U.S. mass layoffs down in November

Employers across the country conducted 1,331 mass layoffs during November, involving 129,887 workers, seasonally adjusted, according to data released yesterday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While mass layoffs were down 22 percent in November compared to October, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 11,198 month-to-month, according to the release.

A mass layoff involves at least 50 workers from a single employer. To gather the information, the bureau measured new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month.

The most mass layoffs, 322 or about 24 percent, were reported in the manufacturing sector, resulting in 36,343 initial claims.

During November, there were 22 mass layoff events in Missouri, resulting in 1,440 initial claims. By comparison, there were 29 mass layoff events in the state during November 2010, with 2,159 initial claims, the release said.[[In-content Ad]]