MO mass layoffs total 27 in April

Missouri employers activated 27 mass layoffs - not seasonally adjusted - during April, four more than the same month in 2011, according to data released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The BLS defines a mass layoff as an event involving more than 50 workers from a single employer.

Missouri had the fourth-most mass layoffs in April among the 12 states in the BLS' Midwest region, with Wisconsin employers initiating the most events at 44.

There were 216 mass layoffs in the Midwest during April, the least amount of events among all BLS regions. With 524 mass layoffs, employers in the West region recorded the most mass layoffs. The total amount of April mass layoffs in the U.S., not seasonally adjusted, was 1,421, which was 329 less than in April 2011, according to a news release.

Initial claims for unemployment insurance in Missouri were 1,770 during April, a 21.7 percent drop compared to April 2011. The Midwest region also had the least amount of claims during April, with 26,205.

Throughout the U.S., there were 146,358 claims in April, a 23 percent decrease compared to the same month of 2011, according to the release.