Table 2. Reason for layoff: Extended mass layoff events, separations, and initial claimants for unemployment insurance, 
private nonfarm sector, selected quarters, 2010 and 2011

                                                                                                         Initial claimants for
                                             Layoff events                   Separations                 unemployment insurance
         Reason for layoff                                                                                                      
                                       III        II       III         III        II       III          III        II       III
                                      2010      2011r     2011p       2010      2011r     2011p        2010r     2011r     2011p
                                                                                                                                
   Total, private nonfarm (1) .....   1,370     1,810     1,226      222,357   317,422   184,493      260,077   341,245   181,777

Business demand ...................     487       517       573       76,408    74,273    86,495       97,617    97,331    94,186
  Contract cancellation ...........      32        30        34        4,366     3,617     4,886        4,273     3,743     4,595
  Contract completion .............     241       317       378       41,565    49,032    60,737       52,652    67,133    68,946
  Domestic competition ............       -         -       (2)            -         -       (2)            -         -       (2)
  Excess inventory/saturated 
    market ........................     (2)       (2)       (2)          (2)       (2)       (2)          (2)       (2)       (2)
  Import competition ..............     (2)       (2)         -          (2)       (2)         -          (2)       (2)         -
  Slack work/insufficient demand/
    non-seasonal business slowdown      209       166       155       29,510    21,063    18,542       38,844    25,949    19,869

Organizational changes ............      83        70        65       16,963    16,501    10,168       14,485    12,548     8,710
  Business-ownership change .......      17        17        18        8,485     8,755     2,453        2,863     2,305     1,365
  Reorganization or restructuring
    of company ....................      66        53        47        8,478     7,746     7,715       11,622    10,243     7,345

Financial issues ..................     110       117        87       15,653    15,854    17,206       19,645    19,484    12,465
  Bankruptcy ......................      14        26        16        2,450     3,668     6,811        1,283     3,359     4,164
  Cost control/cost cutting/
    increase profitability ........      63        61        41        8,290     7,084     6,328       13,116    11,060     5,104
  Financial difficulty ............      33        30        30        4,913     5,102     4,067        5,246     5,065     3,197

Production specific ...............     (2)        33        17          (2)     4,369     2,034          (2)     7,379     2,091
  Automation/technological
    advances ......................     (2)         3         3          (2)       513       253          (2)       674       273
  Energy related ..................       -         -         -            -         -         -            -         -         -
  Governmental regulations/
    intervention ..................       6         5       (2)          727       690       (2)          726     1,890       (2)
  Labor dispute/contract 
    negotiations/strike ...........     (2)       (2)         4          (2)       (2)       731          (2)       (2)       680
  Material or supply shortage .....       -        17       (2)            -     2,034       (2)            -     3,132       (2)
  Model changeover ................       -       (2)         4            -       (2)       467            -       (2)       551
  Plant or machine repair/
    maintenance ...................       5         3       (2)          411       439       (2)          502       358       (2)
  Product line discontinued .......     (2)       (2)       (2)          (2)       (2)       (2)          (2)       (2)       (2)

Disaster/safety ...................     (2)        11         8          (2)     2,039     1,131          (2)     2,152       942
  Hazardous work environment ......       -       (2)       (2)            -       (2)       (2)            -       (2)       (2)
  Natural disaster (not weather 
    related) ......................       -         -       (2)            -         -       (2)            -         -       (2)
  Non-natural disaster ............     (2)       (2)         -          (2)       (2)         -          (2)       (2)         -
  Extreme weather-related event ...       -         7       (2)            -     1,244       (2)            -     1,529       (2)

Seasonal ..........................     372       773       282       52,613   151,716    38,763       67,305   148,934    35,158
  Seasonal ........................     212       468       164       33,122    95,525    25,828       43,056    87,414    21,879
  Vacation period-school related 
    or otherwise ..................     160       305       118       19,491    56,191    12,935       24,249    61,520    13,279

Other/miscellaneous ...............     300       289       194       58,946    52,670    28,696       59,035    53,417    28,225
  Other ...........................      14        29        20        1,583     3,848     3,537        1,756     4,596     3,117
  Data not provided: refusal ......      69        67        46       18,937    18,421     8,928       18,937    18,447     8,906
  Data not provided: does not 
    know ..........................     217       193       128       38,426    30,401    16,231       38,342    30,374    16,202

                                                                                                                                 
   1 See footnote 1, table 1.
   2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
   r = revised.
   p = preliminary.
   NOTE: Dash represents zero.