U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (05/22/13)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says 1,199 mass layoffs involving 116,849 workers occurred in April, down by 138 and 11,090, respectively, from March. Around 22% of the mass layoff events and associated initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits were in the manufacturing sector. The largest number of initial claims related to mass layoffs was recorded in the West, and by state, California, New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina topped the list. However, 31 states and 14 of the 19 major industry sectors registered year-over-year declines in average weekly initial claims.