On A Positive Note: Mass Layoffs Were Down In January

In January, there were 2,227 mass layoffs, which resulted in 237,902 job cuts, according to the Labor Department. There were 48 fewer mass layoffs compared to December, but the number of unemployment claims associated with them increased by 11,785, according to the Associated Press. (Mass layoffs are those that involve 50 or more job cuts in a single sweep.)

Although employers announced more mass layoffs in December than January, the workers were actually let go in January, which is what caused the number of unemployment claims to spike, according to David Wyss, chief economist for Standard & Poor’s.

The nation could lose two million more jobs in 2009 after shedding 2.6 million last year, according to a forecast released by the Conference Board in January. The total number of mass layoffs has reached 25,712 since the start of the recession in Dec. 2007.

Temporary workers reported the highest number of jobless claims, with 25,467 in January, the highest since 1998. Vehicle manufacturing has been a hard-hit industry as automakers fight for survival. In its report, the Labor Department split this into three industries: automobile, heavy-duty truck, and light truck and utility vehicle. This last category accounted for the third-highest number of unemployment claims with 11,404 across the country.