Table 2. Business processes involved in extended mass layoff events, by reason for layoff, fourth 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
Fourth quarter 2011(p)

Total business process

 1,638 2,022 15 112 1,399 99 66 82 173 57 19

Business demand

 558 712 7 25 545 23 11 9 61 27 4

Contract cancellation

 (2) 15 1 - 10 - - 1 2 - 1

Contract
completion

 380 454 1 8 373 9 2 3 34 23 1

Domestic competition

 - - - - - - - - - - -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

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

Import
competition

 - - - - - - - - - - -

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 164 239 5 16 160 14 9 4 25 4 2

Organizational changes

 59 133 1 10 54 4 9 11 30 8 6

Business-
ownership
change

 16 32 1 3 16 1 1 1 8 1 -

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 43 101 - 7 38 3 8 10 22 7 6

Financial issues

 62 147 2 15 57 13 10 14 27 5 4

Bankruptcy

 16 43 1 5 16 2 4 5 8 2 -

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 28 68 1 8 24 6 5 6 13 2 3

Financial difficulty

 18 36 - 2 17 5 1 3 6 1 1

Production
specific

 (2) 35 1 2 15 3 2 2 6 3 1

Disaster/Safety

 (2) 4 - - 3 - - - - - 1

Seasonal

 721 955 4 59 704 54 33 40 45 13 3

Other/
Miscellaneous

 219 36 - 1 21 2 1 6 4 1 -
Fourth quarter 2010

Total business process

 1,999 2,392 16 172 1,619 97 85 107 226 51 19

Business demand

 661 856 6 42 623 36 21 37 67 18 6

Contract cancellation

 24 33 - 1 19 - 3 5 3 2 -

Contract
completion

 377 447 - 16 366 11 9 12 25 7 1

Domestic competition

 (2) 8 - 1 3 - 1 1 1 1 -

Excess inventory/
saturated market

 - - - - - - - - - - -

Import
competition

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

Slack work/
insufficient
demand/non-seasonal business slowdown

 255 363 6 23 233 23 8 19 38 8 5

Organizational changes

 79 184 6 19 66 6 16 16 31 15 9

Business-
ownership
change

 18 49 2 4 15 - 3 6 9 7 3

Reorgan-
ization
or
restructuring
of company

 61 135 4 15 51 6 13 10 22 8 6

Financial issues

 110 235 4 27 100 14 19 17 39 12 3

Bankruptcy

 14 31 1 3 13 1 1 3 6 3 -

Cost control/cost cutting/
increase
profitability

 65 139 3 15 58 11 13 11 21 4 3

Financial difficulty

 31 65 - 9 29 2 5 3 12 5 -

Production
specific

 10 18 - 2 8 2 - 1 4 1 -

Disaster/Safety

 5 6 - - 4 - - 1 1 - -

Seasonal

 826 1,060 - 82 796 38 27 33 79 4 1

Other/
Miscellaneous

 308 33 - - 22 1 2 2 5 1 -

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: March 7, 2012