US DATA: BLS Dec mass layoffs: “Employers took 1,483 mass layoff
actions in December involving 137,992 workers, seasonally adjusted, as
measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the
month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each mass
layoff involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number
of mass layoff events in December decreased by 96 from the prior month,
and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 10,808. The
number of events reached its lowest level since April 2008. In December,
319 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector.”