Mass Layoffs Down in August, Fewest Workers Idled in Five Months

The number of workers idled by mass layoffs declined in August, falling to the lowest total in five months, according to seasonally adjusted figures released Sept. 21 by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Businesses laid off 127,454 employees in groups of 50 or more last month, down 7.3 percent from the 137,420 workers idled in July. The August figure is also a 22.4 percent decrease from the same month last year.

Mass layoffs have come at a slower pace thus far in 2012 than in the previous five years, BLS said. The 1,032,764 workers idled by mass ...