Table 2. Business processes involved in extended mass layoff events, by reason for layoff, fourth quarters 2008 and 2009(1)
Reason Extended mass layoff events Total bus. process Core processes Support processes
Procure., logistics, dist. Operations Product development Mktg., sales, account mgmt. Customer and after-
sales
service		 General mgmt. and firm infra-structure HR mgmt. Tech. and process develop.
Fourth quarter 2009(p)

Total business process

 2,043 2,537 204 1,684 47 80 86 296 85 55

Business demand

 726 1,012 62 703 21 24 24 117 38 23

Contract cancellation

 29 48 5 25 1 1 3 9 3 1

Contract
completion

 252 306 10 248 4 6 5 17 8 8

Domestic competition

 (2) 5 1 2 - 1 1 - - -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 9 19 6 8 - 1 1 3 - -

Import
competition

 (2) 19 3 4 1 2 1 3 3 2

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 430 615 37 416 15 13 13 85 24 12

Organizational changes

 73 180 18 62 5 13 14 40 17 11

Business-
ownership
change

 24 58 5 21 1 4 3 14 7 3

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 49 122 13 41 4 9 11 26 10 8

Financial issues

 153 339 36 140 9 27 19 70 22 16

Bankruptcy

 18 39 6 14 - 5 3 8 3 -

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 96 212 23 88 3 16 13 45 13 11

Financial difficulty

 39 88 7 38 6 6 3 17 6 5

Production
specific

 14 19 1 13 1 - - 3 - 1

Disaster/Safety

 5 6 1 5 - - - - - -

Seasonal

 763 952 85 745 9 15 28 61 6 3

Other/
Miscellaneous

 309 29 1 16 2 1 1 5 2 1
Fourth quarter 2008

Total business process

 3,582 4,525 353 2,797 109 176 123 666 199 102

Business demand

 1,580 2,313 156 1,491 67 79 36 338 100 46

Contract cancellation

 57 98 10 55 3 4 - 17 6 3

Contract
completion

 313 360 13 303 4 7 4 20 5 4

Domestic competition

 4 5 1 4 - - - - - -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 18 28 3 18 - 1 - 4 1 1

Import
competition

 14 36 7 13 1 2 1 7 4 1

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 1,174 1,786 122 1,098 59 65 31 290 84 37

Organizational changes

 159 338 45 122 7 14 16 80 32 22

Business-
ownership
change

 31 67 10 26 2 4 4 14 5 2

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 128 271 35 96 5 10 12 66 27 20

Financial issues

 329 718 73 284 22 53 44 157 56 29

Bankruptcy

 45 123 14 38 2 8 13 28 18 2

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 165 323 31 139 12 25 13 74 15 14

Financial difficulty

 119 272 28 107 8 20 18 55 23 13

Production
specific

 24 49 6 24 1 1 3 9 2 3

Disaster/Safety

 12 15 1 11 1 1 - 1 - -

Seasonal

 869 1,029 69 832 6 25 23 68 6 -

Other/
Miscellaneous

 609 63 3 33 5 3 1 13 3 2

(1) Data were reported by all states and the District of Columbia.
(2) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
p = preliminary.

NOTE: Dash represents zero.

 

Last Modified Date: February 25, 2010