Florida experienced 70 not-seasonally adjusted mass layoffs in December, a number that puts it below 10 other states, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Wednesday.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that seasonal adjustment eliminates the influence of recurring calendar-related events such as changes in the weather, holidays and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Wednesday’s report shows that from December 2010 through December 2011 the number of mass layoff events in Florida dropped from 92 to 70.
It also indicates that at the national level in 2011, “the total numbers of mass layoffs” — an event that involves “at least 50 workers from a single employer” — and initial claims for unemployment benefits declined to their lowest levels since 2007.
The Bureau report shows that “among the states, California recorded the highest number of mass layoff initial claims in 2011, followed by Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, and Wisconsin. Twenty-nine states experienced over-the-year decreases in total initial claims for the year, led by California, Illinois, and Florida.”
The report adds that across the U.S. “employers took 1,384 mass layoff actions in December involving 145,648 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month.”
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported this month that the state’s “seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December 2011 was 9.9 percent,” a drop of 0.1 percent compared with November. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in January that the U.S. unemployment rate is 8.5 percent.
