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 nonfarm 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 9 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).
