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MASS LAYOFFS IN APRIL 2007
In April, employers took 1,243 mass layoff actions, seasonally ad-
justed, 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; the number of workers involved totaled 126,047,
on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of mass layoff events de-
creased by 33 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial
claims fell by 4,640. During April, 383 mass layoff events were reported
in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 43,753 ini-
tial claims. Compared with March, mass layoff activity in manufacturing
decreased by 37 events and by 10,688 initial claims. (See table 1.)
The national unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in April, essentially un-
changed from 4.4 percent the prior month and down from 4.7 percent a year
earlier. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 88,000 over the
month and by 1.9 million over the year.
Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The 10 industries reporting the highest numbers of mass layoff initial
claims, not seasonally adjusted, accounted for 42 percent of the total
initial claims in April. The industry with the highest number of initial
claims was school and employee bus transportation with 17,135, followed by
motion picture and video production with 7,647, and temporary help services
with 7,330. Together, these three industries accounted for 25 percent of
all initial claims due to mass layoffs during the month.
The manufacturing sector accounted for 25 percent of all mass layoff
events and 28 percent of all related initial claims filed in April; a year
earlier, manufacturing made up 26 percent of events and 33 percent of
initial claims. In April 2007, the number of manufacturing claimants was
highest in transportation equipment manufacturing (11,466, largely heavy
duty truck manufacturing), followed by food manufacturing (5,925), and
machinery manufacturing (2,392).
Transportation and warehousing accounted for 13 percent of mass layoff
events and 15 percent of initial claims in April, primarily from school and
employee bus transportation. Administrative and waste services comprised
12 percent of events and 9 percent of initial claims filed during the month,
with the majority of layoffs in temporary help services. Three percent of
all mass layoff events and 7 percent of related initial claims filed were
from information, primarily from motion picture and video production. Ac-
commodation and food services made up 6 percent of events and initial claims,
largely from the food service contractors industry. 
Servus, J.B.
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