Thursday, June 10, 2010

Layoffs Take Big Toll In California In 2009

The latest number released from the United States Department of Labor finds that 2009 was an ugly year for Californians, as measured by the number of mass layoffs and jobs lost. According to statistics gathered by the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, during 2009, employers in California took 6,377 mass layoff actions, which resulted in the loss of 532,028 jobs in the state. The numbers were derived from new filings for unemployment insurance benefits benefits. The BLS said that 2009 was the worst year since 2002 for California, the last time layoffs surpassed 500,000 employees. Based on BLS numbers, the layoffs in 2009 were actually worse than in 2008, although the agency said that layoffs have been "rising steadily" since 2006. The agency did not break down the geographic spread of those layoffs across the state.

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