Table 2. Business processes involved in extended mass layoff events, by reason for layoff, first quarters 2010 and 2011 (1)
Reason Extended mass layoff events Total business process Core processes Support processes
Strat. Mgmt. Procurement, logistics, distribution Ops. Product development Marketing, sales, account management Customer and after-sales service General managment and firm infra-structure Human resource management Technology and process development
First quarter 2011(p)

Total business process

 1,397 1,805 20 137 1,085 107 61 115 201 55 24

Business demand

 535 723 8 40 495 41 9 43 64 19 4

Contract cancellation

 28 52 1 4 26 2 - 5 9 4 1

Contract
completion

 262 315 - 7 243 20 5 19 16 4 1

Domestic competition

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

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 4 12 - 3 4 - 1 - 3 1 -

Import
competition

 (2) 4 - 1 2 - - - 1 - -

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 238 339 7 25 220 18 3 19 35 10 2

Organizational changes

 87 180 5 13 71 3 12 18 33 14 11

Business-
ownership
change

 21 36 1 2 20 - 1 2 6 3 1

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 66 144 4 11 51 3 11 16 27 11 10

Financial issues

 116 269 5 30 106 16 17 22 57 11 5

Bankruptcy

 12 34 3 5 9 2 3 3 7 2 -

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 71 167 1 19 67 9 13 13 33 7 5

Financial difficulty

 33 68 1 6 30 5 1 6 17 2 -

Production
specific

 21 36 1 4 18 2 2 3 4 1 1

Disaster/Safety

 7 16 - 2 7 2 1 - 2 2 -

Seasonal

 381 534 1 47 361 42 18 26 32 6 1

Other/
Miscellaneous

 250 47 - 1 27 1 2 3 9 2 2
First quarter 2010

Total business process

 1,870 2,224 14 175 1,355 44 95 127 278 94 42

Business demand

 738 1,028 3 69 684 23 28 51 114 38 18

Contract cancellation

 42 75 1 5 40 1 1 5 15 3 4

Contract
completion

 253 315 1 14 231 6 9 22 18 9 5

Domestic competition

 (2) 6 - 1 2 - 1 - 1 1 -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 8 19 - 6 7 - 3 1 1 1 -

Import
competition

 (2) 6 - 1 2 2 - - 1 - -

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 431 607 1 42 402 14 14 23 78 24 9

Organizational changes

 117 221 6 15 94 9 17 17 44 13 6

Business-
ownership
change

 31 50 1 2 24 3 3 4 10 2 1

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 86 171 5 13 70 6 14 13 34 11 5

Financial issues

 165 367 4 35 141 7 32 31 72 32 13

Bankruptcy

 17 49 2 5 16 1 5 4 9 6 1

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 98 223 - 25 78 6 21 19 46 19 9

Financial difficulty

 50 95 2 5 47 - 6 8 17 7 3

Production
specific

 15 21 - 1 14 - - - 4 2 -

Disaster/Safety

 7 21 - 4 7 - - 2 4 3 1

Seasonal

 418 521 - 50 390 5 17 24 32 2 1

Other/
Miscellaneous

 410 45 1 1 25 - 1 2 8 4 3

Footnotes:
(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: June 1, 2011