Manufacturing accounts for 29% of August mass layoffs

In August, employers took 1,772 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported September 23. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled 173,955, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Layoff events reached a program high for the month of August (with data available back to 1995), and associated initial claimants reached its highest level for the month since 2001. The number of mass layoff events this August increased by 260 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims rose by 22,784. In August, 599 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 72,244 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff events in manufacturing increased by 156, and initial claims increased by 14,774.

From January through August 2008, the total number of mass layoff events (seasonally adjusted), at 12,542, and initial claims (seasonally adjusted), at 1,274,765, were the highest for the January-August period since 2003.

The national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in August, seasonally adjusted, up from 5.7 percent in the prior month and from 4.7 percent a year earlier. In August, total non-farm payroll employment decreased by 84,000 over the month and by 283,000 from a year earlier.

Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in August was 1,427 on a not-seasonally-adjusted basis; the number of associated initial claims was 139,999. Over the year, increases were recorded in both the number of layoff events (+464) and initial claims (+46,541). The largest over-the-year increases in initial claims occurred in transportation equipment manufacturing (+14,191) and in administrative and waste services (+4,524). The largest decrease in initial claims occurred in credit intermediation and related activities (-6,363).

The manufacturing sector accounted for 29 percent of all mass layoff events and 37 percent of initial claims filed in August; a year earlier, manufacturing made up 23 percent of events and 25 percent of initial claims. In August 2008, the number of manufacturing claimants was greatest in transportation equipment manufacturing (19,787), followed by machinery manufacturing (4,887). Administrative and waste services accounted for 15 percent of mass layoff events and 14 percent of associated initial claims, primarily from temporary help services.

Read the full report and view all of the data tables by clicking on the link below:

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.nr0.htm

Report: CNY manufacturing employment falls 2.4 percent in one year

By: Eric Reinhardt
09/22/08 03:35 PM
Industrial employment in Central New York fell 2.4 percent between July 2007 and July 2008, according to new data from Manufacturers' News, Inc.

The region is home to more than 114,000 industrial workers, down nearly 3,000 or 2.4 percent during the time period, according to the company's 2009 New York Manufacturers Register directory. Syracuse accounts for 11,399 of those jobs, down 3.7 percent from 2007.

Statewide, New York has more than 813,000 industrial workers, a decline of nearly 15,000 or 1.8 percent, during the past year. The latest data shows a continuation of the decline the state has seen over the past several years, the report says.

Earlier reports indicated New York's industrial employment fell 3 percent between July 2006 and July 2007 and by 2.5 percent between July 2005 and July 2006.

New York's losses are in line with those seen across the Mid-Atlantic and New England states, with New Jersey's industrial jobs down 2 percent, Connecticut's down 1.3 percent, and Pennsylvania's down 1.2 percent.

"As with the entire nation, New York's industrial employment is suffering due to automation, mergers, and outsourcing," said Tom Dubin, president of Manufacturers' News, Inc, in a news release.

New York ranks second in the U.S. for number of industrial jobs, the directory says.

Most sectors lost jobs over the year. Electronics manufacturing accounts for 78,391 jobs in New York and is down the most at 5.1 percent. The closure of Ramp Industries, Inc. in Binghamton this past summer contributed to those losses, the directory says.

Manufacturers' News, Inc., a publisher of manufacturing directories and databases, has been surveying industry since 1912.



Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Rise in Turkey's manufacturing employment

Data from the Turkish Statistics Institute shows that the manufacturing industry in Turkey saw a 1.7 per cent increase in employment year-on-year in the first quarter of 2008.

In a special report on the industry, the institute also found a significant difference between the public and private sector, with employment growing by 2.4 per cent and 1.6 per cent, respectively.

In the public sector manufacturing industry, the highest growth in employee numbers was seen in the electrical equipment and devices sector, while the biggest decrease was in the production of paper and related products.

Turkey's increase in manufacturing employment over the last year is in contrast to trends in other global economies where workforces in the sector have been trimmed over the past 12 months.

Manufacturing accounts for 25% of May mass layoffs

In May, employers took 1,626 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on June 20. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled 171,387, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Layoff events and associated initial claimants were the highest for the month of May since 2003. The number of mass layoff events in May 2008 increased sharply by 318 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims rose by 37,473. In May, 528 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 72,058 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff events in manufacturing increased by 45 and initial claims increased by 11,506.



From January through May 2008, the total number of events (seasonally adjusted), at 7,615, and initial claims (seasonally adjusted), at 783,942, were considerably higher than in January-May 2007 (6,325 and 650,605, respectively).



The national unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in May, seasonally adjusted, up from 5.0 percent in the prior month and up from 4.5 percent a year earlier. Total non-farm payroll employment decreased by 49,000 in May from the previous month, but increased by 236,000 from a year earlier.



Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
The number of mass layoff events in May was 1,552 on a not seasonally adjusted basis; the number of associated initial claims was 159,471. Average weekly layoff events rose from 231 in May 2007 to 310 in May 2008, while average weekly initial claimants increased from 21,454 to 31,894. Both the average weekly number of events and claims reached the highest levels for the month of May since 2003.



The largest over-the-year increases in May 2008 average weekly initial claims associated with mass layoffs occurred in transportation equipment manufacturing (+1,766) and in transit and ground passenger transportation (+1,176). The largest decreases occurred in general merchandise stores (-256) and in textile mills (-126).



The manufacturing sector accounted for 25 percent of all mass layoff events and 32 percent of initial claims filed in May; a year earlier, manufacturing made up 24 percent of events and 31 percent of initial claims. In May 2008, the number of manufacturing claimants was highest in transportation equipment manufacturing (21,667), followed by food manufacturing (4,800). Administrative and waste services accounted for 12 percent of mass layoff events and 10 percent of associated initial claims in May, primarily from temporary help services.



Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Of the four census regions, the highest number of initial claims in May due to mass layoffs was in the West (45,558). The Midwest had the second-largest number of initial claims among the regions (45,462), followed by the South with 42,832 and the Northeast with 25,619.



All four regions experienced over-the-year increases in average weekly initial claims – the Midwest (+3,156), the South (+2,944), the West (+2,365) and the Northeast (+1,976). Eight of the nine divisions had over-the-year increases in average weekly initial claims, led by the East North Central (+3,334).



California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events in May with 34,085, largely due to layoffs in motion picture and sound recording industries and in administrative and support services. The next highest states reporting mass layoff initial claims were New York (9,613), Pennsylvania (8,975), Florida (8,841) and Kentucky (8,666).



Forty states reported over-the-year increases in average weekly initial claims associated with mass layoffs, led by California (+1,422), New York (+1,333), Illinois (+843) and Florida (+752). States with the largest over-the-year decreases in average weekly claims were Missouri (-705) and Virginia (-162). In 2008, six states reported program highs in terms of average weekly initial claims for the month of May (with data available back to 1995) – Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana and Ohio.



Read the full report and view all of the data tables by clicking on the link below:



http://www.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.htm

Beyond Job Losses

Manufacturers account for 24% of fourth-quarter layoffs

In the fourth quarter of 2007, there were 1,619 mass layoff events that resulted in the separation of 265,454 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary figures released February 14 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The construction industry experienced a record high in both layoff events and separations in the fourth quarter of 2007. Other industries registering fourth-quarter highs in terms of separated workers were arts, entertainment and recreation, and finance and insurance, the latter mostly due to higher layoff activity in credit intermediation and related activities. Both the total number of layoff events and the number of separations were lower than during the October-December 2006 time period.

Among the seven categories of economic reasons for layoff, the completion of seasonal work accounted for the highest share of events (42 percent) and number of separations (119,325) in October-December 2007. Layoffs due to business demand reasons had the next highest proportion of events (34 percent). The only category of economic reasons for which the number of separations increased over the year was financial issues.

Sixty-one extended mass layoff events involved the movement of work and were associated with the separation of 10,076 workers. These events accounted for 7 percent of the non-seasonal layoff events and non-seasonal separations.

Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 8 percent of all extended mass layoff events, the lowest proportion reported since collection began in 1996. Events involving permanent closures affected 27,723 workers, down from 43,158 separations reported during the fourth quarter 2006. Fifty-six percent of employers reporting an extended layoff in the fourth quarter of 2007 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, about the same as last year.

The national unemployment rate averaged 4.6 percent, not seasonally adjusted, in the fourth quarter of 2007, up from 4.2 percent a year earlier. Private non-farm payroll employment, not seasonally adjusted, increased by 0.9 percent, or about 1.1 million, over the year.

For all of 2007, the total number of extended mass layoff events was 5,170, affecting 931,053 workers. While the total number of layoff events increased in 2007 from a year earlier, the number of separations decreased over the period.

Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs
Manufacturing accounted for 24 percent of events and 27 percent of separations in the fourth quarter, largely in food manufacturing and transportation equipment manufacturing. Layoffs in the administrative and waste services sector accounted for 8 percent of all extended mass layoff events and 7 percent of separations. The layoffs in this sector were concentrated in landscaping services. Cutbacks in the finance and insurance sector accounted for 6 percent of events and separations and were primarily in the credit intermediation and related activities industry.

Construction industries experienced a record high number of extended mass layoff events (622) and separations (78,716) in the fourth quarter of 2007. The largest number of separations was in heavy and civil engineering construction (44,151, mostly associated with highway, street and bridge construction), followed by specialty trade contractors (22,559) and construction of buildings (12,006).

Information technology-producing industries (communications equipment, communications services, computer hardware, and software and computer services) accounted for 24 extended mass layoff events and 3,351 separations during the fourth quarter of 2007, the lowest figures reported for any quarter since 2000.

Read the full report and view all of the data tables by clicking on the link below:

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Manufacturers account for 24% of fourth-quarter layoffs

n the fourth quarter of 2007, there were 1,619 mass layoff events that resulted in the separation of 265,454 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary figures released February 14 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The construction industry experienced a record high in both layoff events and separations in the fourth quarter of 2007. Other industries registering fourth-quarter highs in terms of separated workers were arts, entertainment and recreation, and finance and insurance, the latter mostly due to higher layoff activity in credit intermediation and related activities. Both the total number of layoff events and the number of separations were lower than during the October-December 2006 time period.



Among the seven categories of economic reasons for layoff, the completion of seasonal work accounted for the highest share of events (42 percent) and number of separations (119,325) in October-December 2007. Layoffs due to business demand reasons had the next highest proportion of events (34 percent). The only category of economic reasons for which the number of separations increased over the year was financial issues.



Sixty-one extended mass layoff events involved the movement of work and were associated with the separation of 10,076 workers. These events accounted for 7 percent of the non-seasonal layoff events and non-seasonal separations.



Permanent closure of worksites occurred in 8 percent of all extended mass layoff events, the lowest proportion reported since collection began in 1996. Events involving permanent closures affected 27,723 workers, down from 43,158 separations reported during the fourth quarter 2006. Fifty-six percent of employers reporting an extended layoff in the fourth quarter of 2007 indicated they anticipated some type of recall, about the same as last year.



The national unemployment rate averaged 4.6 percent, not seasonally adjusted, in the fourth quarter of 2007, up from 4.2 percent a year earlier. Private non-farm payroll employment, not seasonally adjusted, increased by 0.9 percent, or about 1.1 million, over the year.



For all of 2007, the total number of extended mass layoff events was 5,170, affecting 931,053 workers. While the total number of layoff events increased in 2007 from a year earlier, the number of separations decreased over the period.



Industry Distribution of Extended Layoffs

Manufacturing accounted for 24 percent of events and 27 percent of separations in the fourth quarter, largely in food manufacturing and transportation equipment manufacturing. Layoffs in the administrative and waste services sector accounted for 8 percent of all extended mass layoff events and 7 percent of separations. The layoffs in this sector were concentrated in landscaping services. Cutbacks in the finance and insurance sector accounted for 6 percent of events and separations and were primarily in the credit intermediation and related activities industry.



Construction industries experienced a record high number of extended mass layoff events (622) and separations (78,716) in the fourth quarter of 2007. The largest number of separations was in heavy and civil engineering construction (44,151, mostly associated with highway, street and bridge construction), followed by specialty trade contractors (22,559) and construction of buildings (12,006).



Information technology-producing industries (communications equipment, communications services, computer hardware, and software and computer services) accounted for 24 extended mass layoff events and 3,351 separations during the fourth quarter of 2007, the lowest figures reported for any quarter since 2000.



Read the full report and view all of the data tables by clicking on the link below:



http://www.bls.gov/news.release/mslo.htm

Manufacturing had 462 mass layoff events in December

In December, employers took 1,433 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on January 24. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled 141,750 on a seasonally adjusted basis. December layoff events were the highest since September 2005 (which reflected the impact of Hurricane Katrina) and were the highest for the month of December since 2002.

The number of mass layoff events in December 2007 increased by 104 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims increased by 2,079. In December, 462 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 58,108 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff activity in manufacturing increased by 48 events, and initial claims increased by 1,143.

For all of 2007, the total numbers of mass layoff events, at 15,493, and initial claims, at 1,598,875, were higher than in 2006, when the totals were 13,998 and 1,484,391, respectively. The finance and insurance industry registered series highs for mass layoff events and initial claims in 2007. This reflected increased layoffs in the credit intermediation and related activities industry, which includes real estate credit, commercial banking, and mortgage and non-mortgage lending brokers. For all of 2006, layoff events had hit a series low, and the number of initial claimants was the lowest reported since 1996.

The national unemployment rate was 5.0 percent in December, seasonally adjusted, up from 4.7 percent in the prior month and from 4.4 percent a year earlier. Total non-farm payroll employment increased by 18,000 in December and by 1.3 million from a year earlier.

Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)The 10 industries reporting the highest numbers of mass layoff initial claims, not seasonally adjusted, accounted for 35 percent of all such claims in December. The industry with the highest number of initial claims was highway, street and bridge construction with 14,684, followed by food service contractors (12,518), school and employee bus transportation (11,362), and temporary help services (9,745). Together, these four industries accounted for 22 percent of all initial claims due to mass layoffs during the month.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 32 percent of all mass layoff events and 41 percent of all related initial claims filed in December; a year earlier, manufacturing made up 33 percent of events and 41 percent of initial claims. In December 2007, the number of manufacturing claimants was highest in transportation equipment manufacturing (31,910, largely in heavy duty truck manufacturing), followed by food manufacturing (10,267) and machinery manufacturing (6,864).

Construction accounted for 21 percent of mass layoff events and 16 percent of initial claims in December, primarily from heavy and civil engineering construction. Administrative and waste services comprised 10 percent of events and 9 percent of initial claims, primarily from temporary help services and professional employer organizations. Accommodation and food services made up 7 percent of all mass layoff events and 8 percent of related initial claims, mainly from food service contractors. Seven percent of all mass layoff events and related initial claims filed were from transportation and warehousing, largely from the school and employee bus transportation industry.

Due, in part, to a calendar effect, the number of mass layoff events in December, at 2,167, was down by 82 from a year earlier, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 30,289 to 224,214. (December 2007 contained four weeks compared with five weeks in December 2006.) The average weekly number of events in December 2007 compared with December 2006 increased from 450 to 542, and the average weekly initial claimants increased from 50,901 to 56,054. Both weekly averages are at the highest levels for the month of December since 2002.

The largest over-the-year increases in December 2007 average weekly initial claims associated with mass layoffs occurred in food manufacturing (+855), specialty trade contractors (+804), machinery manufacturing (+581), motion picture and sound recording (+534), construction of buildings (+526), and food and drinking places (+513). The largest decrease occurred in electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing (-766).

Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Among the 4 census regions, the highest number of initial claims in December due to mass layoffs was in the Midwest, 97,346. Two industries – transportation equipment manufacturing, and heavy and civil engineering construction – accounted for 32 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in that region during the month. The South had the second largest number of initial claims among the regions, 47,505, followed by the West with 42,504 and the Northeast with 36,859.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs decreased over the year in all four regions and in eight of the nine divisions, due, in part, to a calendar effect. However, all four regions experienced over-the-year increases in average weekly initial claims – the Midwest (+2,438), the South (+1,072), the Northeast (+1,067) and the West (+577). Seven of the nine divisions had over-the-year increases in average weekly initial claims, led by the East North Central (+2,900).

California recorded the highest number of initial claims in December due to mass layoff events (30,590), reflecting layoffs in motion picture and sound recording industries and in administrative and support services. Other states with large numbers of mass layoff-related claims were Michigan (25,005), Pennsylvania (15,993), Illinois (15,012) and Ohio (14,909). These five states accounted for 48 percent of all mass layoff events and 45 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance in December.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs decreased over the year in 33 states and the District of Columbia, due, in part, to a calendar effect. Twenty-five states reported over-the-year increases in average weekly initial claims associated with mass layoffs, led by Michigan (+1,683) and Pennsylvania (+1,109). For Michigan, the highest average initial claims occurred in transportation equipment manufacturing, and for Pennsylvania, food manufacturing had the highest activity. States with the largest over-the-year decreases were New York (-671) and Virginia (-596).

Read the full report and view all of the data tables by clicking on the link below:

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/news.release/mmls.txt

Industrial Guide Reports South Dakota Manufacturing Jobs Up 1.6% Over the Year

Charting '07 employment: Manufacturing lost 212K jobs

In 2007, payroll employment rose by 1.3 million compared with a gain of 2.3 million in 2006.

Annual change in nonfarm payroll employment, 2000-2007 (December-December)
[Chart data—TXT]

The health care industry added 381,000 jobs over the year. Employment in professional and technical services was up by 322,000. The food services industry added 304,000 jobs in the past 12 months.

The mining industry added 36,000 jobs in 2007. Manufacturing employment declined by 212,000.

Employment in retail trade was essentially flat, and information industry employment was essentially unchanged over the year.

Payroll employment data are from the BLS Current Employment Statistics program. Over-the-year changes in this article are December to December. Data for December 2007 are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "The Employment Situation: December 2007," news release USDL 08-0013.


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States continue to hemorrhage manufacturing jobs

by Liana Fox and Lauren Marra

Since March 2001—the most recent business cycle peak—the United States has lost nearly 3 million manufacturing jobs, a decline of 17.4%. The Midwest and East Coast have seen the worst fallout from these losses, with Michigan and the Carolinas losing the largest shares of jobs. Since March 2001, Michigan has lost 5.2% of total employment (or nearly a quarter of a million jobs) due to declines in manufacturing jobs. With a few exceptions, the states hit the hardest are all east of the Mississippi (See Chart).

enlarge image
Manufacturing job loss as a share of total employment

Interestingly, this decrease in manufacturing jobs comes at a time when productivity growth in manufacturing is largely unchanged.1 As documented in previous EPI research, many of these jobs have been lost due to foreign trade, especially trade with China.

The loss of these relatively high-paying jobs (average weekly wage of $725 compared to overall average of $603) has been a drain on states' economies, as many of these jobs have been replaced by lower wage service sector jobs. The decline in employment in the manufacturing sector also means increased labor competition in other sectors, as unemployed workers try to find jobs elsewhere in the economy. These trends thus threaten to lower labor standards for all workers.

*Go to EPI’s Datazone for a state-by-state table of manufacturing employment. This table will be updated monthly.


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US manufacturing data

US manufacturing expands amid signs of weak employment
The New York Times

Manufacturing in the US expanded last month as new orders and production improved, but weakness in employment suggested that industrial jobs may not be as plentiful in coming months.

The trade group Institute for Supply Management said on Monday that its manufacturing index registered 50.8 last month, down from 50.9 in October. A reading above 50 indicates growth; below that spells contraction.

The manufacturing report showed a decline in the employment index to 47.8 from 52.0, indicating manufacturing jobs were contracting, the deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, Doug Porter, said. The institute said the index for new orders rose to 52.6 last month from 52.5 in October, while production expanded to 51.9 from 49.6 in October. The latest report also showed strong growth in export orders, which registered a 58.5 reading last month, up from 57.0 in October. The price index, meanwhile, advanced to 67.5 from 63.0 the month before.
The Wall Street Journal

Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui expressed concern on Monday that a downturn in the US economy could slow global growth, suggesting that Japan's central bank is unlikely to raise interest rates any time soon.

"The US economy is widely expected to slow in the fourth quarter this year and the first quarter of 2008 on the back of a continued adjustment in the housing market," Fukui said after meeting with business leaders in Nagoya, central Japan. But he added, "Even if the US economy slows, it will not affect our monetary policy."

Fukui said the Bank of Japan needs to watch whether the US sub-prime-mortgage crisis puts a serious dent in private consumption, one of the main engines of US economic growth. "US Christmas sales results are one key factor to gauge how strongly the sub-prime issue has affected private consumption," he said.



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Manufacturing accounts for 23% of August mass layoffs

In August, employers took 1,189 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on September 21. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled 118,120, on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of mass layoff events in August decreased by 32 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims fell by 6,715. Over the month, 325 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 35,676 initial claims. Compared with July, mass layoff activity in manufacturing decreased by 58 events, and initial claims declined by 14,360.

From January through August 2007, the total number of events (seasonally adjusted), at 9,843, and initial claims (seasonally adjusted), at 1,016,492, were higher than in January-August 2006 (9,063 and 951,202, respectively).

The national unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in August, unchanged from the prior month and little changed from a year earlier. Total non-farm payroll employment decreased by 4,000 over the month; over the year, payroll employment increased by 1.6 million.

Industry Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)The 10 industries reporting the highest numbers of mass layoff initial claims, not seasonally adjusted, accounted for 35 percent of the total initial claims in August. The industry with the highest number of initial claims was temporary help services with 8,621, followed by school and employee bus transportation with 5,134, and real estate credit with 5,126. Together, these three industries accounted for 20 percent of all initial claims due to mass layoffs during the month. Real estate credit and mortgage and non-mortgage loan brokers from the credit intermediation industry had the third and seventh highest number of mass layoff initial claims, respectively, in August. This month, credit intermediation and related activities reported its highest number of events and initial claims in program history.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 23 percent of all mass layoff events and 25 percent of all related initial claims filed in August; a year earlier, manufacturing made up 29 percent of events and 39 percent of initial claims. In August 2007, the number of manufacturing claimants was highest in transportation equipment manufacturing (5,596, largely in truck trailer manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, and heavy-duty truck manufacturing), followed by food manufacturing (2,912) and machinery manufacturing (1,846).

Administrative and waste services accounted for 16 percent of mass layoff events and initial claims in August, primarily from temporary help services and professional employer organizations. Retail trade made up 10 percent of events and 11 percent of initial claims, mostly from general merchandise stores. Finance and insurance comprised 10 percent of events and initial claims filed over the month, with the majority of layoffs in credit intermediation and related activities. Eleven percent of all mass layoff events and 8 percent of related initial claims filed were in construction, mainly from the specialty trade contractors industry.

On a not seasonally adjusted basis, the number of mass layoff events in August, at 963, was up by 255 from a year earlier, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 20,614 to 93,458. While these were the highest number of events and initial claims reported for any August since 2003, this is due in part to a calendar effect. August 2007 contained five weeks for possible mass layoffs, compared with four weeks in each August of the prior three years.

Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)Among the four census regions, the highest number of initial claims in August due to mass layoffs was in the West, with 37,291. Administrative and support services, credit intermediation and related activities, and motion picture and sound recording industries together accounted for 40 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in that region during the month. The South had the second-largest number of initial claims among the regions with 21,452, followed by the Midwest with 18,319 and the Northeast with 16,396.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs increased over the year in all four regions – the West (+13,150), the Midwest (+5,235), the Northeast (+1,890) and the South (+339). Seven of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year increases in the numbers of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest increases in the Pacific (+11,006), East North Central (+4,610) and Mountain (+2,144) divisions. The division with the largest over-the-year decrease was the East South Central (-800).

Reflecting administrative and support services layoffs, California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events in August (31,066). Other states with large numbers of mass layoff-related claims were New York (8,776), Florida (5,175), Wisconsin (4,214), and Pennsylvania (4,094). These five states accounted for 58 percent of all mass layoff events and 57 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance in August.

California had the largest over-the-year increase in the number of initial claims (+10,727); this was partially due to more mass layoff activity in credit intermediation and related activities. States having the next largest increases in initial claims were Florida (+2,678), Wisconsin (+2,641), New York (+1,734) and Alabama (+1,671). The largest over-the-year decreases in claims occurred in Virginia (-2,806), Kentucky (-2,737) and North Carolina (-1,076).

Read the full report and view all of the charts and data tables by clicking on the link below:

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New York Sees 3% Drop in Manufacturing Jobs According to State Industrial Directory's 12-Month Report

Charting mass layoffs by region of the United States

Author: RP news wires
Among the four regions, the highest number of initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits due to mass layoffs in July was in the Midwest, with 85,557. This is according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Transportation equipment manufacturing accounted for 47 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in that region during the month. In each July of the years 2002 to 2006, between 40 and 51 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in the Midwest were due to layoffs in transportation equipment manufacturing. In July 2007, the South had the second largest number of initial claims among the regions with 35,763, followed by the West with 33,064 and the Northeast with 21,035.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs increased over the year in three of the four regions. The largest increase was in the South (+4,897), followed by the Northeast (+3,992). The Midwest (-1,229) reported the only over-the-year decrease in initial claims.

This data is from the BLS Mass Layoff Statistics program. Learn more about mass layoff actions and workers filing for unemployment insurance benefits in "Mass Layoffs in July 2007," news release USDL 07-1283. Initial claimants are persons who file any notice of unemployment to initiate a request for compensation. Mass layoff events involve at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits filed against a single establishment.

Manufacturing mass layoffs affected 50K workers in July

In July, employers took 1,221 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on August 23. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment; the number of workers involved totaled 124,835, on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of mass layoff events in July remained about the same when compared with the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 3,062. Over the month, 383 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 50,036 initial claims. Compared with June, mass layoff activity in manufacturing increased by 43 events, and initial claims increased by 10,763.

From January through July 2007, the total number of events (seasonally adjusted) at 8,654, and initial claims (seasonally adjusted) at 898,372, were higher than in January-July 2006 (7,845 and 820,097, respectively).

The national unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in July, essentially unchanged from 4.5 percent in the prior month, but down from 4.8 percent a year earlier. Total non-farm payroll employment increased by 92,000 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 34 percent of the total initial claims in July. The industry with the highest number of initial claims was automobile manufacturing with 13,186, followed by temporary help services with 10,738 and all other motor vehicle parts manufacturing with 6,748. Together, these three industries accounted for 17 percent of all initial claims due to mass layoffs during the month.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 43 percent of all mass layoff events and 58 percent of all related initial claims filed in July, unchanged from a year earlier. In July 2007, the number of manufacturing claimants was highest in transportation equipment manufacturing (48,795, largely in automobile manufacturing, all other motor vehicle parts manufacturing, and motor vehicle metal stamping), followed by plastics and rubber products manufacturing (7,487) and machinery manufacturing (6,994).

Administrative and waste services accounted for 14 percent of mass layoff events and 10 percent of initial claims in July, primarily from temporary help services and professional employer organizations. Transportation and warehousing comprised 6 percent of events and 5 percent of initial claims filed over the month, with the majority of layoffs in transit and ground passenger transportation and truck transportation. Six percent of all mass layoff events and 4 percent of related initial claims filed were from government, mainly from elementary and secondary schools. Retail trade made up 5 percent of events and 4 percent of initial claims, mostly from general merchandise stores.

On a not seasonally adjusted basis, the number of mass layoff events in July, at 1,599, was up by 88 from a year earlier, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 8,562 to 175,419. The largest over-the-year increases in initial claims were reported in primary metal manufacturing (+2,673), machinery manufacturing (+2,278), and administrative and support services (+1,617). The largest over-the-year decreases in mass layoff initial claims were reported in transportation equipment manufacturing (-2,313) and in agriculture and forestry support activities (-1,368).

Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)Among the four census regions, the highest number of initial claims in July due to mass layoffs was in the Midwest, with 85,557. Transportation equipment manufacturing accounted for 47 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in that region during the month. In each July of the years 2002-2006, between 40 and 51 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in the Midwest were due to layoffs in transportation equipment manufacturing. In July 2007, the South had the second-largest number of initial claims among the regions with 35,763, followed by the West with 33,064 and the Northeast with 21,035.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs increased over the year in three of the four regions. The largest increase was in the South (+4,897), followed by the Northeast (+3,992). The Midwest (-1,229) reported the only over-the-year decrease in initial claims. Six of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year increases in the numbers of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest increases in the East South Central (+5,533), West North Central (+3,418) and Mountain (+2,374) divisions. The division with the largest over-the-year decrease was the East North Central (-4,647).

Reflecting transportation equipment manufacturing layoffs, Michigan recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events in July (36,356). Other states with large numbers of mass layoff related claims were California (25,054), Ohio (10,435), Wisconsin (9,712) and Illinois (8,175). These five states accounted for 49 percent of all mass layoff events and 51 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance in July.

Alabama had the largest over-the-year increase in the number of initial claims (+5,000); this was partially due to more mass layoff activity in transportation equipment manufacturing. States having the next largest increases in initial claims were New York (+3,338), South Carolina (+1,951), Wisconsin (+1,818) and Massachusetts (+1,732). The largest over-the-year decreases in claims occurred in Michigan (-5,366), Indiana (- 2,268) and Louisiana (-2,025).

Read the full report and view all of the data tables by clicking on the link below:

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/news.release/mmls.txt

As wages slip, poverty rates rise

SHRM/Rutgers LINE(R) Index Forecasts Manufacturing- and Service-Sector Hiring Trends for August 2007

Manufacturing mass layoffs affected 39K workers in June

In June, employers took 1,219 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported July 20. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment; the number of workers involved totaled 127,897, on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of mass layoff events increased by 37 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims rose by 9,483.

During June, 340 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 39,273 initial claims. Compared with the prior month, mass layoff activity in manufacturing decreased by 25 events, and initial claims decreased by 9,599.

From January through June 2007, the total number of events (seasonally adjusted) at 7,433, and initial claims (seasonally adjusted) at 773,537, were higher than in January-June 2006 (6,685 and 701,254, respectively).

The national unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in June, unchanged from the prior month and essentially unchanged from 4.6 percent a year earlier. Total non-farm payroll employment increased by 132,000 over the month and by 2.0 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 48 percent of the total initial claims in June. The industry with the highest number of initial claims was school and employee bus transportation with 21,611, followed by food service contractors with 14,527 and elementary and secondary schools with 12,870. Together, these three industries accounted for 28 percent of all initial claims due to mass layoffs during the month.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 20 percent of all mass layoff events and 21 percent of all related initial claims filed in June; a year earlier, manufacturing made up 21 percent of events and 25 percent of initial claims. In June 2007, the number of manufacturing claimants was highest in transportation equipment manufacturing (9,438, largely in automobile manufacturing and in travel trailer and camper manufacturing), followed by food manufacturing (5,901) and machinery manufacturing (4,268).

Transportation and warehousing accounted for 11 percent of mass layoff events and 14 percent of initial claims in June, primarily from school and employee bus transportation. Government comprised 14 percent of events and 12 percent of initial claims filed over the month, with the majority of layoffs in elementary and secondary schools. Seven percent of all mass layoff events and 10 percent of related initial claims filed were from accommodation and food services, mainly from food service contractors. Health care and social assistance made up 10 percent of events and 9 percent of initial claims, mostly from child day care services.

On a not seasonally adjusted basis, the number of mass layoff events in June, at 1,599, was up by 110 from a year earlier, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 8,049 to 172,810. The largest over-the-year increases in initial claims were reported in administrative and support services (+3,772), food services and drinking places (+2,650), and transit and ground passenger transportation (+1,653). The largest over-the-year decreases in mass layoff initial claims were reported in transportation equipment manufacturing (-6,384) and in motion picture and sound recording industries (-2,723).

Geographic Distribution (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Among the four census regions, the highest number of initial claims in June due to mass layoffs was in the West, with 51,847. Administrative and support services, educational services, and motion picture and sound recording industries together accounted for 38 percent of all mass layoff initial claims in that region during the month. The Midwest had the second largest number of initial claims among the regions with 44,703, followed by the South with 39,627 and the Northeast with 36,633.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs increased over the year in three of the four regions. The largest increase was in the West (+5,402), followed by the South (+2,887). The Northeast (-743) reported an over-the-year decrease in initial claims. Five of the nine geographic divisions had over-the-year increases in the numbers of initial claims associated with mass layoffs, with the largest increases in the Pacific (+5,156), the East South Central (+2,249), and the West South Central (+2,138). The division with the largest over-the-year decrease was the South Atlantic (-1,500).

Among the states, California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events in June (40,833), followed by Pennsylvania (12,997), New Jersey (12,720), Florida (9,348) and Michigan (9,041). These five states accounted for 51 percent of all mass layoff events and 49 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance.

California had the largest over-the-year increase in the number of initial claims (+5,563); this was due to more mass layoff activity in administrative and support services. States having the next largest increases in initial claims were Kentucky (+2,042), Florida (+1,767), Iowa (+1,686), and Ohio (+1,398). The largest over-the-year decreases in claims occurred in Indiana (-2,438) and Delaware (-1,490).

Industrial Directory's 12-Month Report Shows Delaware Manufacturing Jobs Down Half Percent