U.S. Mass Layoffs Rise to Highest on Record

Reuters ^ | Apr 23, 2009 | By Pedro Nicolaci da Costa

[Son House]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Large-scale U.S. layoffs rose again in March, according to Labor Department data on Thursday, as the economy struggles with what many expect will be the country's worst post-World War II recession.

Last month witnessed 2,933 more mass layoffs, defined as affecting 50 or more workers, than February. This brought the total number of people who lost their jobs in this manner to 299,388, the highest on a record that dates back to 1995.

The U.S. job market has been under severe strain as a crisis first evident in housing spread to the rest of the economy, severely curtailing corporate profits and consumer spending.

Ongoing pain was evident across sectors, with the Labor Department also reporting another record for blanket layoffs within manufacturing.

Mass layoffs now total 31,414 since the start of the recession in December 2007, resulting in the loss of more than 3.2 million jobs. The monthly mass layoff numbers are compiled from establishments with at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance filed against them during a five-week period.

Separate data out on Thursday showed the number of continuing unemployment claims climbing to a new record of 6.14 million. Weekly initial jobless claims also rose again, to 640,000.

[Son House]

We all knew the Trillion Dollar Stimulus bill was bad, Democrats choose to make a bad situation worse

[detective]

This is not a recession caused by fluctuations in the business cycle. This is the destruction of the productive sector of the US economy. The jobs that have been lost since September are all private sector jobs. Government employment has been increasing and will continue to increase. This is not cyclical, what we are witnessing is the deliberate destruction of the private sector of the US economy. America is being turned into a deindustrialized, third world dictatorship.

[SkyPilot]

Don't worry - some people will promised under the Obama plan to get their mortgages paid for "free."

[Son House]

This is not a recession caused by fluctuations in the business cycle. This is the destruction of the productive sector of the US economy.

Great point

[rrrod]

DITTO

[central_va]

I’m sure the futures are up today.

[doodad]

We cut 25% of our staff on Monday. And today is the last day of the fiscal year if they want more reductions in payroll.

[3catsanadog]

And yet the government wants to push this cap and trade crap onto businesses which costs will only be passed onto consumers who will end up with less spendable income because of increased utility costs, therefore, unable to buy as much as before, which will hurt more and more businesses, causing more layoffs.

[heylady]

I work at a hospital and they are laying people off one at a time so it sneaks in under the radar and the news paper doesn’t notice it. They are letting all the older people go. Last week they canned a person who had worked there for 40 years and was an expert in her field. She was a very sweet quiet woman and was utterly humiliated when they had security guards escort her out of the building. They will never be able to match her experience with a younger person who they will be able to pay less, but obviously the money is more important than the quality of woek being reported out.

[detective]

“the government wants to push this cap and trade crap onto businesses which costs will only be passed onto consumers who will end up with less spendable income because of increased utility costs, therefore, unable to buy as much as before, which will hurt more and more businesses, causing more layoffs.”

This is just one part of a deliberate plan on the part of the Democrats to destroy the productive sector of the US economy. And they are succeeding. Just look at the job loss numbers and other economic data.

[detective]

What is by far the best medical system in the world is slowly being turned into a dysfunctional, third world style bureaucracy. The quality of medical care in the US will decline as the system is slowly destroyed.

[heylady]

medical system is slowly destroyed”

I see it every day. When I started in the profession people at the top of their high school class trained at hospitals. Today the people who work here should be saying “ Do you want that super sized?” They are less educated but have more attitude. It is a very bad time to be needing medical care.

[RU88]

Let's just “hope” that all of these unemployed people that voted for the brown clown see the error in their ways and rectify the situation next November. I'm predicting that increased economic pressure caused by cap and trade will push people to turn against the rats. They're drunk with power and the over reach is inevitable.

[Eye of Unk]

A couple of days ago the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska canned the police chief of 16 years,did it by phone no less,fired, not laid off, I knew her personally even before she worked her way up to that position, she was honest and hardworking, she started as a secretary and rose to Police Chief and had a very efficient police force.

It was just a personal vendetta by a democratic mayor having a tantrum.

[GOPJ]

This is not cyclical, what we are witnessing is the deliberate destruction of the private sector of the US economy.

It's getting harder and harder to believe it's all an accident... maybe you're right - deliberate.

[Marie]

And yet the government wants to push this cap and trade crap onto businesses which costs will only be passed onto consumers who will end up with less spendable income because of increased utility costs, therefore, unable to buy as much as before, which will hurt more and more businesses, causing more layoffs.

I am seriously getting scared. The ripple effect has only started.

[Marie]

My MIL is a nurse and she is exhausted. The hospitals keep their staff at the lowest levels that they can get away with. The man-hours wasted on repeating paperwork and dealing with the bureaucratic nightmare that is our medical system is crushing. She says that the problem is everywhere.

[3catsanadog]

I work for a big city-wide hospital system and they have been laying off. They've canned a few middle management types but are cutting back on ancillary staff - pharmacy techs, food service and housekeeping services.

All this does is slow down care for the patient and our rooms are given a lick and a promise because the pressure on housekeeping to get more and more rooms cleaned faster and faster with less staff.

Nurses haven't been touched yet - but if they need to cut back more, they will cut even more ancillary staff (nursing assistants, unit secretaries) which will add even more work to the nurse's job.

Of course, the powers that be still run expensive ads on TV which to me are pointless. Like these ads make a heck of a lot of difference when you are contemplating which hospital system you want to go to in the middle of your heart attack?

[LeonardFMason]

What!!!!!!?????? Obama and the Democrats said the Stimulus package would turn things around.

[nyconse]

The stimulus-bad as it was- did not cause these layoffs...it’s the economy of course and the jobs being shipped overseas...many jobs will leave this country. It’s a disgrace.