Manufacturing accounts for 35 percent of April mass layoffs

The manufacturing sector has continued to take a beating, according to government’s latest statistics on mass layoff actions during April.

A total of 271,226 workers lost their jobs last month, with the manufacturing sector accounting for 39 percent of that total.

A mass layoff is defined as a single employer causing at least 50 workers to lose their jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates mass-layoff data on a seasonally adjusted basis, using the number of new filings for unemployment insurance benefits to calculate the figures.

According to the report, the highest number of manufacturing claims came from areas in transportation equipment (19,246) and machinery (18,614). The transportation and warehousing industry accounted for 9 percent of mass layoff events and 11 percent of associated initial claims during the month.