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Mass Layoff Claims Fall in January

February 23, 2012

Initial claims for unemployment insurance caused by mass layoff events — where 50 or more workers are laid off from a single workplace — fell by 10.8 percent in January from December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, 129,920 initial claims for unemployment insurance related to mass layoffs were filed in January, down 15,728 from December. On a year-over-year basis, initial claims due to mass layoffs fell 12.8 percent in January.

Meanwhile, the number of mass layoff events rose in January by 50, to 1,434, a 3.6 percent increase from December. Year-over-year, there were 102 fewer mass layoff events, or a 6.6 percent drop.

Temporary help services was the industry with the most initial claims due to mass layoff events in January with 13,692 claims, according to numbers that were not seasonally adjusted. The school and employee bus transportation industry was second, with 8,165 initial claims in January.

Click on charts below to enlarge.