

    p = preliminary. 



      
Table 3. Industry distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance

                                                                                                     Initial claimants for        
                                                             Mass layoff events                     unemployment insurance        
                    Industry                                                                                                      

                                                    November   September October  November   November  September  October  November
                                                      2004       2005     2005p     2005p      2004      2005      2005p     2005p 

               Seasonally adjusted                  

      Total .....................................     1,361     2,220     1,088     1,183     130,168   287,692   106,238   118,098
 
  Total, private nonfarm ........................     1,201     1,970       962     1,053     117,545   237,108    97,180   107,293
   Manufacturing ................................       402       426       316       353      43,504    54,993    45,589    44,595

               Not seasonally adjusted
      
      Total(1) ..................................     1,399     1,662       905     1,254     130,423   213,281    91,941   116,127

Total, private ..................................     1,336     1,528       850     1,187     125,008   180,425    87,226   109,395
  Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ....       135        23        93       108       9,459     1,383     6,532     7,213

 Total, private nonfarm .........................     1,201     1,505       757     1,079     115,549   179,042    80,694   102,182
  Mining ........................................         7     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         7         701     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       509
  Utilities .....................................     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
  Construction ..................................       231       116        88       192      17,884     8,885     5,755    15,824
  Manufacturing..................................       412       318       249       363      44,243    47,497    37,276    41,442
      Food ......................................        77        59        61        66       7,717     5,907     5,666     7,092
      Beverage and tobacco products .............         6         4         4         6         387       274       261       416
      Textile mills .............................        15        20        11        19       1,767     2,636     1,296     2,734
      Textile product mills .....................         7         6         5         6         638       958       531       444
      Apparel ...................................        20        10        11        13       2,154     2,183     2,589     2,125
      Leather and allied products ...............     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )       ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )
      Wood products .............................        32        22     ( 2 )        20       3,437     2,253     ( 2 )     2,353
      Paper .....................................         7        10         9         8         530     1,218       748       479
      Printing and related support activities ...         9         5         -         8         610       318         -       574
      Petroleum and coal products ...............     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )

      Chemicals .................................         7         6         8         7         525       822       682       510
      Plastics and rubber products ..............        17        13        11        19       1,385     1,833     1,097     1,469
      Nonmetallic mineral products ..............        24         9         8        11       2,126       657       759     1,005
      Primary metals ............................        18        11         9        17       1,616     1,112     1,037     1,475
      Fabricated metal products .................        28        17        12        20       2,548     1,224       863     1,751
      Machinery .................................        25        30         9        24       4,583     4,967     1,288     2,910
      Computer and electronic products ..........        27        18        20        12       2,534     1,438     1,764     1,001
      Electrical equipment and appliances .......        13        11         4         5       1,757     2,959     1,061       554
      Transportation equipment ..................        53        52        49        76       6,961    15,584    15,841    11,665
      Furniture and related products ............        16         9         8        15       1,548       599       762     1,804
      Miscellaneous manufacturing ...............         5         3         6         6         975       242       688       676

  Wholesale trade ...............................        24        33        10        21       2,196     2,351       812     1,687
  Retail trade ..................................        65       203        72        61       6,498    22,358     5,666     5,176
  Transportation and warehousing ................        32        51        29        45       2,900     6,218     2,697     3,479
  Information ...................................        45        41        26        21       5,492     6,046     5,300     2,395
  Finance and insurance .........................        22        32        24        14       1,442     2,580     1,656     1,307
  Real estate and rental and leasing ............     ( 2 )        19         4         3       ( 2 )     1,125       244       122
  Professional and technical services ...........        22        31        28        34       2,303     2,655     2,967     3,056
  Management of companies and enterprises .......     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
  Administrative and waste services .............       187       206       132       138      17,370    20,616    11,017    11,350
  Educational services...........................     ( 2 )        12     ( 2 )     ( 2 )       ( 2 )     1,667     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
  Health care and social assistance .............        27       150         7        34       2,012    17,259       621     2,555
  Arts, entertainment, and recreation ...........        25        37        22        40       2,126     7,164     1,568     3,623
  Accommodation and food services ...............        81       220        53        88       8,995    29,522     4,168     8,204
  Other services, except public administration ..        10        29         3         8         647     2,352       173       668
  Unclassified  .................................         1         -         5         6          40         -       356       436

 Government .....................................        63       134        55        67       5,415    32,856     4,715     6,732
  Federal .......................................        12        10        16        15       1,290       966     1,551     1,608
  State .........................................        25        37        12        24       2,342     5,905       992     2,527
  Local .........................................        26        87        27        28       1,783    25,985     2,172     2,597


   1 Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
   2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
   p = preliminary.
   NOTE: Dash represents zero.




Table 4. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, October 2003 to November 2005,
not seasonally adjusted

                                                                                    Private nonfarm                              
										  
                                 Total mass layoffs                               Extended mass layoffs         Realization      
             Date                                        Mass layoffs          lasting more than 30 days         rates (1) 

                                          Initial               Initial                        Initial                  Initial  
                                Events   claimants    Events   claimants        Events        claimants     Events     claimants 
           
            2003          

October .....................   1,523      158,240     1,265     137,706	           
November ....................   1,438      138,543     1,234     123,524	           
December ....................   1,929      192,633     1,793     182,750	           

Fourth Quarter ..............   4,890      489,416     4,292     443,980         1,690          326,328       39.4        73.5

           2004              

January .....................   2,428      239,454     2,226     220,687	           
February ....................     941       84,201       832      76,577	           
March .......................     920       92,554       847      87,782	           

First Quarter ...............   4,289      416,209     3,905     385,046         1,339          238,392       34.3        61.9

April .......................   1,458      157,314     1,316     142,657	           
May .........................     988       87,501       878      78,786	           
June ........................   1,379      134,588     1,077     110,804	           

Second Quarter ..............   3,825      379,403     3,271     332,247         1,358          254,063       41.5        76.5

July ........................   2,094      253,929     1,860     234,877	           
August ......................     809       69,033       745      63,876	           
September ...................     708       68,972       637      63,102	           

Third Quarter ...............   3,611      391,934     3,242     361,855           886          148,575       27.3        41.1

October .....................   1,242      127,918     1,101     117,375	           
November ....................   1,399      130,423     1,201     115,549	           
December ....................   1,614      161,271     1,487     152,092	           

Fourth Quarter ..............   4,255      419,612     3,789     385,016         1,427          262,049       37.7        68.1

           2005              

January .....................   2,564      263,952     2,421     253,409	           
February ....................     810       74,644       722      68,372	           
March .......................     806       88,937       733      83,793	           

First Quarter ...............   4,180      427,533     3,876     405,574         1,142          185,374       29.5        45.7

April .......................   1,373      158,582     1,263     148,133	           
May .........................     986      101,358       891      93,332	           
June ........................   1,157      120,463       941     103,307	           

Second Quarter ..............   3,516      380,403     3,095     344,772         1,203          212,671       38.9        61.7

July ........................   1,981      244,216     1,745     222,377	           
August ......................     645       67,582       598      63,484	           
September ...................   1,662      213,281     1,505     179,042	           

Third Quarter ...............   4,288      525,079     3,848     464,903    (2)(p) 742   (2)(p) 108,647    (p)19.3     (p)23.4

October(p) ..................     905       91,941       757      80,694	           
November(p) .................   1,254      116,127     1,079     102,182	           


    1 The event realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff events lasting more than 30 days. The
initial claimant realization rate is the percentage of all private nonfarm mass layoff initial claimants associated with
layoffs lasting more than 30 days. 
    2 These quarterly numbers are provisional and will be revised as more data on these layoffs become available.
Experience suggests that the number of extended mass layoff events is generally revised upwards by less than 10 percent and
the number of initial claimants associated with such events increases by 25-40 percent. 
    p = preliminary. 



       
Table 5. Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance by census region and division,
not seasonally adjusted

                                                                                     Initial claimants for         
                                          Mass layoff events                         unemployment insurance        
 Census region and division                                                                                           
                          
                               November   September  October November     November    September    October    November
                                 2004       2005      2005p    2005p        2004        2005        2005p       2005p 
			    
        United States(1) ....    1,399     1,662       905     1,254       130,423     213,281      91,941     116,127

Northeast ...................      198       118       175       218        19,346       9,990      15,362      19,125
    
    New England .............       26        13        12        24         1,998       1,204       1,233       2,703
    Middle Atlantic .........      172       105       163       194        17,348       8,786      14,129      16,422

South .......................      255     1,086       158       279        24,573     153,999      17,616      31,437
    
    South Atlantic ..........      116        81        85       165        10,333      10,247       8,903      14,596
    East South Central ......       42       161        25        42         4,651      33,946       4,194       5,296
    West South Central ......       97       844        48        72         9,589     109,806       4,519      11,545

Midwest .....................      389       161       199       355        39,650      21,024      27,841      34,901
    
    East North Central ......      306       133       154       279        29,986      17,107      21,404      27,180
    West North Central ......       83        28        45        76         9,664       3,917       6,437       7,721

West ........................      557       297       373       402        46,854      28,268      31,122      30,664
    
    Mountain ................       59        22        32        50         6,470       1,901       3,285       4,552
    Pacific .................      498       275       341       352        40,384      26,367      27,837      26,112


    1 See footnote 1, table 3.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are: New England:
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania; South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; West South Central:
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; West North
Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; and Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.






Table 6. State distribution: Mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
not seasonally adjusted

                                                                                     Initial claimants for          
                                         Mass layoff events                          unemployment insurance         
           State                                                                                                       
                           November    September    October   November     November    September    October   November
                             2004        2005        2005p      2005p        2004        2005        2005p      2005p 

   Total(1) .............   1,399       1,662         905       1,254       130,423     213,281      91,941    116,127

Alabama .................       9          20           4           6           915       1,968         569        783
Alaska ..................       7           3           4           4           686         280         264        401
Arizona .................       3       ( 2 )           6           4           255       ( 2 )         606        350
Arkansas ................      11           -           4           7         1,477           -         767      1,866
California ..............     429         256         315         302        34,089      24,616      25,317     21,324
Colorado ................       7           3           6           7           533         185         510        758
Connecticut .............   ( 2 )           3           -           3         ( 2 )         258           -        235
Delaware ................       -           -       ( 2 )           -             -           -       ( 2 )          -
District of Columbia ....       -           -           -           -             -           -           -          -
Florida .................      43          40          36         100         3,107       3,314       2,706      7,138
Georgia .................      19          14          16          24         1,809       3,230       1,739      2,511
Hawaii ..................   ( 2 )           3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         249       ( 2 )      ( 2 )
Idaho ...................      16           3           5          11         1,888         239         476        976

Illinois ................      63          46          35          34         6,462       5,793       5,717      3,600
Indiana .................      40          13          14          29         5,129       2,339       1,940      2,811
Iowa ....................      14           3          13          20         1,159         996       2,473      1,636
Kansas ..................       6           3       ( 2 )           6         1,090         259       ( 2 )        647
Kentucky ................      19          21          10          23         2,160       4,473       2,710      3,521
Louisiana ...............      19         791           3          36         1,789     104,388         215      4,030
Maine ...................       4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           328       ( 2 )       ( 2 )      ( 2 )
Maryland ................       4           -           5       ( 2 )           347           -         451      ( 2 )
Massachusetts ...........      15           4           6          10         1,108         503         669        650
Michigan ................      63          23          41          62         5,032       3,235       6,276      4,986
Minnesota ...............      35           7          18          27         4,260         741       1,579      2,503
Mississippi .............       -         113           4       ( 2 )             -      26,817         356      ( 2 )
Missouri ................      23          10           8          19         2,773         981       1,773      2,640

Montana .................       7       ( 2 )           6           7         1,023       ( 2 )         695        770
Nebraska ................   ( 2 )           4           4       ( 2 )         ( 2 )         811         447      ( 2 )
Nevada ..................      19          12           6          13         2,219         997         764      1,144
New Hampshire ...........       -           3       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             -         217       ( 2 )      ( 2 )
New Jersey ..............      42          20          30          32         5,386       2,013       2,248      3,239
New Mexico ..............       4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3           384       ( 2 )       ( 2 )        201
New York ................      55          40          52          36         4,362       3,310       4,806      3,197
North Carolina ..........      24           6          16          10         2,294         601       1,423        841
North Dakota ............       3       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           238       ( 2 )           -      ( 2 )
Ohio ....................      49          21          33          52         4,219       2,408       4,820      5,607
Oklahoma ................       9           3           3           4           845         360         500        596
Oregon ..................      31           3           5          16         2,886         342         675      1,610
Pennsylvania ............      75          45          81         126         7,600       3,463       7,075      9,986

Rhode Island ............       4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )       ( 2 )           372       ( 2 )       ( 2 )      ( 2 )
South Carolina ..........      13          14           4          18         1,619       1,907         428      2,251
South Dakota ............   ( 2 )           -           -           -         ( 2 )           -           -          -
Tennessee ...............      14           7           7          11         1,576         688         559        905
Texas ...................      58          50          38          25         5,478       5,058       3,037      5,053
Utah ....................   ( 2 )           -           -           3         ( 2 )           -           -        218
Vermont .................   ( 2 )           -           3           7         ( 2 )           -         212      1,285
Virginia ................      10           6           7          10           976       1,086         573      1,570
Washington ..............      29          10          16          29         2,536         880       1,527      2,695
West Virginia ...........       3       ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )           181       ( 2 )           -      ( 2 )
Wisconsin ...............      91          30          31         102         9,144       3,332       2,651     10,176
Wyoming .................   ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )       ( 2 )         ( 2 )           -       ( 2 )      ( 2 )

Puerto Rico .............       6          20          11          12           562       2,268         854      1,202

    1 See footnote 1, table 3.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards. 
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.