Table 8. Reason for layoff:  Extended mass layoff events and separations associated with the movement of work, 
selected quarters, 2007 and 2008

                                               Layoff events                                  Separations              

         Reason for layoff             III         II          III               III              II               III 
                                       2007       2008r       2008p             2007r            2008r            2008p

   Total, private nonfarm (1) ....       63          71          82            12,367           12,315           14,613

Business demand ..................       17          19         (2)             3,303            4,560              (2)
  Contract cancellation ..........      (2)           -         (2)               (2)                -              (2)
  Contract completion ............      (2)           -           -               (2)                -                -
  Domestic competition ...........        -         (2)           -                 -              (2)                -
  Excess inventory/saturated 
    market .......................      (2)         (2)           -               (2)              (2)                -
  Import competition .............       10         (2)         (2)             2,269              (2)              (2)
  Slack work/insufficient demand/
    non-seasonal business slowdown      (2)           9          12               (2)            2,810            3,134
    
Organizational changes ...........       23          34          46             4,729            5,154            8,276
  Business-ownership change ......        4           3           6               903              634            1,628
  Reorganization or restructuring 
    of company ...................       19          31          40             3,826            4,520            6,648

Financial issues .................       18          12          18             3,763            1,689            2,509
  Bankruptcy .....................        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Cost control/cost cutting/
    increase profitability .......      (2)         (2)         (2)               (2)              (2)              (2)
  Financial difficulty ...........      (2)         (2)         (2)               (2)              (2)              (2)

Production specific ..............      (2)         (2)           -               (2)              (2)                -
  Automation/technological 
    advances .....................      (2)           -           -               (2)                -                -
  Energy related .................        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Governmental regulations/
    intervention .................        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Labor dispute/contract 
    negotiations/strike ..........        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Material or supply shortage ....        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Model changeover ...............        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Plant or machine repair/
    maintenance ..................        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Product line discontinued ......        -         (2)           -                 -              (2)                -

Disaster/safety ..................        -         (2)           -                 -              (2)                -
  Hazardous work environment .....        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Natural disaster (not weather 
    related) .....................        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Non-natural disaster ...........        -           -           -                 -                -                -
  Extreme weather-related event ..        -         (2)           -                 -              (2)                -

Other/miscellaneous ..............      (2)         (2)         (2)               (2)              (2)              (2)
  Other ..........................      (2)         (2)         (2)               (2)              (2)              (2)
  Data not provided: refusal .....        -         (2)           -                 -              (2)                -
  Data not provided: does not 
    know .........................      (2)           -           -               (2)                -                -

   1 See footnote 1, table 1.
   2 Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.
   r = revised.
   p = preliminary.
   NOTE:  Dash represents zero.