Technical information:  (202) 691-6392     USDL 06-822
http://www.bls.gov/mls/
                                           For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Thursday, May 11, 2006
                                     
                                     
            EXTENDED MASS LAYOFFS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2006
                                     
 
   In the first quarter of 2006, employers took 892 mass layoff actions
in the private nonfarm sector that resulted in the separation of 161,686
workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary
figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor
Statistics.  Both the total number of layoff events and the number of
separations were sharply lower than during January-March 2005, with both
events and separations at their lowest levels for any first quarter since
data collection began in 1995.  (See table A.)  The over-the-year declines
were most notable in administrative and support services, nonstore retailers,
and food manufacturing.  Extended mass layoffs that involve the movement of
work within the same company or to a different company, either domestically
or outside the U.S., occurred in 8 percent of the nonseasonal layoff events
and worker separations.  (See table B.)  Among employers who anticipated re-
calling laid-off workers, 38 percent expected to extend the offer to all laid-
off workers, a smaller proportion than a year ago.
   
   The completion of seasonal work accounted for 25 percent of all events
and resulted in 37,772 separations during January-March 2006--the lowest
level of private nonfarm seasonal separations for any first quarter.  Lay-
offs due to internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership
change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) represented 22 percent of
events and resulted in 47,412 separations, 29 percent of total separations.
This was the highest share of separations from internal company restructur-
ing since the first quarter of 2003.  Permanent closure of worksites occurred
in 17 percent of all events and affected 35,644 workers, higher than a year
ago.

   In the first quarter of 2006, the national unemployment rate was 5.0 per-
cent, not seasonally adjusted; a year earlier it was 5.6 percent.  Private
nonfarm payroll employment, not seasonally adjusted, increased by 1.9 mil-
lion, or 1.7 percent from January-March 2005 to January-March 2006.

                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Selected measures of extended mass layoff activity
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Period          | Layoff events|  Separations | Initial claimants
-------------------------|--------------|--------------|-------------------
          2002           |              |              |
January-March............|     1,611    |    299,266   |      292,998
April-June...............|     1,624    |    344,606   |      299,598
July-September...........|     1,186    |    255,152   |      254,955
October-December.........|     1,916    |    373,307   |      370,592
          2003           |              |              |
January-March............|     1,502    |    286,947   |      297,608
April-June...............|     1,799    |    368,273   |      348,966
July-September...........|     1,190    |    236,333   |      227,909
October-December.........|     1,690    |    325,333   |      326,328
          2004           |              |              |
January-March............|     1,339    |    276,503   |      238,392
April-June...............|     1,358    |    278,831   |      254,063
July-September...........|       886    |    164,608   |      148,575
October-December.........|     1,427    |    273,967   |      262,049
          2005           |              |              |
January-March(r).........|     1,142    |    186,506   |      185,486
April-June(r)............|     1,203    |    245,878   |      212,452 
July-September(r)........|     1,136    |    201,878   |      190,119 
October-December(r)......|     1,400    |    250,094   |      244,943
          2006           |              |              |
January-March(p).........|       892    |    161,686   |      129,607
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.
   
   
Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
   
   Extended mass layoff separations occurred in 318 of the 1,105 detailed
industries for which data are available for the first quarter of 2006.
This is the fewest number of industries to have at least one extended mass
layoff event in a first quarter since data collection began in 1995.

   Manufacturing industries accounted for 32 percent of private nonfarm
layoff events and 35 percent of separations during January-March 2006.
(See table 1.)  The 55,977 worker separations in manufacturing were higher
than in the first quarter of 2005.  In the first quarter of 2006, separa-
tions in this sector were highest in transportation equipment manufacturing
(17,780), followed by food manufacturing (8,356).

   Retail trade accounted for 12 percent of private nonfarm layoff events
and 20 percent of separations, primarily in general merchandise stores.
The construction sector had 21 percent of events and 13 percent of sepa-
rations, mostly among specialty trade contractors and in heavy and civil
engineering construction.  Layoffs in the administrative and waste services
sector comprised 11 percent of events and separations, mostly in temporary
help services and in professional employer organizations.  Cutbacks in trans-
portation and warehousing accounted for 5 percent of events and separations,
and were concentrated in air transportation and in couriers and messengers.
  
   Information technology-producing industries (communication equipment,
communications services, computer hardware, and software and computer
services) accounted for 3 percent of layoff events and 2 percent of work-
er separations in the first quarter of 2006.  In the first quarter of 2005,
these industries accounted for 4 percent of both layoff events and sepa-
rations.  Layoffs in the information technology-producing industries in the
first quarter of 2006 were most numerous in computer hardware, with 1,048
separations, followed by communications equipment.  (See table 6.)

                                  - 3 -

Table B.  Extended mass layoff events and separations, selected
measures, first quarter 2006p
----------------------------------------------------------------------             
                                  |                 |
               Action             |  Layoff events  |   Separations
                                  |                 |                       
----------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------                
                                  |                 |                               
 Total private nonfarm............|        892      |     161,686          
                                  |                 |  
   Total, excluding seasonal      |                 |             
     and vacation events(1).......|        668      |     123,804
                                  |                 |       
     Total events with move-      |                 |
      ment of work(2).............|         52      |      10,206
                                  |                 |
                                  |                 |
      Movement-of-work actions....|         79      |        (3)
       With separations reported..|         50      |       6,980
       With separations unknown...|         29      |        (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                

   1 The questions on movement of work were not asked of employers
when the reason for layoff was either seasonal work or vacation
period.
   2 A layoff event can involve more than one movement-of-work action.
   3 Data not available.
   p = preliminary.


Reasons for Extended Layoff
   
  Layoffs due to the completion of seasonal work accounted for 25 percent
of the extended layoff events and resulted in 37,772 separations in first
quarter 2006.  (See table 2.)  Seasonal layoffs were most numerous among
workers in general merchandise stores (department stores, except discount)
and in food manufacturing (fruit and vegetable canning).
  
  Internal company restructuring (due to bankruptcy, business ownership
change, financial difficulty, and reorganization) accounted for 22 per-
cent of layoff events and resulted in 47,412 separations.  These layoffs
were mostly among workers in general merchandise stores, transportation
equipment manufacturing, air transportation, and in administrative and
support services.  Reorganization within the company accounted for 12
percent of events and resulted in 27,706 separations during the first
quarter.  These layoffs were primarily in general merchandise stores,
followed by transportation equipment manufacturing.
  
Movement of Work

   Between January and March of 2006, 52 extended mass layoff events
involved the movement of work, about 8 percent of total extended mass
layoff events, excluding those for seasonal and vacation reasons.  (See
table B.)  These movements of work were to other U.S. locations or to
locations outside of the U.S., and they occurred either within the same
company or to other companies.  The extended mass layoff events involving
movement of work were associated with the separation of 10,206 workers,
about 8 percent of all separations resulting from nonseasonal/nonvacation
mass layoff events.  A year earlier, 71 layoff events and 13,980 separa-
tions were associated with the movement of work.  (See table 10.)
   
   Among the 52 extended mass layoff events with reported relocation of work,
62 percent were permanent closures of worksites, which affected 7,613 work-
ers.  In comparison, for the 892 total layoff events reported for the first
quarter of 2006, only 17 percent involved the permanent closure of worksites.
   
   Of the layoffs involving the movement of work, 73 percent of the events
and 72 percent of the laid-off workers were from manufacturing industries
during the first quarter of 2006.  (See table 7.)  Among all private non-
farm extended layoffs, manufacturing accounted for 32 percent of the events
and 35 percent of separations.
   
                                  - 4 -

Table C.  Movement-of-work actions by type of separation where the
number of separations is known by employers, first quarter 2006p
--------------------------------------------------------------------
                          |                    |    
          Action          |  Layoff events (1) |    Separations
                          |                    |                
--------------------------------------------------------------------         
                          |                    |
With separations reported.|         50         |        6,980  
                          |                    |             
        By location       |                    |             
                          |                    |             
  Out of country..........|         22         |        2,682          
    Within company........|         17         |        2,408          
    Different company.....|          5         |          274        
                          |                    |             
  Domestic relocations....|         28         |        4,298          
    Within company........|         23         |        3,773          
    Different company.....|          5         |          525        
                          |                    |             
        By company        |                    |
                          |                    |             
  Within company..........|         40         |        6,181            
    Domestic..............|         23         |        3,773           
    Out of country........|         17         |        2,408    
                          |                    |             
  Different company.......|         10         |          799     
    Domestic..............|          5         |          525     
    Out of country........|          5         |          274     
--------------------------------------------------------------------           
   1 Only actions for which separations associated with the movement
of work were reported are shown.
   p = preliminary.


   Internal company restructuring (bankruptcy, business ownership change,
financial difficulty, and reorganization) accounted for 71 percent of lay-
off events associated with work relocation and resulted in 7,617 separations
during the first quarter.  (See table 8.)  Most of these were due to reorga-
nization within the company.  Twenty-two percent of the layoff events in the
total private nonfarm economy were because of internal company restructuring.

   Among the regions, the South and the Northeast accounted for the largest
proportions of workers in extended mass layoffs associated with the movement
of work, 39 and 28 percent, respectively.  The Midwest had 23 percent of such
layoffs and the West had 11 percent.
   
   Some extended mass layoff events involve more than one relocation of
work action.  For example, an extended mass layoff event at an establish-
ment may involve job loss due to movement of work to both another domestic
location of the company and a location out of the country.  This would be
counted as two movement of work actions.  As shown in table B, the 52 ex-
tended layoff events with movement of work for the first quarter of 2006
involved 79 identifiable relocations of work.  An identifiable relocation
of work occurs when the employer provides sufficient information on the new
location of work and/or the number of workers affected by the movement.  Of
the 79 relocations, employers were able to provide information on the spe-
cific separations (6,980 workers) associated with the movement of work com-
ponent of the layoff in 50 actions, or 63 percent of the 79 actions for the
first quarter of 2006.  Thus, a range of 6,980 (separations in movement of
work actions where the employer was able to provide specific detail) to
10,206 (total separations in all layoff events that included movement of
work) was established for separations due to the movement of work in the
first quarter.  (See table 10.)
   
                                  - 5 -

Table D.  Summary of employer expectations of a recall from
extended layoff, first quarter 2005-first quarter 2006
---------------------------------------------------------------
                     |          Percentage of events
 Nature of the recall|-----------------------------------------
                     |   I   |   II  |  III  |   IV   |   I 
                     |  2005 |  2005 | 2005  |  2005r | 2006p
---------------------|-------|-------|-------|--------|--------
                     |       |       |       |        |
Anticipate a recall..|  51.5 |  61.8 |  39.5 |  68.9  |  43.0
                     |       |       |       |        |
      Timeframe      |       |       |       |        |
                     |       |       |       |        |
Within 6 months......|  85.5 |  89.4 |  78.8 |  90.0  |  83.6
  Within 3 months....|  53.4 |  59.5 |  57.9 |  37.1  |  56.5
                     |       |       |       |        |
        Size         |       |       |       |        |
                     |       |       |       |        |
At least half........|  92.5 |  92.9 |  80.2 |  92.6  |  87.8
  All workers........|  43.2 |  51.1 |  43.2 |  50.5  |  38.3
---------------------------------------------------------------
  r = revised.
  p = preliminary.


   In the 50 actions where employers were able to provide more complete
separations information, 80 percent of relocations (40 out of 50) occurred
among establishments within the same company.  (See table C.)  In 56 percent
of these relocations, the work activities were reassigned to places elsewhere
in the U.S.
   
   Forty-four percent of the movement-of-work relocations involved out-of-
country moves (22 out of 50).  The separation of 2,682 workers was associated
with out-of-country relocations, 2 percent of all nonseasonal/nonvacation ex-
tended mass layoff separations.  Domestic relocation of work--both within
the company and to other companies--affected 4,298 workers.  (See table 11.)

Recall Expectations

  Forty-three percent of employers reporting an extended layoff in the first
quarter of 2006 indicated they anticipated some type of recall.  This compares
with 51 percent of the employers anticipating a recall a year earlier.  (See
table D.)  Most employers not expecting a recall during the first quarter were
from administrative and support services and specialty trade contractors.
  
  Among establishments expecting a recall, most employers expected to recall
over one-half of the separated employees and to do so within 6 months.  Thir-
ty-eight percent of the employers expected to extend the offer to all laid-off
workers.

   Excluding layoff events due to seasonal work and vacation period (in
which 79 percent of the employers expected a recall), employers expected
to recall laid-off workers in 31 percent of the events.  A year earlier 33
percent of employers expected a recall in nonseasonal and nonvacation events.
In layoff events due to internal company restructuring, employers anticipated
a recall in only 7 percent of the events.
   
                                  - 6 -

Table E.  Distribution of extended layoff events by size of layoff,
January-March 2006p
-------------------------------------------------------------------
                 |      Layoff events     |       Separations
      Size       |------------------------|------------------------
                 |   Number  |   Percent  |  Number  |   Percent
-----------------|-----------|------------|----------|-------------
    Total........|     892   |    100.0   |  161,686 |    100.0
                 |           |            |          |
50-99............|     414   |     46.4   |   29,189 |     18.1
100-149..........|     200   |     22.4   |   23,787 |     14.7
150-199..........|      86   |      9.6   |   14,335 |      8.9
200-299..........|      83   |      9.3   |   19,191 |     11.9
300-499..........|      63   |      7.1   |   22,974 |     14.2
500-999..........|      28   |      3.1   |   18,492 |     11.4
1,000 or more....|      18   |      2.0   |   33,718 |     20.9
-------------------------------------------------------------------
  p = preliminary.


Size of Extended Layoff
   
   Layoff events during the first quarter continued to be concentrated at the
lower end of the extended layoff-size spectrum, with 69 percent involving few-
er than 150 workers.  These events, however, accounted for only 33 percent of
all separations.  (See table E.)  Separations involving 500 or more workers,
while comprising 5 percent of the events, accounted for 32 percent of all sep-
arations, up significantly from 25 percent during the January-March 2005 period.
The average size of layoffs (as measured by separations per layoff event) dif-
fered widely by industry, ranging from a low of 71 separations in textile pro-
duct mills to a high of 494 in transportation equipment manufacturing.
   
Initial Claimant Characteristics
   
   A total of 129,607 initial claimants for unemployment insurance were
associated with extended mass layoffs in the first quarter of 2006.  Of
these claimants, 15 percent were black, 12 percent were Hispanic, 38 per-
cent were women, 33 percent were 30 to 44 years of age, and 18 percent
were 55 years of age or older.  (See table 3.)  Among persons in the ci-
vilian labor force for the same period, 11 percent were black, 14 percent
were Hispanic, 46 percent were women, 35 percent were age 30 to 44, and 17
percent were 55 years of age or older.
   
Geographic Distribution
   
   In the first quarter, the number of separations due to extended mass
layoff events was highest in the Midwest (60,180), followed by the West
(41,103), the South (33,214), and the Northeast (27,189).  (See table 4.)
Extended mass layoffs in the Midwest were mainly in transportation equip-
ment manufacturing and in general merchandise stores.
   
   All four regions reported over-the-year decreases in separations, with
the largest decrease occurring in the Northeast (-11,165), followed by the
Midwest (-5,828), the South (-5,049), and the West (-2,778).  Seven of the
nine geographic divisions reported over-the-year declines in laid-off work-
ers, with the largest declines occurring in the Middle Atlantic (-14,969)
and South Atlantic (-7,325) divisions.  The New England division reported
the largest increase in separations (+3,804), followed by the East South
Central division (+3,461).
   
   
                                  - 7 -

Table F.  Mass layoff events and separations, selected metropolitan areas
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           |     Events    |    Separations
            Metropolitan area              |---------------|------------------
                                           |   I   |   I   |    I    |   I 
                                           |  2005 | 2006p |   2005  | 2006p
-------------------------------------------|-------|------ |---------|--------
Total, nonmetropolitan areas...............|  137  |  115  |  23,451 | 15,867
                                           |       |       |         |
Total, 367 metropolitan areas..............|  650  |  526  |  92,443 | 86,755
                                           |       |       |         |
   Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. ..........|   35  |   31  |   3,609 |  8,078
   Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-Ind.-   |       |       |         |
     Wis. .................................|   52  |   37  |   9,251 |  7,565
   New York-Northern New Jersey-Long       |       |       |         |        
     Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. ................|   86  |   57  |  12,649 |  6,244
   Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.|   34  |   49  |   4,275 |  5,535                                  
   San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif. ..|   13  |   24  |   3,086 |  3,720
   Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. .....|  (1)  |  (1)  |    (1)  |   (1)
   Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. ...|   10  |    6  |     994 |  3,141
   Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News,    |       |       |         |
     Va.-N.C. .............................|    5  |    3  |     965 |  2,511
   Lansing-East Lansing, Mich. ............|  (1)  |    3  |    (1)  |  2,135
   Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, Fla. |   12  |    7  |   1,774 |  1,693 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    1 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE:  The geographic boundaries of the metropolitan areas shown in
this table are defined in Office of Management and Budget Bulletin 06-01,
December 5, 2005.


   Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the largest number of
worker separations occurred in California (31,072), followed by Michigan
(18,392), Illinois (17,245), and Ohio (13,471).  These four states accounted
for 42 percent of total layoff events and 50 percent of separations during
the first quarter of 2006.  They were followed by New York (8,336), Florida
(7,850), Pennsylvania (6,436), and Connecticut (5,276).  (See table 5.)
Even after excluding the substantial impact of seasonal work, California
still reported the most laid-off workers (23,180), largely due to layoffs
in specialty trade contractors.
   
   Over the year, New York reported the greatest decrease in workers laid
off for all reasons during the first quarter (-11,945), followed by Wisconsin
(-9,133) and Oregon (-6,801).  The largest increases occurred in Michigan
(+8,842), California (+7,454), and Connecticut (+4,178).
   
   Fifty-nine percent of events and 54 percent of separations (86,755)
occurred in metropolitan areas in the first quarter of 2006, compared
with 57 percent of events and 50 percent of separations (92,443) during
the first quarter of 2005.  Among the 367 metropolitan areas, Detroit-
Warren-Livonia, Mich., reported the highest number of separations, 8,078,
in the first quarter of 2006.  Next was Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-
Ind.-Wis., with 7,565 separations, and New York-Northern New Jersey-Long
Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa., with 6,244 separations.  (See table F.)  Employers
located in nonmetropolitan areas separated 15,867 workers in mass layoffs,
down from 23,451 workers in the first quarter of 2005.
  
  
  
  
  
                                  - 8 -

Technical Note
 

   The  Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program is a federal-state program 
which identifies, describes, and tracks the effects of major job cutbacks, 
using data from each state's unemployment insurance database.  Establish-
ments 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.  Establishments 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
   
   Establishment.  A unit at a single physical location at which predomi-
nantly one type of economic activity is conducted.
   
   Extended layoff event.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits from an establishment during a 5-week period, with at
least 50 workers separated for more than 30 days.
   
   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.
   
   Layoff.  The separation of persons from an employer as part of a mass
layoff event.  (See below.)  Such layoffs involve both persons subject to
recall and those who are terminated by the establishment.
   
   Mass layoff.  Fifty or more initial claims for unemployment insurance
benefits from an establishment beginning in a given month, regardless of
duration.
   
   Worksite closure.  The complete closure of either multi-unit or single-
unit establishments or the partial closure of a multi-unit establishment
where entire worksites affected by layoffs are closed or planned to be
closed.

                                  - 9 -

Movement of work concepts and questions
   
   Because of the employer interview component, the BLS decided to use 
the MLS program as a vehicle for collecting additional information on
offshoring and outsourcing associated with job loss, by adding questions
that address movement of work.  The term "moving work" means that the
company experiencing the layoff has reassigned work activities that were
performed at a worksite by the company's employees (1) to another work-
site within the company; (2) to another company under formal arrangements 
at the same worksite; or (3) to another company under formal arrangements 
at another worksite.  The type of work activities subject to movement can
include accounting, customer service, cleaning, warehousing, etc.
   
   "Overseas relocation" is the movement of work from within the U.S. to
locations outside of the U.S. "Overseas relocation" can occur within the
same company and involve movement of work to a different location of that
company outside of the U.S., or to a different company altogether.

   "Domestic relocation" is the movement of work to other locations inside 
the U.S., either within the same company or to a different company.
  
   "Overseas relocation" and "domestic relocation" are no longer used in the
same way as they were in earlier extended mass layoff news releases.  There-
fore, the data presented in this news release are not comparable to those 
that were presented in earlier news releases.
   
   Questions on movement of work and location are asked for all identified
layoff events when the reason for separation is other than "seasonal work"
or "vacation period."  Seasonal and vacation layoff events were excluded
because movement of work appears unlikely.
   
   Questions on movement of work are asked after the analyst verifies that 
a layoff in fact occurred and lasted more than 30 days, and obtained the
total number of workers separated from jobs, the date the layoff began, and
the economic reason for the layoff.  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 lo-
cation(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 ar-
rangements?"
  
   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 "overseas relocation" if the employer
responds "yes" to questions 1 and/or 2, and indicates that the location(s)
was outside of the U.S.  Domestic relocation is determined if the employer
responds "yes" to questions 1 and/or 2 and indicates that the location(s)
was within the U.S.
  
   After asking the movement of work questions, the employer interview
continues and responses are obtained for questions on recall expectations
and open/closed status of the worksite.

                                  - 10 - 
Reliability of the data
   
   The identification of establishments and layoff events in the MLS 
program and associated characteristics of claimants is based on admin-
istrative data on covered establishments 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 establishments and layoff events
are not subject to sampling error, and all such employers are asked the
employer interview questions, the employer responses are subject to non-
sampling 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 first quarter
of 2006, outright refusal to participate in the employer interview accounted 
for 4.3 percent of all private nonfarm events.  Although included in the 
total number of instances involving the movement of work, for the first
quarter, employers in 29 relocations were unable to provide the number of 
separations specifically associated with the movement of work, 9 of which 
involved out-of-country moves.
 
Other information
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.

    
 
 

Table 1. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2005 and 2006

                                                                                                            Initial claimants for  
                                                        Layoff events               Separations            unemployment insurance  
                     Industry                                                                                                      
                                                      I      IV       I         I       IV        I          I       IV        I   
                                                    2005r   2005r   2006p     2005r    2005r    2006p      2005r    2005r    2006p 


      Total, private nonfarm(1) ..................  1,142   1,400     892    186,506  250,094  161,686    185,486  244,943  129,607

    Mining .......................................     12      28   ( 2 )      1,138    3,456    ( 2 )      1,108    3,361    ( 2 )
    Utilities ....................................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )   ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )
    Construction .................................    275     485     186     29,735   66,909   20,499     32,649   70,035   18,205
    Manufacturing ................................    334     397     283     50,832   71,702   55,977     56,012   81,546   51,794
         Food ....................................     72      91      50     12,960   18,041    8,356     14,686   18,640    6,797
         Beverage and tobacco products ...........      6       5       9      1,221      824    1,500      1,078      685    1,304
         Textile mills ...........................      8      15       7      1,531    1,658      566      1,391    3,078      660
         Textile product mills ...................     11   ( 2 )       4      1,619    ( 2 )      285      2,002    ( 2 )      447
         Apparel .................................     11      10      15      1,610    2,296    1,845      1,409    1,272    1,784
         Leather and allied products .............      3   ( 2 )   ( 2 )        313    ( 2 )    ( 2 )        273    ( 2 )    ( 2 )
         Wood products ...........................     17      15      12      2,037    1,992    1,255      2,348    2,337    1,530
         Paper ...................................      7       8       6        710    1,143      719        935      892      437
         Printing and related support activities .     13       8      10      1,307    1,112    1,252      1,684    1,427      973
         Petroleum and coal products .............      3      16   ( 2 )        228    2,285    ( 2 )        255    2,647    ( 2 )

         Chemicals  ..............................      8      11       7      1,475    1,723      757      1,022    1,635      559
         Plastics and rubber products ............     19      26      17      2,756    3,044    2,061      2,618    3,577    1,406
         Nonmetallic mineral products ............     24      37      14      3,088    6,469    1,393      2,319    7,170    1,537
         Primary metals ..........................      8      10      11      1,013    2,292    4,769      1,111    1,285    3,581
         Fabricated metal products ...............     20      14      14      2,778    1,928    1,595      3,248    2,020    1,521
         Machinery ...............................     17      10      18      2,157    1,746    2,988      3,362    1,598    1,465
         Computer and electronic products ........     14      20      17      1,892    4,401    2,430      2,500    3,465    2,866
         Electrical equipment and appliances .....     13       5      12      1,280    2,020    3,487      2,127    1,739    3,578
         Transportation equipment ................     41      64      36      7,643   14,309   17,780      9,328   23,074   18,740
         Furniture and related products ..........     13      17      11      2,074    2,302    1,551      1,777    2,422    1,580
         Miscellaneous manufacturing .............      6      10       9      1,140    1,298      892        539    1,313      659

    Wholesale trade ..............................     26      21       9      2,357    2,699    1,737      2,745    3,608      716
    Retail trade .................................    114      68     105     28,226   20,852   32,843     24,747   17,702   18,978
    Transportation and warehousing ...............     49      32      41     12,203    6,382    8,026      8,479    5,594    5,907
    Information ..................................     36      20      23      8,899    4,023    3,442      8,573    3,932    4,019
    Finance and insurance ........................     43      15      25      6,463    2,340    3,339      6,652    2,502    3,081
    Real estate and rental and leasing ...........  ( 2 )   ( 2 )   ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )
    Professional and technical services ..........     25      33      26      4,233    5,285    3,288      3,658    6,515    3,035
    Management of companies and enterprises ......  ( 2 )       4       4      ( 2 )      714      480      ( 2 )      770      451
    Administrative and waste services ............    123     154      95     25,322   27,495   17,313     24,933   27,138   13,111
    Educational services .........................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )   ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )      ( 2 )    ( 2 )    ( 2 )
    Health care and social assistance ............     24      22      20      3,952    5,031    2,464      2,672    3,276    1,744
    Arts, entertainment, and recreation ..........     24      45      22      3,796   13,800    3,372      2,342    6,330    2,073
    Accommodation and food services ..............     42      59      39      7,127   14,294    6,755      8,273    9,730    5,168
    Other services, except public administration .      5      10       4        843    1,728      766        928    1,448      483

    Unclassified .................................      -       -       -          -        -        -          -        -        -


    1 For the first quarter of 2006, data on layoffs were reported by employers in all states and the District of Columbia. 
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.




     
Table 2. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2005 and 2006

                                                                                                        Initial claimants for    
                                           Layoff events                    Separations                unemployment insurance    
         Reason for layoff                                                                                                       
                                       I        IV         I           I        IV         I            I        IV         I    
                                     2005r     2005r     2006p       2005r     2005r     2006p        2005r     2005r     2006p  


   Total, private nonfarm(1) .....   1,142     1,400       892      186,506   250,094   161,686      185,486   244,943   129,607

Automation .......................       -         -         3            -         -       552            -         -       465
Bankruptcy .......................      29        26        17        5,976     5,150     3,797        4,115     4,331     2,329
Business ownership change ........      42        16        27        9,817     2,475     7,564        6,396     2,410     4,167
Contract cancellation ............      17        17        15        3,247     2,639     2,098        3,094     1,951     1,980
Contract completed ...............     162       158       208       29,197    28,048    27,465       34,093    31,701    24,725
Energy-related ...................   ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -        ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -        ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
Environment-related ..............       -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -
Financial difficulty .............      35        32        42        5,915     7,508     8,345        4,704     6,702     6,498
Import competition ...............      13        19         8        2,186     3,587       953        1,657     3,801       973
Labor dispute ....................       8         3         3        1,650       309     6,470        1,169       401     3,909
Material shortage ................       3     ( 2 )         -          497     ( 2 )         -          433     ( 2 )         -

Model changeover .................       -         3     ( 2 )            -       767     ( 2 )            -       491     ( 2 )
Natural disaster .................   ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )        ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )        ( 2 )         -     ( 2 )
Non-natural disaster .............   ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -
Plant or machine repair ..........   ( 2 )         3     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       269     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       691     ( 2 )
Product line discontinued ........       8        14        11          874     2,366     1,728        1,015     1,923     1,963
Reorganization within company ....     133       101       110       23,797    18,044    27,706       23,569    20,946    19,226
Seasonal work ....................     372       778       223       57,120   137,885    37,772       51,497   122,832    28,815
Slack work .......................     186       136       115       20,686    18,913    20,119       29,636    28,320    20,302
Vacation period ..................   ( 2 )         3     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       475     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       337     ( 2 )
Weather-related ..................      29        24        35        3,417     7,705     3,567        2,576     4,033     3,014
Other ............................      27        19        19        5,085     2,749     2,772        4,941     3,129     1,788
Not reported .....................      72        44        49       15,865    10,235     9,953       15,535    10,235     8,860


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.




  
Table 3. State and selected claimant characteristics: Extended mass layoff events and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 
private nonfarm sector, fourth quarter, 2005 and first quarter, 2006

                                                          Total                                 Percent of total                         
                                                         initial                            Hispanic                       Persons age 55
                                  Layoff events         claimants           Black            origin           Women           and over   
              State                                                                                                                      
                                   IV       I         IV        I         IV      I        IV      I        IV      I        IV      I   
                                  2005r   2006p      2005r    2006p      2005r  2006p     2005r  2006p     2005r  2006p     2005r  2006p 

    Total, private nonfarm(1) ..  1,400     892     244,943  129,607      12.2   15.2      14.1   12.3      31.9   38.0      16.5   17.9

Alabama ........................      7       7       1,227      946      34.0   46.5       2.0    2.2      31.9   44.1      21.5   16.8
Alaska .........................      8   ( 2 )       1,413    ( 2 )       3.9    1.3      22.7    2.6      26.0   35.5      12.9   10.5
Arizona ........................      3       3         411      420       1.9    4.0      11.2   24.8      26.3   37.9      20.7   16.4
Arkansas .......................  ( 2 )       -       ( 2 )        -      27.7      -      19.1      -      53.9      -      11.6      -
California .....................     77     184      15,045   21,706       6.6    8.5      46.0   34.0      54.1   38.5      17.8   15.1
Colorado .......................     18       8       2,595      891       2.1    7.1      39.5   24.7      19.3   54.8      17.7   19.1
Connecticut ....................      8       9       1,531    2,093      11.4   12.7       8.6   11.7      32.1   29.4      18.5   22.5
Delaware .......................      -       -           -        -         -      -         -      -         -      -         -      -
District of Columbia ...........  ( 2 )       -       ( 2 )        -      41.2      -      13.4      -      65.5      -      25.2      -
Florida ........................     83      50      14,402    6,165      14.7   16.7      31.2   32.7      46.2   45.2      18.5   22.7
Georgia ........................     15      17       2,164    2,288      64.0   56.5        .6     .8      58.7   42.9      15.0   16.2
Hawaii .........................      3       4         350      387        .9      -      22.3   22.7       8.0   23.5       9.1   13.7
Idaho ..........................     18       4       2,616      261        .1     .8      21.8   14.9      39.0   36.4      18.5   22.6

Illinois .......................    164      76      27,660   10,337      17.4   22.8      20.6   12.6      26.9   40.7      12.4   16.4
Indiana ........................     44      25       7,709    3,652       8.8   12.7       4.0    5.5      20.2   25.9      11.8   15.1
Iowa ...........................     37   ( 2 )       6,581    ( 2 )       2.1    1.3       4.3    7.3      21.8   54.3      17.0   25.2
Kansas .........................      4       3         686      418       4.1    9.3       8.2    2.2      12.5   40.4      16.9   25.6
Kentucky .......................     24      25       2,700    2,685       8.7    8.4        .1     .3      30.1   44.8      16.6   16.9
Louisiana ......................     19      12       3,327    1,343      63.4   63.0       4.0    2.7      63.7   54.4       4.6    3.7
Maine ..........................      5       3       1,092      583       1.3    2.9        .2     .3      29.7   53.5      20.4   21.6
Maryland .......................  ( 2 )       5       ( 2 )      544       7.7   52.2         -      -       6.2   47.2      10.8   17.6
Massachusetts ..................     16      17       3,034    1,647       5.5    9.2       6.2     .8      32.8   40.5      25.1   16.2
Michigan .......................    108      71      23,930   21,226      14.1   14.6       6.4    2.5      26.7   32.2      13.2   20.6
Minnesota ......................     84      23      12,290    2,303       2.2    6.9      11.3    3.3      18.8   27.6      16.2   16.3
Mississippi ....................  ( 2 )       3       ( 2 )      278      28.0   33.8       3.0    6.1      66.1   50.4      16.7   14.7
Missouri .......................     32      12       7,191    1,133       8.9   12.4        .5     .6      34.3   47.4      24.3   20.1

Montana ........................     12       3       1,106      255        .3      -       3.3    4.3      12.0   11.4      17.4   26.3
Nebraska .......................     11       3       1,064      445       4.6   13.0      16.5   19.8      20.0   47.9      19.7   16.4
Nevada .........................      5   ( 2 )         578    ( 2 )      14.7   12.0      17.1   19.0      49.1   59.5      26.5   35.9
New Hampshire ..................      5       3       1,008      286       1.5    9.8      24.2    5.2      22.6   51.0      16.5   20.3
New Jersey .....................     40      15       5,064    1,722      14.0   20.4      13.8   15.4      35.6   54.4      25.6   27.3
New Mexico .....................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )        .3      -      90.0  100.0      42.9   89.1      22.1   17.4
New York .......................    118      85      20,078   11,946       8.1   10.3       7.7    6.7      22.6   36.6      17.2   15.1
North Carolina .................     25      15       4,021    1,321      42.6   40.1       4.2    7.1      52.3   43.1      23.6   17.3
North Dakota ...................      6       -         926        -        .2      -       3.2      -       7.1      -      18.8      -
Ohio ...........................    105      45      16,916    7,300       9.0   12.4       2.9    2.5      21.5   25.1      13.9   14.9
Oklahoma .......................      3       4         678      301       7.4   14.6      14.7    7.0      40.6   46.8      31.0   12.3
Oregon .........................     10       5       3,951      517        .6    2.3      32.9    5.2      54.4   35.6      18.7   14.5
Pennsylvania ...................     73      59      15,694   10,143       8.3    8.4       2.5    3.6      37.9   40.2      20.1   21.5

Rhode Island ...................      8       5       1,018      401       1.1    4.0      26.9   14.7      39.2   52.4      16.3   31.9
South Carolina .................     11       7       2,543      937      54.9   62.9        .3      -      51.4   67.0       8.6    3.6
South Dakota ...................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )       1.7     .6        .8    9.9       5.8   28.6      18.2   18.0
Tennessee ......................     11      14       1,445    1,581      23.9   16.0         -     .1      36.4   57.0      27.8   27.5
Texas ..........................     22      17       4,337    2,395      19.9   19.8      32.9   34.4      32.8   53.3      15.2   15.2
Utah ...........................      9       3       1,301      207       1.4     .5      14.0   23.7      22.2   83.1      11.1   13.0
Vermont ........................      5   ( 2 )         486    ( 2 )         -      -        .4      -      18.5   15.1      20.2   14.5
Virginia .......................     21      12       3,601    4,098      43.2   32.2       3.2    3.0      52.6   34.4      18.8   17.9
Washington .....................     36      13       6,096    1,814       3.9    5.4      31.2   20.5      34.4   35.0      17.0   16.2
West Virginia ..................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )       3.3     .3         -      -      47.4   23.8      18.3   33.6
Wisconsin ......................     74      10      13,334    1,269       3.4    2.2      11.9   16.5      22.8   31.1      15.7   22.8
Wyoming ........................  ( 2 )   ( 2 )       ( 2 )    ( 2 )        .8      -         -    6.8      40.3   30.1      51.7   20.5

Puerto Rico ....................     11      10       1,964    1,686     ( 3 )  ( 3 )     ( 3 )  ( 3 )      53.2   57.2      10.0    9.2


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    3 Data are not available.       
    r = revised.
    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, 2005 and 2006

                                                                                                    Initial claimants for   
                                        Layoff events                    Separations               unemployment insurance   
   Census region and division                                                                                               

                                    I        IV         I            I       IV         I            I       IV        I    
                                  2005r     2005r     2006p        2005r    2005r     2006p        2005r    2005r    2006p  

        United States(1) ......   1,142     1,400       892      186,506   250,094   161,686      185,486  244,943  129,607

Northeast .....................     289       278       198       38,354    40,981    27,189       45,749   49,005   28,973

    New England ...............      47        47        39        5,390     9,229     9,194        6,142    8,169    5,162
    Middle Atlantic ...........     242       231       159       32,964    31,752    17,995       39,607   40,836   23,811

South .........................     222       248       190       38,263    47,891    33,214       39,421   41,450   25,260

    South Atlantic ............     141       158       108       26,254    28,407    18,929       26,401   27,128   15,731
    East South Central ........      35        44        49        4,949     6,902     8,410        5,167    5,540    5,490
    West South Central ........      46        46        33        7,060    12,582     5,875        7,853    8,782    4,039

Midwest .......................     429       671       272       66,008   120,664    60,180       63,724  118,408   48,395

    East North Central ........     355       495       227       56,776    89,425    54,127       54,591   89,549   43,784
    West North Central ........      74       176        45        9,232    31,239     6,053        9,133   28,859    4,611

West ..........................     202       203       232       43,881    40,558    41,103       36,592   36,080   26,979

    Mountain ..................      29        69        25        4,615    13,086     5,878        3,227    9,225    2,479
    Pacific ...................     173       134       207       39,266    27,472    35,225       33,365   26,855   24,500


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    r = revised.
    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 5. State distribution: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance,
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2005 and 2006

                                                                                                        Initial claimants for    
                                           Layoff events                    Separations                unemployment insurance    
           State                                                                                                                 
                                       I        IV         I           I        IV         I            I        IV         I    
                                     2005r     2005r     2006p       2005r     2005r     2006p        2005r     2005r     2006p  

    Total, private nonfarm(1) ..     1,142     1,400       892      186,506   250,094   161,686      185,486   244,943   129,607

Alabama ........................     ( 2 )         7         7        ( 2 )       903       907        ( 2 )     1,227       946
Alaska .........................     ( 2 )         8     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     2,217     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     1,413     ( 2 )
Arizona ........................         3         3         3          605       407     1,096          585       411       420
Arkansas .......................     ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -        ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -        ( 2 )     ( 2 )         -
California .....................       132        77       184       23,618    14,280    31,072       26,756    15,045    21,706
Colorado .......................         8        18         8        1,844     3,431     2,346        1,003     2,595       891
Connecticut ....................         6         8         9        1,098     1,780     5,276          858     1,531     2,093
Delaware .......................     ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -        ( 2 )         -         -
District of Columbia ...........         -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -            -     ( 2 )         -
Florida ........................        70        83        50       14,571    17,259     7,850       12,994    14,402     6,165
Georgia ........................        18        15        17        2,269     1,893     2,348        3,387     2,164     2,288
Hawaii .........................     ( 2 )         3         4        ( 2 )       308       464        ( 2 )       350       387
Idaho ..........................         6        18         4          782     2,645       330          572     2,616       261

Illinois .......................       112       164        76       23,287    32,967    17,245       17,708    27,660    10,337
Indiana ........................        29        44        25        3,815     6,525     3,691        4,896     7,709     3,652
Iowa ...........................         8        37     ( 2 )          644     6,335     ( 2 )        1,159     6,581     ( 2 )
Kansas .........................        10         4         3        1,014       875       550          968       686       418
Kentucky .......................        18        24        25        2,509     4,063     3,798        2,723     2,700     2,685
Louisiana ......................        16        19        12        2,509     8,385     2,614        1,754     3,327     1,343
Maine ..........................         7         5         3        1,468     2,762     1,066          911     1,092       583
Maryland .......................         -     ( 2 )         5            -     ( 2 )       553            -     ( 2 )       544
Massachusetts ..................        29        16        17        2,360     2,077     1,833        3,904     3,034     1,647
Michigan .......................        76       108        71        9,550    15,353    18,392       11,050    23,930    21,226
Minnesota ......................        29        84        23        3,155    12,646     2,811        2,768    12,290     2,303
Mississippi ....................         5     ( 2 )         3          512     ( 2 )       324          509     ( 2 )       278
Missouri .......................        23        32        12        4,031     9,246     1,709        3,991     7,191     1,133

Montana ........................     ( 2 )        12         3        ( 2 )     1,256       255        ( 2 )     1,106       255
Nebraska .......................     ( 2 )        11         3        ( 2 )     1,086       566        ( 2 )     1,064       445
Nevada .........................     ( 2 )         5     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       624     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       578     ( 2 )
New Hampshire ..................     ( 2 )         5         3        ( 2 )       981       286        ( 2 )     1,008       286
New Jersey .....................        35        40        15        4,911     5,261     3,223        4,383     5,064     1,722
New Mexico .....................         3     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          242     ( 2 )     ( 2 )          232     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
New York .......................       138       118        85       20,281    17,543     8,336       22,234    20,078    11,946
North Carolina .................        22        25        15        3,680     2,932     1,323        3,073     4,021     1,321
North Dakota ...................         -         6         -            -       926         -            -       926         -
Ohio ...........................        87       105        45        9,663    21,402    13,471        9,952    16,916     7,300
Oklahoma .......................         5         3         4          397       361       339          574       678       301
Oregon .........................        14        10         5        8,875     5,785     2,074        2,713     3,951       517
Pennsylvania ...................        69        73        59        7,772     8,948     6,436       12,990    15,694    10,143

Rhode Island ...................     ( 2 )         8         5        ( 2 )     1,143       472        ( 2 )     1,018       401
South Carolina .................         7        11         7        1,173     2,405       884        1,307     2,543       937
South Dakota ...................     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
Tennessee ......................        11        11        14        1,868     1,761     3,381        1,812     1,445     1,581
Texas ..........................        24        22        17        3,939     3,310     2,922        5,405     4,337     2,395
Utah ...........................         3         9         3          404     1,638       430          393     1,301       207
Vermont ........................     ( 2 )         5     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       486     ( 2 )        ( 2 )       486     ( 2 )
Virginia .......................        23        21        12        4,499     3,488     5,018        5,578     3,601     4,098
Washington .....................        24        36        13        6,403     4,882     1,539        3,526     6,096     1,814
West Virginia ..................         -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )            -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )            -     ( 2 )     ( 2 )
Wisconsin ......................        51        74        10       10,461    13,178     1,328       10,985    13,334     1,269
Wyoming ........................     ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )        ( 2 )     ( 2 )     ( 2 )

Puerto Rico ....................         9        11        10          999     1,411       814        2,547     1,964     1,686


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.





Table 6. Information technology-producing industries: Extended mass layoff events and separations, private nonfarm sector, 1999-2006

                                                                 Information technology-producing industries(1)                      
       Year              Total extended                                                                                              
                          mass layoffs            Computer              Software and          Communications        Communications   
                                                 hardware(2)        computer services(3)       equipment(4)          services(5)     

                      Layoff                 Layoff                 Layoff                 Layoff                 Layoff             
                      events   Separations   events  Separations    events    Separations  events   Separations   events  Separations

        1999                                                                                                                       

First quarter .....    1,262      230,711       35        4,363        10         1,796       10        1,600        6        1,002
Second quarter ....    1,194      246,251       28        3,891         7         1,731        8        1,097        4        1,201
Third quarter .....      898      184,429       22       11,546         7         1,141        5          840    ( 6 )        ( 6 )
Fourth quarter ....    1,202      240,060       18        2,757         5           526        4          807        6        1,430

    Total .........    4,556      901,451      103       22,557        29         5,194       27        4,344       18        3,930

        2000                                                                                                                       

First quarter .....    1,081      202,500       22        5,195        14         2,717        9        1,402        4          771
Second quarter ....    1,055      205,861       18        8,862        22         9,114        7          805        7          977
Third quarter .....      817      174,628       10        1,678        12         1,422        4        1,465        6        1,280
Fourth quarter ....    1,638      332,973       16        3,070        22         3,521        5          946        7        1,020

    Total .........    4,591      915,962       66       18,805        70        16,774       25        4,618       24        4,048

        2001                                                                                                                       

First quarter .....    1,546      304,171       91       20,991        44         7,963       22        4,441       24        5,312
Second quarter ....    1,828      430,499      161       38,986        87        12,943       36       12,109       28        6,386
Third quarter .....    1,629      330,391      142       24,813        55         6,820       39        8,200       36        7,134
Fourth quarter ....    2,372      459,771      109       17,797        56         8,290       43       10,124       48       11,252

    Total .........    7,375    1,524,832      503      102,587       242        36,016      140       34,874      136       30,084

        2002                                                                                                                       

First quarter .....    1,611      299,266       84       18,574        39         4,442       32        8,192       42        6,664
Second quarter ....    1,624      344,606       69       11,764        49         5,454       27        4,870       53        8,538
Third quarter .....    1,186      255,152       76       15,017        42         5,415       34        6,529       42        7,945
Fourth quarter ....    1,916      373,307       74       14,298        32         7,071       19        3,645       39        8,987

    Total .........    6,337    1,272,331      303       59,653       162        22,382      112       23,236      176       32,134

        2003                                                                                                                       

First quarter .....    1,502      286,947       71       11,900        33         5,689       23        4,402       41        6,591
Second quarter ....    1,799      368,273       54        9,221        27         4,124       21        3,098       29        5,891
Third quarter .....    1,190      236,333       46        6,488        26         4,433        9        1,289       15        2,604
Fourth quarter ....    1,690      325,333       25        5,080        14         1,984        9        1,619       28        6,635

    Total .........    6,181    1,216,886      196       32,689       100        16,230       62       10,408      113       21,721

        2004                                                                                                                       

First quarter .....    1,339      276,503       27        3,222        16         2,992        8          894       23        4,197
Second quarter ....    1,358      278,831       18        2,959        21         3,576        -            -       22        5,295
Third quarter .....      886      164,608       13        2,288        15         1,617        4          430       13        4,317
Fourth quarter ....    1,427      273,967       18        3,055        10         1,547        4          563       23        3,457

    Total .........    5,010      993,909       76       11,524        62         9,732       16        1,887       81       17,266

        2005                                                                                                                       

First quarter .....    1,142   (r)186,506       13        1,526        13         2,679        4          439       17        3,569
Second quarter ....    1,203   (r)245,878       20        2,973        17         2,106        4          842       11        1,904
Third quarter .....    1,136   (r)201,878       23     (r)3,307        12         1,742    ( 6 )        ( 6 )       11        1,127
Fourth quarter .... (r)1,400   (r)250,094       19     (r)4,122         7         1,331    ( 6 )        ( 6 )     (r)8     (r)1,125

    Total ......... (r)4,881   (r)884,356       75    (r)11,928        49         7,858       13        3,000    (r)47     (r)7,725

        2006                                                                                                                       

First quarter(p) ..      892      161,686       11        1,048         6           744        4          911        6          708


    1 Information technology-producing industries are defined in Digital Economy 2003, Economics and Statistics Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce.
    2 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are:
semiconductor machinery manufacturing; office machinery manufacturing; electronic computer manufacturing; computer storage
device manufacturing; computer terminal manufacturing; other computer peripheral equipment mfg.; electron tube manufacturing;
bare printed circuit board manufacturing; semiconductors and related device mfg.; electronic capacitor manufacturing;
electronic resistor manufacturing; electronic coils, transformers, and inductors; electronic connector manufacturing;
printed circuit assembly manufacturing; other electronic component manufacturing; industrial process variable instruments;
electricity and signal testing instruments; analytical laboratory instrument mfg.; computer and software merchant wholesalers;
and computer and software stores.
    3 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are:
software publishers; internet service providers; web search portals; data processing and related services; computer and
software merchant wholesalers; computer and software stores; custom computer programming services; computer systems design
services; computer facilities management services; other computer related services; office equipment rental and leasing;
and computer and office machine repair.
    4 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are:
telephone apparatus manufacturing; audio and video equipment manufacturing; broadcast and wireless communications equip.;
fiber optic cable manufacturing; software reproducing; and magnetic and optical recording media mfg.
    5 The industries included in this grouping, based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are:
wired telecommunications carriers; cellular and other wireless carriers; telecommunications resellers; cable and other
program distribution; satellite telecommunications; other telecommunications; and communication equipment repair.
    6 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.





Table 7. Industry distribution: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2005 and 2006

                                                               Layoff events                           Separations            
                     Industry                                                                                                 


                                                        I           IV            I            I           IV            I    
                                                      2005         2005r        2006p        2005r        2005r        2006p  


      Total, private nonfarm(1) .................       71           65           52        13,980        12,046       10,206

    Mining ......................................        -            -            -             -             -            -
    Utilities ...................................        -        ( 2 )            -             -         ( 2 )            -
    Construction ................................    ( 2 )            -            -         ( 2 )             -            -
    Manufacturing ...............................       44           47           38         9,070         9,549        7,333
         Food ...................................        4            5            3         1,122           918        1,230
         Beverage and tobacco products ..........        -            -        ( 2 )             -             -        ( 2 )
         Textile mills ..........................    ( 2 )            4            -         ( 2 )           442            -
         Textile product mills ..................        4            -            -           745             -            -
         Apparel ................................        3            4            4           549           647          636
         Leather and allied products ............        -        ( 2 )        ( 2 )             -         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
         Wood products ..........................    ( 2 )            -            -         ( 2 )             -            -
         Paper ..................................    ( 2 )            -        ( 2 )         ( 2 )             -        ( 2 )
         Printing and related support activities     ( 2 )        ( 2 )            -         ( 2 )         ( 2 )            -
         Petroleum and coal products ............        -            -            -             -             -            -

         Chemicals  .............................    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )         ( 2 )         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
         Plastics and rubber products ...........        5        ( 2 )            4         1,243         ( 2 )          508
         Nonmetallic mineral products ...........        -        ( 2 )        ( 2 )             -         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
         Primary metals .........................        -            -        ( 2 )             -             -        ( 2 )
         Fabricated metal products ..............        5        ( 2 )            -         1,330         ( 2 )            -
         Machinery ..............................        -            4        ( 2 )             -         1,112        ( 2 )
         Computer and electronic products .......    ( 2 )            7            5         ( 2 )         1,478          511
         Electrical equipment and appliances ....    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            4         ( 2 )         ( 2 )          756
         Transportation equipment ...............        5            6            3           789         2,028          417
         Furniture and related products .........        4            5        ( 2 )           697           637        ( 2 )
         Miscellaneous manufacturing ............    ( 2 )        ( 2 )            4         ( 2 )         ( 2 )          502

    Wholesale trade .............................        7        ( 2 )            3           577         ( 2 )          432
    Retail trade ................................        5        ( 2 )        ( 2 )           769         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
    Transportation and warehousing ..............    ( 2 )            -            4         ( 2 )             -          581
    Information .................................    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )         ( 2 )         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
    Finance and insurance .......................        4            4        ( 2 )           613           746        ( 2 )
    Real estate and rental and leasing ..........    ( 2 )            -            -         ( 2 )             -            -
    Professional and technical services .........    ( 2 )        ( 2 )        ( 2 )         ( 2 )         ( 2 )        ( 2 )
    Management of companies and enterprises .....        -            -            -             -             -            -
    Administrative and waste services ...........    ( 2 )            4            -         ( 2 )           440            -
    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         -            -            -             -             -            -

    Unclassified ................................        -            -            -             -             -            -
                                                                                                                             

    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.





Table 8. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work, 
selected quarters, 2005 and 2006


                                              Layoff events                                  Separations               
         Reason for layoff                                                                                             

                                        I           IV          I                I                IV              I    
                                       2005       2005r       2006p            2005r            2005r           2006p  


   Total, private nonfarm(1) .....      71          65          52            13,980           12,046          10,206


Automation .......................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Bankruptcy .......................       -           -       ( 2 )                 -                -           ( 2 )
Business ownership change ........       5       ( 2 )       ( 2 )             1,719            ( 2 )           ( 2 )
Contract cancellation ............       4       ( 2 )       ( 2 )               580            ( 2 )           ( 2 )
Contract completed ...............       -           -           3                 -                -             419
Energy-related ...................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Environment-related ..............       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Financial difficulty .............   ( 2 )       ( 2 )           6             ( 2 )            ( 2 )             732
Import competition ...............       7          11           3             1,187            1,828             496
Labor dispute ....................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Material shortage ................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Model changeover .................       -           -           -                 -                -               -

Natural disaster .................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Non-natural disaster .............       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Plant or machine repair ..........       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Product line discontinued ........       4           -           3               470                -             450
Reorganization within company ....      40          43          29             7,696            8,674           6,480
Seasonal work ....................   ( 3 )       ( 3 )       ( 3 )             ( 3 )            ( 3 )           ( 3 )
Slack work .......................   ( 2 )       ( 2 )           3             ( 2 )            ( 2 )             809
Vacation period ..................   ( 3 )       ( 3 )       ( 3 )             ( 3 )            ( 3 )           ( 3 )
Weather-related ..................       -           -           -                 -                -               -
Other ............................       7           6       ( 2 )             1,718              848           ( 2 )
Not reported .....................       -           -           -                 -                -               -

    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    3 The questions on movement of work were not asked of employers when the reason for layoff was either seasonal
work or vacation period.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: Dash represents zero.





Table 9. Census region and division: Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work,
selected quarters, 2005 and 2006


                                       Layoff events                             Separations              
 Census region and division                                                                               
                                I            IV          I             I             IV              I    
                              2005         2005r       2006p         2005r         2005r           2006p  


        United States(1) ..     71           65          52         13,980         12,046         10,206

Northeast .................      7           15          12          1,751          2,927          2,821

    New England ...........      4            3           5          1,124            610          1,259
    Middle Atlantic .......      3           12           7            627          2,317          1,562

South .....................     29           23          19          5,540          3,733          3,965

    South Atlantic ........     15           17       ( 2 )          2,671          2,388          ( 2 )
    East South Central ....      9            3          12          2,216            282          2,821
    West South Central ....      5            3       ( 2 )            653          1,063          ( 2 )

Midwest ...................     16           15          13          2,742          3,594          2,299

    East North Central ....  ( 2 )           12           9          ( 2 )          2,651          1,539
    West North Central ....  ( 2 )            3           4          ( 2 )            943            760

West ......................     19           12           8          3,947          1,792          1,121

    Mountain ..............      -        ( 2 )           3              -          ( 2 )            356
    Pacific ...............     19        ( 2 )           5          3,947          ( 2 )            765


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the census divisions are:
New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massa chusetts, 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.
Dash represents zero.





Table 10. Extended mass layoff events and separations, selected measures, selected quarters, 2005 and 2006


                                                    Layoff events                              Separations               
         Action                                                                                                          

                                           I           IV               I           I              IV               I    
                                         2005r        2005r           2006p       2005r           2005r           2006p  


Total, private nonfarm(1) ..........     1,142        1,400            892       186,506         250,094         161,686

  Total, excluding seasonal                                                                                             
    and vacation events(2) .........       769          619            668       129,261         111,734         123,804
                                                                                                                        
    Total, movement of work(3) .....        71           65             52        13,980          12,046          10,206
                                                                                                                        
      Movement of work action ......        90           92             79         ( 4 )           ( 4 )           ( 4 )
        With separations reported ..        66           57             50         9,422           7,210           6,980
        With separations unknown ...        24           35             29         ( 4 )           ( 4 )           ( 4 )


    1 See footnote 1, table 1.
    2 The question on movement of work were not asked of employers when the reason for layoff
was either seasonal work or vacation period.
    3 Movement of work can involve more than one action.
    4 Data are not available.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.





Table 11. Movement of work actions by type of separation where number of separations is known by employers,
selected quarters, 2005 and 2006

                                           Layoff events(1)                       Separations          
         Actions                                                                                       
                                       I         IV           I             I        IV           I    
                                     2005       2005r       2006p         2005      2005r       2006p  

With separations reported(2) ..        66         57         50           9,422     7,210       6,980

          By location                                                                                

  Out-of-country relocations ..        21         22         22           3,811     2,702       2,682
      Within company ..........        17         17         17           3,353     2,010       2,408
      Different company .......         4          5          5             458       692         274

  Domestic relocations ........        45         35         28           5,611     4,508       4,298
      Within company ..........        37         28         23           4,626     4,104       3,773
      Different company .......         8          7          5             985       404         525

  Unable to assign place of                                                                          
     relocation ...............         -          -          -               -         -           -

           By company                                                                                

  Within company ..............        54         45         40           7,979     6,114       6,181
      Domestic ................        37         28         23           4,626     4,104       3,773
      Out of country ..........        17         17         17           3,353     2,010       2,408
      Unable to assign ........         -          -          -               -         -           -

  Different company ...........        12         12         10           1,443     1,096         799

      Domestic ................         8          7          5             985       404         525
      Out of country ..........         4          5          5             458       692         274
      Unable to assign ........         -          -          -               -         -           -


    1 Only actions for which separations associated with the movement of work were reported are shown.
    2 See footnote 1, table 1.
    r = revised.
    p = preliminary.
    Note: Dash represents zero.