Mass layoffs up in December

In December 2005 employers took 1,308 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 149,565. The number of layoff events in December rose by 103 from November, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 28,782. In the manufacturing sector, 365 mass layoff events were reported during December 2005, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 49,641 initial claims. Both figures were higher than a month earlier.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 30 percent of all mass layoff events and 38 percent of all initial claims filed in December 2005. A year earlier, manufacturing comprised 27 percent of events and 31 percent of initial claims. Within manufacturing, the number of claimants in December 2005 was highest in transportation equipment (34,508, largely automotive-related), followed by food manufacturing (10,681).

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